气候变化导致极端天气增多

Climate change led to an increase in extreme weather

刘立军 供稿

TRANSCRIPT

The number of disasters driven by climate change, such as floods and heatwaves, have increased by five times over the past 50 years. Such disasters have killed more than 2 million people and cost governments $3.64 trillion since 1979. A United Nations agency reported the findings Wednesday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says its "Atlas" is the most complete examination ever of death and economic losses from weather, water and climate extremes. The agency looked at about 11,000 disasters that took place between 1970 and 2019. They included major catastrophes such as Ethiopia's period of extreme dry weather in 1983. The drought killed more than 300,000 people and was the single most deadly event the WMO looked at. Also included was Hurricane Katrina, which struck the United States in 2005. That disaster was the most costly included in the report, with losses of $163.6 billion.

The agency said the growing number of major disasters was due to both climate change and improved disaster reporting. WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told reporters Wednesday: "Thanks to our early warning service improvement we have been able to have a decrease of the casualties at these kind of events, but the bad news is that the economic losses have been growing very rapidly and this growth is supposed to continue."

The report's findings add to evidence that extreme weather events are becoming more common due to climate change. Costs from these events also rose from $175.4 billion in the 1970s to $1.38 trillion in the 2010s. While disasters became more costly and common, the yearly death toll has fallen from more than 50,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000 in the 2010s. Such findings suggest that better planning efforts are working. The WMO hopes the report will be used to help governments develop policies to better protect people.

More than 91 percent of the 2 million deaths occurred in developing countries, the report said. The report noted that only half of the WMO's 193 members have complex early warning systems. It also said that "severe gaps" in weather observations, especially in Africa, were making early warning systems less effective.

Mami Mizutori is head of the U.N. office for disaster risk reduction. She urged the world's major economies to help hard-hit developing countries pay for warning systems and risk modeling.

VOCABULARY

1. catastrophe n. a sudden event that causes many people to suffer 灾难。例如：Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe. 提前发出的洪水水位上涨警报防止了又一次的重大灾害。

2. risk modeling n. 风险建模

QUESTIONS

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. The number of disasters driven by climate change has increased by five times over the past 50 years.

2. The Ethiopia's extreme dry weather in 1983 killed more than 300,000 animals.

3. The disaster of the Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was not the most costly included in the report.

4. According to WMO Secretary-General, the good news is that the economic losses have been growing steadily and this growth is supposed to continue.

5. The extreme weather events are becoming more common due to climate change.

6. The WMO hopes the report will be used to help governments develop policies to better protect environment.

7. More than 91 percent of the 2 million deaths occurred in developing countries.

8. Mami Mizutori urged the world's major economies to help hard-hit developing countries pay for warning systems and risk modeling.

KEY

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

(T) 1. The number of disasters driven by climate change has increased by five times over the past 50 years.

(F) 2. The Ethiopia's extreme dry weather in 1983 killed more than 300,000 animals. （正确表达）The Ethiopia's extreme dry weather in 1983 killed more than 300,000 people.

(F) 3. The disaster of the Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was not the most costly included in the report. （正确表达）The disaster of the Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the most costly included in the report.

(F) 4. According to WMO Secretary-General, the good news is that the economic losses have been growing slowly and this growth is supposed to continue. （正确表达）According to WMO Secretary-General, the bad news is that the economic losses have been growing very rapidly and this growth is supposed to continue.

(T) 5. The extreme weather events are becoming more common due to climate change.

(F) 6. The WMO hopes the report will be used to help governments develop policies to better protect environment. （正确表达）The WMO hopes the report will be used to help governments develop policies to better protect people.

(T) 7. More than 91 percent of the 2 million deaths occurred in developing countries.

(T) 8. Mami Mizutori urged the world's major economies to help hard-hit developing countries pay for warning systems and risk modeling.

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