@Earth_News Weather disasters in the poorest nations 'have trebled

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Weather disasters in the poorest nations 'have trebled since 1980s': The number of weather-related ... http://bit.ly/lBTiTP @TheIndyNews

Weather disasters in the poorest nations 'have trebled since 1980s'

http://www.independent.co.uk/

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

The number of weather-related disasters reported each year in the world's poorest countries has more than trebled since the 1980s and the increase cannot be explained by better reporting or an increase in population, a study by Oxfam has found.

An analysis of the natural disasters reported to international relief agencies since 1980 has revealed that while the number of disasters relating to geophysical events – such as earthquakes and volcano eruptions – remained fairly constant, disasters caused by flooding and storms significantly increased. Oxfam looked at disasters in more than 140 countries and found a clear increase over time, rising from 133 disasters a year in 1980 to more than 350 a year in recent years. Steve Jennings, the report's author, believes the increase could be the result of climate change.