Connecting extreme weather events to climate change

Connecting extreme weather events to climate change | Physics ...  American Institute of Physics

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Sep 3, 2023 - 17:30
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Connecting extreme weather events to climate change

Sustainable Development Goals and the Influence of Human Activity on Extreme Weather Events

Introduction

After his house in Oxford, UK, was flooded by an exceptionally rainy storm in January 2003, Myles Allen proposed that the anthropogenic influence on severe weather events could be quantified.1 This marked a significant shift in the approach of climate scientists, who previously avoided discussing the impact of human activity on individual extreme weather events. Instead, they would deflect by stating that “While no individual event can be tied to climate change, whatever happened is consistent with expectations.” However, with the development of extreme-event attribution techniques, it is now possible to make quantitative statements about the human influence on various types of weather and climate events.

The Influence of Climate Change on Heat Waves

In 2003, shortly after Allen’s proposal, central Europe experienced a disastrous heat wave that resulted in over 70,000 excess deaths. Using a high-quality record of European temperatures and a single climate model, Allen and his colleagues estimated that climate change had at least doubled the chances of such a heat wave occurring…

SDGs, Targets and Indicators

  1. SDG 13: Climate Action

    • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
    • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

  2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

    • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination
    • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

  1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
  2. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination

The article mentions or implies indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

  • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
  • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution

These indicators can be used to measure the impact of climate-related hazards and natural disasters on human lives (Target 13.1) and the mortality rate attributed to air pollution (Target 3.9).

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: pubs.aip.org

 

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