Extreme weather will wreak havoc

Sorry if this sounds repetitive, but just days after IEA's dire warning about inaction in the face of climate change, comes a report from IPCC.

Rising sea levels will increase the vulnerability of coastal areas, and the increase in "extreme weather events" will wipe billions off national economies and destroy lives, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Scientists have warned of these effects for years, but today's report – the "special report on extreme weather" compiled over two years by more than 100 scientists – is the first comprehensive examination of scientific knowledge on the subject, in an attempt to produce a definitive judgment.

The report contained stark warnings for developing countries in particular, which are likely to be worst afflicted in part because of their geography but also because they are less well prepared for extreme weather in their infrastructure and have less economic resilience.

Increases in population density and in the value of property at risk, rather than changes in the climate, are the likeliest explanation for rising disaster losses in many countries, the report said. It called on governments to do a better job of protecting people and heading off catastrophes before they strike.

The report was timed just ahead of crucial talks taking place later this month in Durban, South Africa, where the world's governments will discuss a new global agreement to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Will these dire warnings be enough to get governments to come out with a solid plan of action? Or have we got used to such dire warnings?