The Epidemiology of Extreme Weather Event Disasters (1969-2018).

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Extreme weather events (EWEs) pose significant global threats.
• Analysis covers 50 years (1969-2018) of EWE disasters worldwide.
• Focus on incidence, exposures, mortality, and morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize global EWE disaster trends over five decades.
• To analyze the incidence, exposure, mortality, and morbidity associated with EWEs.
• To evaluate associations between EWE incidence, human exposure, and health impacts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) from 1969-2018.
• Included seven EWE hazard types: cyclones, droughts, floods, heatwaves, landslides, cold weather, and storms.
• Employed regression analysis and ANOVA to assess relationships between EWE incidence, exposure, morbidity, and mortality rates.

Main Results:

• 10,009 EWE disasters recorded, causing over 2 million deaths and 4 million illnesses.
• Storms, droughts, and floods were the leading causes of mortality (89%).
• Cold weather, floods, and storms accounted for most morbidity (96%).
• Annual EWE incidence shows a significant increasing trend (R2 = 0.88).
• A significant association was found between human exposure rates and hazard incidence (P=0.01).
• No significant trends in exposure, morbidity, or mortality rates were observed over time.

Conclusions:

• The annual incidence of EWEs is increasing globally.
• EWE incidence is associated with human exposure rates.
• Insufficient evidence currently supports an increase in EWE-related health risks or exposures over time.