Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Central
America
North America
Oceana
East Asia
Other
World
Figure 19.
Impacts of climate-change hurricane intensifi cation and redistribution on
different regions. Which regions are likely to be most adversely affected by the hurricane
intensifi cation induced by global warming? A study fi nds that Central America is the
most vulnerable by far of any region, followed by North America (primarily the U.S.).
impact of hurricane intensifi cation on Africa is essentially zero. These
results show again how the impacts of climate change are distributed
widely and unpredictably.
ADAPTATION
Societies can take many steps to reduce vulnerability to more in-
tense hurricanes. For example, better forecasting has dramatically re-
duced the fatalities from hurricanes over the past half century. While
better forecasting protects people, who can evacuate, it cannot protect
houses and other immobile structures. In the longer run, vulnerable
immobile structures depreciate, and incentives should be in place so that
people will rebuild their structures on higher and safer ground.
A small rate of capital migration can offset the impacts of greater
hurricane intensity. About 3 percent of the U.S. capital stock is located
