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The decrease in mortality from natural disasters hides the destructive power of climate change, warns the UN

Declining deaths from natural disasters hides the destructive power of climate change, UN warns

Although the number of people who die from natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and droughts is decreasing worldwide, thanks to better prevention, planning and resilience, climate change is making these disasters more intense, frequent and devastating, especially for the poorest countries.

A large wave crashes against a rocky shore, illustrating the destructive power of natural disasters.

"Fewer people are dying from natural disasters, and if you look at it as a proportion of the total population, it's even less," Kamal Kishore, the new UN assistant secretary-general for disaster risk reduction, said in his first interview since taking office in mid-May. "We often take progress for granted."

Kishore emphasized that while warning systems and preparedness plans have saved many lives, climate change is making natural disasters more serious.

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"You face more intense dangers, more often and in new geographic regions," he said. "For example, Brazil, which used to not worry much about floods, is now experiencing devastating floods."

Climate change is also leading to extreme heat, which is becoming a global problem. In 2022, almost 60,000 people died from the heat in Europe.

Although the number of deaths from natural disasters is decreasing, Kishore warns that the economic costs of these disasters are still devastating .

"We are better at saving lives, but not livelihoods," he said. "People are losing their homes, their businesses. A small poultry farmer may survive a flood or a storm, but he will lose everything: seeds, boats."

Kishore calls for a redoubled effort to reduce the number of deaths and losses from natural disasters, including investing in sustainable infrastructure and supporting the poorest countries.

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