Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters. This Special Report explores the challenge of understanding and managing the risks of climate extremes to advance climate change adaptation. Weather- and climate-related disasters have social as well as physical dimensions. As a result, changes in the frequency and severity of the physical events affect disaster risk, but so do the spatially diverse and temporally dynamic patterns of exposure and vulnerability. Some types of extreme weather and climate events have increased in frequency or magnitude, but populations and assets at risk have also increased, with consequences for disaster risk. Opportunities for managing risks of weather- and climate-related disasters exist or can be developed at any scale, local to international. Some strategies for effectively managing risks and adapting to climate change involve adjustments to current activities. Others require transformation or fundamental change.
Foreward -- Preface -- Summary for Policymakers -- Chapter 1. Climate Change: New Dimensions in Disaster Risk, Exposure, Vulnerability, and Resilience -- Chapter 2. Determinants of Risk: Exposure and Vulnerability -- Chapter 3. Changes in Climate Extremes and their Impacts on the Natural Physical Environment -- Chapter 4. Changes in Impacts of Climate Extremes: Human Systems and Ecosystems -- Chapter 5. Managing the Risks from Climate Extremes at the Local Level -- Chapter 6. National Systems for Managing the Risks from Climate Extremes and Disasters -- Chapter 7. Managing the Risks: International Level and Integration across Scales -- Chapter 8. Toward a Sustainable and Resilient Future -- Chapter 9. Case Studies -- Annex 1. Authors and Expert Reviewers -- Annex 2. Glossary of Terms -- Annex 3. Acronyms -- Annex 4. List of Major IPCC Reports.

x, 582 p. : graphs, maps, tables

Includes bibliographical references and index.

9781107025066 (hardback)
9781107607804 (paperback)