There has been an increase in the incidence of natural disasters in the past several decades. The 2011 United Nations (UN) World Economic and Social Survey found that the rate of natural disasters increased by five times since the 1970s. Researchers believe this is related to climate change brought on by excessive energy consumption and pollution related to human behaviors such as an increase in technology and industrial output. An increase in global temperature may particularly increase the extreme temperatures that can cause natural disaster storms by producing more water vapor in the air that turns into precipitation.
More about the increase in natural disasters:
- The total worldwide death toll of natural disasters decreased by over 90% from the 1930s to the 2000s.
- Scientists project that there will be an increase of up to 20% more snow and rain by the year 2100, making natural disasters more prevalent, as well as more powerful.
- The average annual cost of a natural disaster aftermath was $50 billion US Dollars (USD) to nearly $200 billion USD on average in 2012.
