ISLAMABAD: Climate change-related disasters have reportedly caused $1.5 trillion economic damage across the world.
A new study by Food and Agriculture Organisation revealed that the 2010 floods in Pakistan affected 4.5 million workers mostly from agriculture sector and more than 70 per cent farmers lost over half of their expected income.
It said that many Asian countries are particularly vulnerable to the impact of floods and storms. The crop production losses caused by the 2010 floods in Pakistan directly affected cotton ginning, rice processing and flour and sugar milling, while cotton and rice imports surged. In this case, some 50pc of the $10bn in total damages and losses fell on the agriculture sector.
Worldwide, between 2003 and 2013, according to the FAO study, the average annual number of disasters caused by all types of natural hazards, including climate-related events almost doubled since the 1980s, points out the study: “The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security”.
Droughts, floods, storms and other disasters triggered by climate change have risen in frequency and severity over the last three decades, increasing the damage caused to the agricultural sectors of many developing countries and putting them at risk of growing food insecurity, FAO warned.
Focusing specifically on the impact of climate-related disasters in developing countries, some 25pc of the negative economic impacts were borne by the crop, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors alone. In the case of drought, over 80pc of the damage and losses affected the agriculture sector, especially livestock and crop production.
