Severe tropical cyclones over southwest Pacific Islands: economic impacts and implications for disaster risk management

Anil Deo (), Savin S. Chand, R. Duncan McIntosh, Bipen Prakash, Neil J. Holbrook, Andrew Magee, Alick Haruhiru and Philip Malsale
Additional contact information
Anil Deo: Federation University Australia, Mt Helen Campus
Savin S. Chand: Federation University Australia, Mt Helen Campus
R. Duncan McIntosh: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Bipen Prakash: Fiji Meteorological Services
Neil J. Holbrook: University of Tasmania
Andrew Magee: The University of Newcastle
Alick Haruhiru: Solomon Islands Meteorological Service
Philip Malsale: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Climatic Change, 2022, vol. 172, issue 3, No 17, 23 pages

Abstract: Abstract Tropical cyclones (TCs) are amongst the costliest natural hazards for southwest Pacific (SWP) Island nations. Extreme winds coupled with heavy rainfall and related coastal hazards, such as large waves and high seas, can have devastating consequences for life and property. Effects of anthropogenic climate change are likely to make TCs even more destructive in the SWP (as that observed particularly over Fiji) and elsewhere around the globe, yet TCs may occur less often. However, the underpinning science of quantifying future TC projections amid multiple uncertainties can be complex. The challenge for scientists is how to turn such technical knowledge framed around uncertainties into tangible products to inform decision-making in the disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) sector. Drawing on experiences from past TC events as analogies to what may happen in a warming climate can be useful. The role of science-based climate services tailored to the needs of the DRM and DRR sector is critical in this context. In the first part of this paper, we examine cases of historically severe TCs in the SWP and quantify their socio-economic impacts. The second part of this paper discusses a decision-support framework developed in collaboration with a number of agencies in the SWP, featuring science-based climate services that inform different stages of planning in national-level risk management strategies.

Keywords: Tropical cyclones; Economic loss; Disaster risk management; Pacific Island Countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10584-022-03391-2 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:climat:v:172:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10584-022-03391-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/10584

DOI: 10.1007/s10584-022-03391-2

Access Statistics for this article

Climatic Change is currently edited by M. Oppenheimer and G. Yohe

More articles in Climatic Change from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().