Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report and Disasters in Asia: Managing Climate Extremes

This report, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesises findings from the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) specifically for the Asia region. It examines the interaction between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and exposure, providing a framework for integrating disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation to enhance long-term resilience in Asian countries.

• Disaster risk in Asia is increasing primarily due to the growing exposure of vulnerable people and assets to weather extremes, independent of climate change. Asia currently has more than 90% of the global population exposed to tropical cyclones.
• Historical data since 1950 indicates that climate change has already altered the frequency and magnitude of some extreme weather events globally. In Asia, while expected increases in extremes over the next 20 to 30 years may be small relative to normal year-to-year variations, the role of climate change in disaster impacts will become increasingly significant as impacts become more dramatic.
• Observed temperature trends since the 1950s across North, Central, East, Southeast, and South Asia show a likely increase in warm days and warm nights, alongside a decrease in cold days and cold nights. Western Asia shows a 'very likely' increase in warm days and an increase in warm spells.
• Projected climate extremes for 2071-2100 (or 2080-2100) suggest a likely increase in warm days, warm nights, and more frequent or longer heat waves and warm spells across almost all Asian sub-regions. Heavy precipitation is projected to increase in North, East, and South Asia, while trends in dryness and drought remain inconsistent across the region.
• The impact of climate extremes is heavily mediated by governance and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. A comparison of Category 4 cyclones shows that Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh caused nearly 4,200 fatalities, whereas Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar caused over 138,000 fatalities, demonstrating that effective DRR and governance can limit losses from similar events.
• Asia is disproportionately affected by natural catastrophes; between 1980 and 2010, the continent experienced 4,950 weather-related catastrophes and accounted for 51% of global reported fatalities (1.16 million people). In the first nine months of 2011, 80% of all global economic losses from natural disasters occurred in the Asia Pacific region.
• Urban centres in Asia face extreme risk from coastal flooding and sea level rise. By 2070, the greatest population exposure to coastal flooding is projected for Mumbai, Kolkata, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, Bangkok, Rangoon, and Hai Phòng.
• Effective national disaster risk management (DRM) systems require the integration of government, private sector, research bodies, and civil society. Examples of legislative progress include Indonesia's 2007 Disaster Management Law and China's Emergency Response Law (2007), which serves as the central legal document for disaster efforts.
• Local-level interventions often provide high returns on investment. In Orissa, India, villages with healthy mangrove strands suffered significantly fewer lives lost during the 1999 super cyclone compared to villages without mangroves, despite both having early warnings.
• Risk transfer mechanisms, such as index-based micro-insurance for non-irrigated crops in Andhra Pradesh, India, can reduce transaction costs by using physical triggers (like rainfall) rather than post-event claims handling.
• To avoid the worst disaster losses, Asia requires a shift from incremental changes to transformational changes in institutions and culture. This includes reconciling short-term disaster response with long-term adaptation goals and addressing the root causes of vulnerability.

APA

Cameron, C., Norrington-Davies, G., & Velde, V. T. (2012). Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report and Disasters in Asia: Managing Climate Extremes. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN001_CDKN-RFQ_Asia-report_electronic1.pdf

Chicago

Cameron, Catherine, Gemma Norrington-Davies, and Victoria te Velde. Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report and Disasters in Asia: Managing Climate Extremes. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN001_CDKN-RFQ_Asia-report_electronic1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cameron |first1=Catherine |last2=Norrington-Davies |first2=Gemma |last3=Velde |first3=Victoria te |title=Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report and Disasters in Asia: Managing Climate Extremes |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN001_CDKN-RFQ_Asia-report_electronic1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cameron2012lessons, author = {Cameron, Catherine and Norrington-Davies, Gemma and Velde, Victoria te}, title = {{Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report and Disasters in Asia: Managing Climate Extremes}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN001_CDKN-RFQ_Asia-report_electronic1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }