Search Climate Insights Directory
42 results
Reducing vulnerability and improved land management needed with increasing heavy rainfall in Mindanao Island, Southern Philippines
A study of heavy rainfall in eastern Mindanao (Caraga and Davao regions) between December and February found a strong upward trend in extreme rainfall in observations, though climate models failed to replicate this trend, preventing a quantified attribution to human-induced climate change. The analysis notes that El Niño typically reduces rainfall in this region during the Northeast monsoon, suggesting rainfall could have been more extreme without it. High vulnerability to flooding is attributed to poverty, protracted conflict, deforestation, urban wetland loss, and stalled disaster risk management policies, including the failure of automated sensors since 2022.
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Document type: Research paper
Polluter for Climate Change Loss and Damage
The report analyzes the April 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using attribution science to link the disaster to human-induced global warming. It argues that 'carbon majors'—the largest global GHG emitters—should be held accountable under the 'polluter pays' principle. The document explores the legal pathways in South African delictual law to seek compensation for both immediate losses and future climate resilience, while highlighting the disproportionate impact of such disasters on marginalized communities.
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Document type: Report
Interplay of climate change exacerbated rainfall exposure and vulnerability led to widespread impacts in the Mediterranean region
A World Weather Attribution study found that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood and intensity of extreme rainfall events in the Mediterranean region in September 2023. In Libya, a 1-in-300 to 600 year event became up to 50 times more likely and 50% more intense compared to a 1.2C cooler climate. In a region encompassing Greece, Bulgaria, and Türkiye, similar events became up to 10 times more likely and 40% more intense. The study highlights that while climate change exacerbated the weather, the scale of the disaster—particularly in Libya—was compounded by state fragility, lack of dam maintenance, and inadequate emergency communication.
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Document type: Research paper
The role of climate change in extreme rainfall associated with Cyclone Gabrielle over Aotearoa New Zealand’s east coast
The study analysed peak 48-hour rainfall in Te Matau-a-Māui and Te Tairāwhiti during February 2023. Historical weather station data (1979-2023) suggests the 2-day maximum rainfall is now approximately 30% more intense and four times more likely to occur than if the climate had not warmed by 1.2C. However, climate models showed a much smaller change in likelihood and intensity, creating a discrepancy that prevents the researchers from quantifying the overall role of human-induced climate change with certainty. The report notes that 225,000 homes lost power and the event caused multi-billion dollar damages, comparable to the 2011 Waitaha earthquakes.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate change exacerbated heavy rainfall leading to large-scale flooding in highly vulnerable communities in West Africa
The 2022 rainy season in West Africa saw above-average rainfall and devastating floods, particularly in Nigeria and Niger, where fatalities reached at least 612 and 195 respectively. An attribution study found that climate change made the seasonal rainfall over the Lake Chad region approximately 80 times more likely and 20% more intense, while the 7-day maximum rainfall over the lower Niger Basin became about twice as likely and 5% more intense. Beyond climate change, the flooding was driven by the release of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon and exacerbated by high poverty rates, political instability, and the location of infrastructure and settlements on flood plains.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate change likely increased extreme monsoon rainfall flooding highly vulnerable communities in Pakistan
The 2022 monsoon rainfall in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, resulted in catastrophic flooding that affected over 33 million people and caused damages likely exceeding US$30 billion. Attribution analysis indicates that 5-day maximum rainfall in Sindh and Balochistan is now approximately 75% more intense than it would have been without a 1.2C warming, while 60-day rain across the Indus basin is about 50% more intense. While high regional variability and model discrepancies make exact quantification of the human-induced role difficult, most models and observations show that intense rainfall has increased as Pakistan warmed, with future projections suggesting further significant increases in rainfall intensity at 2 °C of warming.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate change increased heavy rainfall hitting vulnerable communities in eastern Northeast Brazil
An event attribution study found that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood and intensity of the extreme rainfall that hit eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022, causing over 133 deaths and displacing at least 25,000 people. While the events were exceptionally rare—with a 1-in-500 to 1-in-1000 annual chance in the current climate—they would have been approximately 20% less intense in a world without human-induced warming. The study highlights that pre-existing structural vulnerabilities, such as unplanned urbanization in low-income neighborhoods and an infrastructure deficit, exacerbated the disaster's impact.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate change exacerbated rainfall causing devastating flooding in eastern South Africa
A collaborative scientific study found that human-induced climate change approximately doubled the probability of the extreme 2-day rainfall that caused devastating floods in eastern South Africa in April 2022, increasing the event's intensity by 4-8%.
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Document type: Research paper
Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate
An analysis of 150 U.S. weather stations shows that 90% experienced an increase in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2021, with an average increase of 13%. These intensifying rainfall extremes, which contribute to flash flooding and landslides, affect both wet and dry regions, with the most significant increases observed in locations such as Fairbanks, Alaska, and El Paso, Texas.
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Document type: Report
Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate
Climate Central's analysis of 150 U.S. weather stations shows that 90% experienced an increase in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2021, with an overall average increase of 13%. This trend is linked to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, where warmer air holds more moisture, increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy downpours. Such extremes contribute significantly to flash flood risks, accounting for approximately one-third of U.S. flood damages ($73 billion) from 1988 to 2017. Future projections suggest that U.S. flash floods could intensify by 8% by 2100 under high-emission scenarios, with the Southwest and central U.S. identified as high-risk areas.
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Document type: Report
Rural Communities and the Transportation and Climate Initiative
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional program designed to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector by limiting total emissions and requiring fuel distributors to pay into a fund. This fund could generate an estimated $68 billion over ten years for participating states, including Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The document highlights that rural residents, who drive more than 13,000 miles annually—over 20% above the regional average—stand to save up to twice as much per capita as urban residents by switching to electric vehicles (EVs). To support this transition, the author suggests higher purchase incentives for low- and moderate-income drivers, expanded rural charging infrastructure, and the growth of vanpools and paratransit services. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, citing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont as a precedent for the increasing intensity of storms in the region.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program
The document examines the vulnerabilities of India's nuclear infrastructure to climate-induced threats, including sea-level rise, cyclones, and extreme rainfall. It highlights a history of 'near-misses' and safety lapses, arguing that the lack of an independent regulator and a culture of secrecy exacerbate these risks. The author identifies the west coast and Tamil Nadu as high-risk zones and notes that climate change may indirectly increase nuclear tensions via the India-Pakistan rivalry over the Indus River Basin.
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Document type: Briefing
A quick look at the extreme rainfall in Japan
In early July 2018, southwestern Japan experienced extreme rainfall, with some interior stations recording more than twice the usual amount for the wettest day of the year, leading to local return times exceeding 200 years. Observational data from 94 stations show a higher prevalence of positive trends in extreme rainfall probability than negative trends, suggesting a systematic influence beyond natural variability. While a single high-resolution model (EC-Earth T799) qualitatively reproduces these positive trends from 1850 to 2098, the authors state that a lack of sufficient climate models and manpower prevents a robust quantitative attribution statement. The analysis concludes that climate change likely increased the probability of such extreme rains, though the exact magnitude remains undetermined.
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Document type: Briefing
Addressing policy challenges from Chennai’s 2015 extreme rainfall event
The December 2015 extreme rainfall event in Chennai, India, which saw a record 494 mm of rain in 24 hours, was determined by climate attribution studies to be a 1 in 600–2,500 year event not caused by anthropogenic global warming. While the event's rarity would have overwhelmed most cities, its impact was exacerbated by poor land-use planning, including the encroachment of wetlands and riverbeds, and a clogged drainage system. The document recommends that Indian cities integrate wetland protection, river basin approaches, and vulnerability-focused disaster action plans into their urban development to build resilience against increasing extreme weather trends.
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Document type: Policy brief
Rapidly growing Chennai submerged by rare extreme rainfall event
The document analyzes the devastating floods in Chennai on 1 December 2015, which killed over 470 people. While no measurable effect of human-caused emissions was detected for this specific event, the report highlights that unplanned urban growth, encroachment on water bodies, and poor infrastructure management significantly increased the city's vulnerability. Key impacts included the destruction of 4.92 lakh houses and the closure of Chennai Airport for five days. The flooding was exacerbated by the necessary release of water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir to prevent a breach, though the timing of this release was questioned by residents.
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Document type: Fact sheet
POLICY BRIEF
The document highlights the vulnerability of sub-Saharan African port infrastructure to climate hazards such as sea level rise, storm surges, and extreme rainfall. It notes that while the industry is aware of climate change, this awareness is rarely translated into practical planning. The brief recommends establishing a close dialogue between climate scientists and port practitioners, reviewing port master plans, and providing designers with simple, quantified projections of climate variables to improve long-term resilience.
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Document type: Policy brief
Extreme Rainfall and Climate Change by the 2020s & 2050s (Technical Report)
The report examines the intensifying flood risk in Da Nang, Vietnam, driven by a combination of rapid urbanization, land-use change, tidal flooding, and heavy rainfall. It specifically analyzes how climate change is expected to alter the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events—currently caused by typhoons or localized storms—and increase sea levels, potentially leading to unprecedented flooding levels when coupled with continued urban development.
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Document type: Report
Da Nang: Extreme Rainfall, Climate Change and Flooding
Rapid urban development in Da Nang's floodplains is increasing the frequency and severity of floods during extreme rain events. Climate change is projected to further increase rainfall intensity, potentially raising the intensity of events similar to the 2007 storms by 3 to 24% by the end of the 2020s. The document warns that construction standards based on historical data, including the 1999 storm, are insufficient for future risks, and that continued expansion into low-lying areas without multi-hazard resilient construction could lead to severe damage and loss of life.
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Document type: Policy brief
Gorakhpur: Extreme Rainfall, Climate Change, and Flooding (Technical Report)
The report examines how the combination of rapid urbanization and climate change is increasing flood risks in Gorakhpur. It highlights that the loss of water bodies and construction in the floodplains of the Rapti and Rohini rivers have reduced drainage capacity. Projections indicate that climate change will increase the intensity of rainfall events by the 2050s, potentially increasing the intensity of small rain events by 10 to 20% and more severe 24-hour events by 2 to 25%.
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Document type: Report
Flood risk and Urban development in Belize City, Belize
The document assesses future climate projections for Belize City using a Weather Generator tool, finding that while June, July, and August may see decreased rainfall and increased temperatures, October and November are projected to experience higher intensity and more variable rainfall. These changes, combined with the city's flat elevation and poor drainage infrastructure, increase the risk of severe flooding and associated health hazards. The study emphasizes the need for updated building codes, better land-use planning, and integrated climate change considerations in infrastructure design to mitigate these risks.
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Document type: Case study