Better weather forecasts could help billions adapt to climate change - New Scientist
Better weather forecasts could help billions adapt to climate change | New Scientist
Weather balloons provide vital data for forecasting extreme weather events Edward Haylan/Shutterstock
Weather balloons provide vital data for forecasting extreme weather events
Edward Haylan/Shutterstock
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“Yesterday was a catastrophe,” said Ladislaus Chang’a at the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, speaking to a crowd at COP28 in Dubai on 4 December. The day before, heavy rains in northern Tanzania triggered mudslides that killed more than 63 people and injured more than 100 others.
But even as rescue operations continued, Chang’a said his mind was…
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”