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Extreme Precipitation in a Warming Climate
Analysis of 144 U.S. cities shows that 90% have experienced increased hourly rainfall intensity since 1970, with the highest average increases in the Upper Midwest. Projections indicate that at 2°C of global warming, 85% of U.S. counties will likely see a 10% or higher increase in precipitation on the heaviest 1% of days, with disproportionate risks for Black communities and rural areas.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature
President Prabowo of Indonesia has revoked the permits of 28 companies linked to deforestation, including North Sumatra Hydro Energy and Agincourt gold mine, following devastating floods in Sumatra. The government is suing six companies for $284 million in damages. Additionally, nearly 82,000 hectares in Tesso Nillo National Park have been returned to the Ministry of Forestry for restoration. Mighty Earth is leveraging these actions to advocate for the reconsideration of the 'Food and Energy Estates' project, which has already destroyed over 75,000 acres.
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Document type: Statement
Why sound planning for floods and wildfires isn’t junk science
The Canadian Climate Institute responds to claims that its 'Close to Home' report relies on 'guesswork,' asserting that its risk modelling uses data from The Co-operators and SwissRe and focuses on near-term risks. The Institute argues that failing to account for flood and wildfire exposure in housing development could increase private and public costs by $3 billion annually. It emphasizes that better land-use planning and risk information empower market participants to make informed decisions, addressing a market failure where insurance and property values misprice risk. The document notes that 2024 saw record insured losses of over $8.9 billion in Canada due to severe weather, including events in Quebec, Toronto, and Jasper, and maintains that climate change is increasing the area burned by wildfires.
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Document type: Statement
Heavier Rainfall Rates in U.S. Cities
Analysis of 144 U.S. weather stations shows that 88% of cities experienced increased hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2024, with an average increase of 15% across those locations. The highest average regional increases occurred in the Upper Midwest (+18%), Northern Rockies and Plains (+16%), and Ohio Valley (+15%). Individual cities with the largest increases include Wichita, Kansas (+38%), Reno, Nevada (+37%), Fairbanks, Alaska (+37%), and El Paso, Texas (+37%). Projections indicate that with 2°C of global warming, 85% of U.S. counties are likely to see a 10% or higher increase in precipitation on the heaviest 1% of days, with particularly high intensification expected in Alaska (43%) and Hawaii (30%).
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Document type: Fact sheet
Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas
The study finds that grain production systems in the Pampas lead to higher water-table levels and increased flooding risk compared to dairy systems. This is attributed to lower transpiration rates in annual crops and enhanced groundwater recharge in croplands, whereas perennial pastures maintain deeper water tables through higher transpiration and direct groundwater discharge.
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Document type: Research paper
Cape Town CITY PROFILING REPORT 2025
The 2025 City Profiling Report for Cape Town describes a city with strong institutional governance and high service delivery standards relative to other SADC cities, yet one plagued by deep structural inequality and chronic traffic congestion. While the city maintains a clean audit record and high human development indices, it faces significant challenges in youth unemployment, informal settlement growth, and climate vulnerability, particularly regarding water scarcity and fire risk.
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Document type: Report
Wetlands in Peril
The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that industrial agriculture is the leading cause of wetland loss over the last 250 years, which increases flood risks and releases stored carbon. In the Upper Midwest, 30 million acres of wetlands provide approximately $23 billion in annual residential flood mitigation benefits, with long-term value estimated between $323 billion and $754 billion. The document urges the US government to use the upcoming farm bill to increase funding for USDA conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetland Reserve Easements, to protect these ecosystems.
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Document type: Executive summary
Wetlands in Peril
Industrial agriculture is a primary driver of wetland loss in the US Upper Midwest, where 30 million acres of wetlands provide critical flood mitigation and carbon sequestration. The report estimates that these wetlands provide nearly $23 billion in annual residential flood mitigation benefits, with long-term value between $323 billion and $754 billion. Recent legal shifts, specifically the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, have reduced federal protections under the Clean Water Act, leaving many wetlands vulnerable. The author argues that the next farm bill should expand the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) cap, increase funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and link crop insurance to conservation practices to mitigate flood risk and support environmental justice for marginalized communities.
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Document type: Report
Una idea para tus historias: Inundaciones
The guide advises journalists to contextualize floods within the broader framework of climate change, noting that a warmer atmosphere retains more moisture, leading to more frequent and intense extreme precipitation globally. It recommends avoiding probabilistic terms like "100-year flood" in favor of simple superlatives and suggests focusing on personal impacts and hyper-local infrastructure to make stories more relevant. The document also provides a curated list of mapping tools and data sources, such as NOAA, FEMA, and World Weather Attribution, to assist in reporting on flood risks and attribution.
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Document type: Guide
Potentially deadly errors in hurricane track prediction
The document analyzes the failure of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Mexican Meteorological Service to accurately predict the path and intensity of Hurricane John in 2006, which led to five deaths and heavy flooding in Baja California. Research by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) indicates that the predictive errors were caused by a critical lack of upper air soundings and divergences between numerical models. The text advocates for adhering to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards of at least four air soundings per day to improve forecast reliability.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Risks Associated With New Housing in Canada
The report details a spatial modelling approach to assess climate risks for new housing in Canada, focusing on flood and wildfire hazards under current and 2030 RCP 4.5 scenarios. It describes the allocation of new units across 5,161 census subdivisions and the specific estimation methods used to determine average annual loss (AAL) for these new developments.
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Document type: Report
Climate change increased Typhoon Gaemi's wind speeds and rainfall
The study finds that climate change increased rainfall intensity in Taiwan and Hunan province and contributed to a 7% increase in maximum wind speeds for similar storms in the Western North Pacific basin. While sea surface temperatures as hot as those observed during Typhoon Gaemi were "almost impossible without climate change", the analysis did not identify a significant trend for rainfall in the northern Philippines. The report highlights that existing urban plans and flood infrastructure are unable to withstand climate-driven extreme floods, particularly in areas of unplanned urban development like Metro Manila.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Kassena Nankana Municipal Assembly
The assessment identifies agriculture as the most vulnerable sector in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, with high sensitivity in zonal councils like Biu and Doba due to the prevalence of mud-brick housing and flood-prone farmlands. While the quantitative Vulnerability Index suggests that adaptive capacity currently outweighs exposure and sensitivity across all zonal councils, Naaga is identified as the most vulnerable area due to its low adaptive capacity and high exposure to the White Volta River. Future projections indicate rising temperatures and irregular rainfall, which are expected to reduce maize and soybean yields and increase the prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases like cerebrospinal meningitis.
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Document type: Report
Wettest Seasons in U.S. Regions
Climate Central analyzed precipitation data from 1969-70 to 2022-23 for the contiguous U.S., finding that while some regions have balanced seasonal rainfall, others rely heavily on a single season. Specifically, the West and Northwest are dominated by winter precipitation, while the Plains and Upper Midwest rely on summer rainfall. Climate change is altering these patterns, with a general increase in precipitation east of the Rockies and a decrease to the west. Warmer temperatures are increasing atmospheric moisture—approximately 10% more since 1970—which enhances extremes such as heavy downpours and intensifying droughts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Rising Hourly Rainfall Intensity
Analysis of 150 U.S. weather stations shows that 91% experienced an increase in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2022, with an average increase of 13%. This trend is linked to climate warming, which allows the atmosphere to hold more moisture, increasing the risk of flash flooding and landslides regardless of whether a location is typically wet or dry.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CEQ’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool Needs to Consider How Burdens Add Up
The World Resources Institute analyzes CEJST 1.0, finding that while it identifies more disadvantaged populations than the beta version, it lacks a mechanism to prioritize communities facing multiple overlapping burdens. The analysis reveals that non-white populations are disproportionately exposed to higher cumulative burdens, yet the tool treats all disadvantaged communities as equal for funding purposes. The authors recommend incorporating cumulative burden metrics, adjusting low-income eligibility for severely burdened areas, and establishing a rigorous monitoring framework for the Justice40 Initiative.
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Document type: Research paper
CLIMATE INSURANCE-LINKED RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING INSTRUMENT ANALYSIS
CILRIF is a novel financial instrument developed by the UNCDF and partners to address the lack of affordable, long-term climate insurance and resilient infrastructure funding for cities in emerging markets. It operates through two linked facilities: an insurance facility providing 10-15 year coverage with premiums that decrease as cities meet resilience milestones, and a financing facility providing below-market rate loans for adaptation projects. The instrument uses a hybrid parametric and indemnity insurance model to provide immediate post-disaster liquidity while rewarding risk reduction. A financial model for 40 cities suggests that resilience interventions, such as drainage systems for flood risk or cooling networks for heat risk, can reduce annual premiums by 5% to 10% per intervention. The pilot phase targets Makati, Durban, and Freetown, with a goal of mobilizing USD 1 billion in commercial and concessional investment.
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Document type: Report
US Homeowners and Lenders Face Rising Risks from Extreme Weather
The briefing highlights the growing financial threats to the US housing market from climate-related hazards, noting that over 79 million properties face wildfire risk and 14.6 million are susceptible to substantial flood damage. It emphasizes that low-income families and communities of color are disproportionately affected, citing that during Hurricane Katrina, homes owned by Black residents were three times as likely to experience flood impacts. The document advocates for the use of property-level climate data and the utilization of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act—which provides billions for climate justice, affordable housing resilience, and NOAA community efforts—to future-proof homes. It calls on regulators like the CFPB and FHFA to lead the industry toward climate-aligned housing standards and equitable financing solutions.
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Document type: Briefing
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
Quelle sera notre réponse à la menace qui se profile pour les infrastructures canadiennes ?
The document highlights the vulnerability of Canadian infrastructure to climate change, noting that current construction often relies on outdated climate data. It proposes four key actions: improving climate risk information, integrating climate considerations into all government infrastructure decisions, requiring risk disclosure from owners and investors, and increasing financial support for municipalities to fund resilience projects.
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Document type: Statement