Managing Climate Extremes

This report, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesizes 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 guidance for decision-makers on integrating disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation to build long-term resilience.

• 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 over 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 near-term increases in extremes may be small compared to year-to-year variability, the effect of climate change will become increasingly significant as impacts become more dramatic.
• Observed temperature trends since the 1950s across most Asian sub-regions—including North, Central, East, Southeast, South, and West Asia—show a likely increase in warm days and warm nights, alongside a decrease in cold days and nights.
• Projected climate extremes for 2071-2100 suggest a likely increase in the frequency and duration of heat waves and warm spells across most of Asia. Additionally, heavy precipitation is projected to increase in North Asia, East Asia, and the Tibetan Plateau.
• The impact of extreme events is heavily dictated by governance and vulnerability rather than the hazard alone. For example, Category 4 cyclones Sidr (Bangladesh, 2007) and Nargis (Myanmar, 2008) had similar severity, but Nargis caused 32 times more human losses because Myanmar lacked the comprehensive disaster management and early warning systems present in Bangladesh.
• Asia faces extreme physical exposure to floods and tropical cyclones. Projections indicate that by 2070, nine cities—Mumbai, Kolkata, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, Bangkok, Rangoon, and Hai Phòng—will have the greatest population exposure to coastal flooding.
• Economic losses from weather-related disasters are increasing due to higher exposure of assets. In megacities, risks are concentrated and spread through critical infrastructure networks, as seen in Mumbai in 2005 when heavy rain caused a 'synchronous failure' of banking and stock exchange systems.
• Effective disaster risk management (DRM) requires a balance between risk reduction, risk transfer (such as insurance), and effective response. An example of risk transfer is the index-based insurance for non-irrigated crops in Andhra Pradesh, India, which uses rainfall triggers to reduce transaction costs.
• National legislation can significantly strengthen the link between DRM and development planning. Indonesia's 2007 Disaster Management Law and China's Emergency Response Law (2007) are cited as examples of creating formal structures for disaster preparedness and response.
• To avoid the worst disaster losses, Asia requires transformational changes rather than just incremental adjustments. This includes moving toward a culture of risk-based thinking, fostering partnerships between local leaders and governments, and integrating DRM into all social and economic policy processes.

APA

Cameron, C., Norrington-Davies, G., & Velde, V. T. (2012). Managing Climate Extremes. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-Asia-revised-final-copy-9.pdf

Chicago

Cameron, Catherine, Gemma Norrington-Davies, and Victoria te Velde. Managing Climate Extremes. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-Asia-revised-final-copy-9.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cameron |first1=Catherine |last2=Norrington-Davies |first2=Gemma |last3=Velde |first3=Victoria te |title=Managing Climate Extremes |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-Asia-revised-final-copy-9.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cameron2012managing, author = {Cameron, Catherine and Norrington-Davies, Gemma and Velde, Victoria te}, title = {{Managing Climate Extremes}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-Asia-revised-final-copy-9.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }