Home | About Natural News | Contact Us | Write for Natural News
Search our 25,000 free articles and special reports
natural disasters

Natural Disasters Up More Than 400 Percent in Two Decades

Thursday, June 05, 2008 by: David Gutierrez
Key concepts: Natural disasters, Global warming and Africa

Email this article to a friend Printable Version  FREE Email Newsletter

Breaking News from across the 'net:

     See all Breaking News...

Get Our FREE Email Newsletter

Receive natural health product reviews, recommendations and alerts.
Instant download of 20+ free health reports and exclusive interviews.
Join over 1.2 million monthly readers.



Unsubscribe anytime, email privacy guaranteed


Products Related to This Article*

Preparedness Tools Natural News Bundle
For preparedness and safety: 60% off
for preparing for natural disasters

Katadyn Exstream XR Water Purifier
#1 personal water purifier
for clean, pristine water in seconds

Katadyn MicroPur Water Purifier Tablets
The best water purification tablets
for purifying almost any water source

* Recommended by the Health Ranger.
See more recommendations on right



Articles Related to This Article:

Humanity cannot live without nature, but nature can live without humanity

Earthquake and Cyclone Victims: How Can We Help End Suffering Now and In the Future?

How to better prepare yourself and your family against climate change, natural disasters and the post-oil economy (opinion)
(NaturalNews) The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. It found that the earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240, compared with 60 in 1980.

At the same time, the number of geologically related natural disasters has held steady. Oxfam has attributed the increasing disaster rate to global warming

"We are talking about some very unusual floods in West Africa, very unusual floods in East Africa, extraordinary floods in Mexico and parts of Central America, and heat waves in Greece [and] eastern Europe," report author John Magrath said.

"This is no freak year," said Oxfam director Barbara Stocking. "It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people."

Between 1985 and 1994, Oxfam found that 174 million people were affected by disasters each year. In the following decade, this figure increased by 70 percent to 254 million people per year.

The increasing disaster rate has disproportionately affected the poor, the report noted. Although rich countries tend to distribute aid primarily in the event of high-profile emergencies, the increase over the past two decades has been mostly in small to medium disasters.

But it is precisely these smaller disasters, when they follow quickly upon each other with no opportunity for recovery, that can destroy poor communities' abilities to support themselves.

Magrath noted that those least responsible for causing global warming are being hardest hit by its effects.

"There is a basic global injustice in this," he said. "It seems to us that the rich nations of this earth have the historical responsibility to act first and fastest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to show an example and to lead the way."

Boost this article on YahooBuzz! Click "BuzzUp!"

Get articles like this delivered to you FREE in our popular email newsletter

Related CounterThink Cartoons:


Related Articles:

Humanity cannot live without nature, but nature can live without humanity

Earthquake and Cyclone Victims: How Can We Help End Suffering Now and In the Future?

How to better prepare yourself and your family against climate change, natural disasters and the post-oil economy (opinion)

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us

Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/023362.html

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Embed article link: (copy HTML code below):


Free Special Reports

How to Build Your Financial Safety Net
The 7 Principles of Mindful Wealth
The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D
The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance
Pet Food Ingredients Revealed! (shocking)
Medicine From Fish
The Water Cure

Recommended Products Related to This Article*:

Preparedness Tools Natural News Bundle
For preparedness and safety: 60% off
for preparing for natural disasters

Katadyn Exstream XR Water Purifier
#1 personal water purifier
for clean, pristine water in seconds

Katadyn MicroPur Water Purifier Tablets
The best water purification tablets
for purifying almost any water source

Additional Products of Interest to All

Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL
Simply the best juicer in the world
for fast, easy juicing

Paraliminal Audio Courses
Powerful mind-enhancing audio therapy
for reprogramming your mind for a new future

Boku Superfood
High-potency superfood powder
for preventing numerous diseases

How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days
Health Ranger guide to reversing diabetes
for reversing type-2 diabetes

Hair Soap
A pure, simple and chemical-free shampoo
for washing hair without chemicals

Living Fuel SuperBerry Ultimate
Delicious superfood meal powder
for disease prevention, antioxidant boost

The Weiss Method for Heart Disease
How to reverse heart disease naturally
for heart disease, high cholesterol

Spirulina Pacifica
Pure, pristine spirulina superfood
for cancer prevention, alkalizing, immune func

Aloe Vera 100
Pure, dried 100% aloe vera gel flakes
for sludge blood, IBS, Crohn's disease

Vitamineral Green from Healthforce
Nutrient-dense superfood powder
for disease prevention, body alkalizing & more

Blood Support
Halts growth of cancer tumors
for breast cancer and all cancers

Fucoxanthin with PinnoThin
Natural appetite suppressant
for obesity, overweight, overeating

Amaz-a-Power
Amazing wild berry tincture from Peru
for eye & brain protection, cancer prevention

Zyflamend
Powerful anti-inflammatory herbal formula
for arthritis, joint pain, inflammation

Nascent Iodine
Miraculous nascent iodine solution
for thyroid function, Alzheimer's, brain func.

MGC-5 Mushroom Extracts
Potent extracts of medicinal mushrooms
for reversing cancer, boosting immune function

P-73 Oreganol
Potent source of wildcrafted oregano oil
for parasites, heart disease, immune func.

Ocean Minerals Pure Magnesium Oil
#1 product for magnesium therapy
for back pain, heart health, muscle health

SunWarrior
Raw, vegan brown rice protein
for plant-based protein intake

FruitFast Cherry Fruit Concentrate
Fruit remedy for gout and arthritis
for gout, arthritis, inflammation

PureEnergy with Ribose
Powerful cellular energy enhancer
for heart disease, fatigue, poor energy

Peri-Gum
Anti-cancer, anti-gingivitis herbal mouth
for oral health without chemicals

Better Than Roasted - Macadamia Nuts
The most delicious raw nut spread ever
for heart health, circulatory health

* Products do NOT pay to be listed here. These are genuine, independent recommendations by the Health Ranger

☯ Products with this symbol are sold by NaturalNews or its affiliates and earn revenues for NaturalNews

Discover on NaturalNews NaturalPedia™

Natural disasters
Global warming
Africa

Also on NaturalNews:

Streaming Health Ranger Videos
CounterThink Cartoons
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts
This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2008 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. Truth Publishing sells no health or nutritional products and earns no money from health product manufacturers or promoters. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.