Natural hazard report warns of the consequences of climate change
From July 2023 to July 2024, Germany experienced the wettest 12-month episode since analyses began in 1881. This was reported by the German Weather Service. Flooding and catastrophic flooding were the consequences. There were also storms and forest fires. The disasters claimed lives, destroyed property, harvests and crops by the hundreds of thousands.
7 Nov 2024Share
The Natural Hazards Report 2024 published by the German Insurance Association (GDV) gives a dramatic impression of the damage that occurs year after year. According to the report, natural hazards caused costs totalling 5.6 billion euros in property and motor vehicle insurance last year alone.
Climate change a focus topic at INTERSCHUTZ 2026
The consequences of climate change have a significant impact on fire services, rescue services, disaster control and civil protection. Climate change is also one of the focus topics at INTERSCHUTZ 2026, where there will be a comprehensive overview of how the effects of the changes can be countered through intensive research, technological innovations and comprehensive cooperation and how the efficiency of preventive and reactive measures can be increased.
Extreme weather events
This time, the Natural Hazards Report focuses on the water sensitivity of infrastructure, buildings and cities. ‘The increase in flood events is no coincidence, but the result of climate change - and we as a society are inadequately prepared,’ says GDV Managing Director Jörg Asmussen. He fears that the damage caused by climate change will at least double by 2050. This involves extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and the resulting floods, storms, hail and fires. ‘We need two things: to combat climate change and to adapt to its consequences. Germany must intensify its efforts to achieve the Paris climate targets and thus slow down climate change,’ warns Asmussen.
Dr Andreas Marx, Head of the German Drought Monitor at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, also confirms in the report that the probability of extreme precipitation such as in the winter of 2023/2024 is increasing. ‘Warmer air absorbs more water. Climate change is therefore also leading to higher precipitation globally. The probability of extreme precipitation is also increasing, as Germany experienced in winter 2023 and spring 2024,’ the report quotes the scientist as saying. ‘Globally, the increase in precipitation is unevenly distributed. Dry regions such as the Mediterranean are becoming drier, wet regions such as Scandinavia even wetter.’
Hazard prevention and defence
Dr Ulrich Cimolino, expert for dynamic damage situations at the German Fire Service Association (DFV), also warns of the dangers: ‘Humans are moving closer and closer to nature in more and more areas, and nature is also moving closer to humans again through renaturation or overgrowth.’ This means that the interfaces between nature and humans must be considered more intensively again in hazard prevention and defence in order to minimise hazards and (consequential) damage. Mutual understanding and interdisciplinary work are essential here in order to be able to prepare for and safely manage operations to minimise damage.
Natural Hazards Report 2024
The Natural Hazards Report is supplemented by a comprehensive data service (german) with around 70 tables that document the extent of damage caused by natural hazards in detail. In this way, the insurance industry supports research into natural hazards, climate impacts and adaptation strategies.
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