2020 will be remembered for the pandemic, but also for the natural disasters born of a climate gone haywire. The damage toll, though partial, runs into colossal figures.
Even though its media agenda was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 provided yet further confirmation of how real climate change is. A reality that is making itself felt from one end of the planet to the other, with dramatic consequences. A new report by the non-profit organisation Christian Aid selects ten natural disasters that occurred over the past twelve months, each causing economic damage in excess of one billion dollars; a figure that must moreover be considered partial, as it is based solely on insured assets. Adding these ten events together, the total reaches a stratospheric sum: 145.4 billion dollars, equivalent to roughly 118 billion euros. To say nothing of the still more painful toll in human lives.
The year began in the thick of the devastating Australian bushfire season. The fires affected more than 18 million hectares, claiming 34 human lives and around one billion animals, with 65,000 people forced to abandon their homes. The health problems linked to smoke alone cost more than one billion euros, to which must be added the nearly 3 billion euros' worth of insured assets. But according to some analyses that also take other factors into account, the total exceeds 57 billion euros. What is certain is that the fires cannot be dismissed as an unfortunate coincidence: according to the World Weather Attribution group, the risk increases by 30 per cent due to global warming.
In February, enormous swarms of locusts descended on Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, destroying pastures, crops and vegetation. All this in territories where living conditions for a large proportion of the population are already extremely precarious. The World Bank estimates the economic losses at just under 7 billion euros.
Shortly before air traffic was brought to a standstill by lockdown, Storm Ciara caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the United Kingdom, France, Ireland and Germany, with strong winds accompanied by gusts of rain and snow. There were 14 deaths and damage exceeding 2.2 billion euros. In October it was the turn of Storm Alex, which lashed the Maritime Alps, including Piedmont, killing 16 people and destroying infrastructure worth 2.6 billion euros.
Having originated in the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Amphan struck the coasts of India and Bangladesh on 20 May with winds of up to 270 kilometres per hour. At least 128 people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed, with economic losses exceeding 10.6 billion euros. Due to its particular geography, the Bengal region is especially exposed to natural disasters; and its high population density amplifies the likelihood that they will cause extensive damage.
The 2020 season was a record-breaking one for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. No fewer than thirty were recorded, two more than the previous record set in 2015; and this count includes only those that were given a name because their winds exceeded 62 kilometres per hour. Adding them together, the report concludes that they caused at least 400 deaths and more than 33 billion euros in damage.
It was the month of June when several areas of China — including the provinces of Sichuan and Guizhou and the city of Chongqing — were hit by torrential rains that triggered widespread flooding. Among the natural disasters recorded in the report, these rank among the most severe in both human terms (with at least 278 dead and missing) and economic terms (with 26 billion euros in damage). According to a study published in 2016, China is by far the country most exposed to flood risk; a vulnerability that will be further exacerbated by global warming.
2020 was the second consecutive year in which monsoon rains struck India with an intensity far above the norm. Over the past 65 years, the frequency of extreme rainfall events has tripled. Between June and October of this year, the death toll exceeded 2,000, with more than 8 billion euros in damage. One of the most tragic episodes occurred in Kerala, where 49 people were killed by a landslide on a tree plantation.
Torrential rainfall did not spare Japan either. In June it triggered flooding and landslides on the island of Kyushu, forcing 250,000 people to leave their homes and causing damage of around 7 billion euros. There were 82 fatalities. To appreciate the exceptional nature of these events, the cities of Kuma and Kanoya recorded 80 and 100 millimetres of rain respectively within just one hour.
Among the most severe tolls in human terms was that recorded in Pakistan, with 410 deaths caused by landslides and flooding due to heavy monsoon rains. "Like many other countries in the region, Pakistan has contributed little to climate change, but is extremely vulnerable to extreme events caused by global warming," the report notes, recalling how — despite commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — coal continues to play a leading role in the energy mix.
It was September when dozens of fires broke out along the west coast of the United States, from the state of Washington, on the border with Canada, to Oregon, not far from Mexico. The situation in California was catastrophic. In total, at least 42 deaths and 16 billion euros in damage were recorded. The smoke produced by the fires even crossed the Atlantic, reaching northern Europe.