Knowing where climate hazards occur is only half the story

Whether you follow the news online, via TV, in print or simply happen to have wandered outside in the past year, you are likely to have encountered some extreme weather events. In Southern Africa, floods swept through several countries at the beginning of the year, while the Greater Horn of Africa is still experiencing prolonged drought. A few months ago, an intense heatwave struck South Asia with temperatures reaching more than 46 degrees Celsius in India. Around the same time a spring heatwave set temperature records in multiple European countries. In the beginning of the year, a severe heatwave in South-Eastern Australia fueled massive bushfires just as California has experienced recurring wildfires due to hot, dry and windy conditions. More than half the world’s population is exposed to climate-hazards Climate change causes such extreme weather events to be more frequent and stronger. Knowing where and when they might occur therefore becomes increasingly important. As data such as satellite information becomes more accurate and reliable, so does our ability to predict where climate hazards are likely to occur. Today, 4.5 billion people – or almost 6 in ten people globally – live in a place exposed to climate-related hazards. But this is only half the story. Not everyone feels the impacts of climate-hazards equally As we show in the Altas of Global Development, it is equally important to understand where people are most vulnerable. A heatwave in North America might be a nuisance, but access to air conditioning, for instance, makes it possible for most people to cope and continue working. Farmers impacted by the heatwave are likely to have access to a social safety net that will ensure that a failed harvest due to drought does not mean going to bed hungry. In fact, in North America only 2 percent of the population are identified as being in vulnerable situations. A similar heatwave in South Asia is likely to have a much greater impact, as 23 percent of the population here are vulnerable. That is, they are living in conditions which would likely make them unable to cope, adapt or recover from a severe shock such as a climate-related hazard. Looking at the global numbers, 2.8 billion people – or more than 1 in 3 people – lived in highly vulnerable conditions in 2024, the most recent year of data. Combining data on exposure to climate-related hazards with information on where people are vulnerable, it turns out 1.5 billion people are at risk of climate-related hazards, that is, they are exposed as well as vulnerable. That corresponds to almost 2 out of every 10 people globally as of 2024. To dive into the numbers by country or regions or to understand the methodology further, read more in the Atlas chapter on exposure, vulnerability and adaptation to climate hazards.