On March 28, 2012 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change( IPCC) released its Special Report on "Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX)".

The main message of the report is that nowadays we have ample evidence that climate change has led to an increase in climate extremes but, on the other hand, we have the knowledge to cope effectively with the risks of climate-related disasters. The goal for the future is therefore to take advantage of this knowledge to prepare policies to avoid, prepare for, respond to and recover from climate change related disasters in order to reduce the economic and social impact of such events.

The report offers an updated overview of the recorded and expected changes in climate extremes, of the human and economic costs of disasters and the physical and social patterns that cause them, with a special attention to geographical variability.

The report cites thousands of scientific studies and have been subjected to three rounds of review by experts and governments to ensure that the findings are firmly based in the underlying scientific and technical information.

From April to June the report will be presented to stakeholders and policy makers, and meetings have been planned in half a dozen locations in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Please click here for more information and to download the report.