A Window
On the Global Crisis

Floods are the most frequent and deadliest of natural disasters. They occur when water submerges land that is normally dry.

Flooding is often the result of heavy rainfall, rapid melting of snow or ice, or storms in coastal areas. All these phenomena have increased with climate change, in terms of both frequency and intensity.

The Human Toll

Far-reaching consequences

More than half of the world's population lives within 60 km of a coastline.

Floods account for about half of the 288 million people displaced since 2008 due to natural disasters.

After droughts, flooding is the second greatest threat to the agriculture sector. Between 2008 and 2018, floods were responsible for $21 billion US worth of crop and livestock losses in low and middle-income countries.

Why should you care?

Even if you do not live near a waterway or a coastline, the devastating consequences of flooding for the people who experience them concern us all. Like a domino effect, the resulting human displacement resulting from flooding may put pressure on surrounding inland regions and disrupt the supply chain due to losses of crops and livestock.

Visit the What Now? section to learn more about flooding and what you can do to mitigate its impact.

Wildfires, also known as forest fires, are fires that occur in vegetated areas, such as forests or grasslands. Although they sometimes happen naturally, i.e., caused by lightning, they are primarily the result of human negligence, such as campfires, industrial activity, or arson.

Warmer and drier conditions significantly increase the risk of such fires, and that’s where climate change comes into the picture. As global warming intensifies temperature extremes, some regions are experiencing much more rainfall, while others are hit by severe periods of drought. The vast majority of the most devastating fires of the past decade have been associated with heatwaves and drought.

At a glance

Increased risks and impacts

Wildfire activity in the boreal (northern) forests is predicted to increase dramatically. The Earth’s boreal forests are burning at a rate unseen in at least 10,000 years.

In 2020, the area north of the Arctic Circle in Eastern Siberia recorded its worst season for uncontrolled fires in 18 years. In California, 2020 accounted for the most wildfires ever recorded, with 20,232 happening in a single year.

In June and July 2020 alone, carbon dioxide emissions from Arctic wildfires were 35% higher than total emissions in 2019.

Why should you care?

Even if you do not live in a fire-prone area, the impact of wildfires extends far beyond the regions directly affected. In addition to destroying property and infrastructure, crops and wildlife, as well as displacing thousands of people, these blazes release large amounts of carbon and fine particles into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. The polluted air also causes respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

As major carbon sinks, mature forests are the second most important natural store of greenhouse gas absorption after the oceans. Loss of these forests deprives us of a vital solution to slowing down climate change.

Visit the What Now? section to learn more about wildfires and what you can do to mitigate their escalation.

Taking on the form of a thick haze, smog is a type of air pollution that reduces visibility and compromises human health. Prevalent in large cities with high levels of traffic and industrial activity, smog is composed primarily of ozone (the type found at ground level, not in the atmosphere) and fine particulate matter emitted from smokestacks, vehicle exhausts and fires, among other things.

Although smog is not a direct consequence of climate change, the two are certainly related. Simply put, smog is one of the most visual manifestations of our worsening air quality. The type of smog common in cities today has serious effects on our respiratory system, both in the short-term and over years of exposure. This type of air pollution will continue to worsen with climate change.

Human health at risk

Air pollution: a social justice issue

In low- and middle-income countries, indoor and outdoor air pollution causes more than 50% of lower respiratory tract infections in children under age five.

In Beijing, a shorter lifespan among citizens has been linked to high pollution levels. In fact, air pollution in Beijing has led to lower birth rates and a higher death rate among adults from respiratory diseases.

Although air pollution affects developed and developing countries alike, low- and middle-income countries are the hardest hit, particularly in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asian regions.

Why should you care?

Even if you have never experienced smog, poor air quality has catastrophic short- medium- and long-term effects on the health of humans, animals and vegetation. Reducing air pollution plays a crucial role in the global fight against climate change since many of the factors that generate it are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Visit the What Now? section learn more about smog and other forms of air pollution and what you can do to mitigate their risks.