Yuriy Kuleshov

Bureau of Meteorology, Australia

Title: Climate risk and early warning systems

Biography

Abstract

Every year, disasters caused by weather extremes lead to significant losses of life and socioeconomic impacts. From 1970-2012, close to 2 million deaths and US$ 2.4 trillion of economic losses were reported globally as a result of droughts, floods, windstorms, tropical cyclones, storm surges and extreme temperatures alone. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report, the frequency and severity of such hazards is increasing, exacerbating risks to lives and livelihoods around the world, particularly in developing and least developed countries. Improved multi-hazard early warning systems are the most effective way to increase resilience and to adapt to climate change. However, in poor and vulnerable countries, weather data is often unreliable or totally lacking. Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) is an international initiative which aims to significantly increase the capacity for seamless multi-hazard early warning system to generate and communicate effective impact-based early warnings, and risk information for hazardous hydro-meteorological and climate events. Its purpose is to protect lives, livelihoods, and property in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. The CREWS coalition is led by France, with support from Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada. It is being implemented by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the World Bank, and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Projects are underway in the Caribbean, the Pacific, West Africa, Burkina Faso, Congo, Mali, Niger and Papua New Guinea to enhance their hydrometeorological warning services combined with improving their emergency plans and operations.