Climate-fueled disasters in 2021 displace over 1.3 million people

Ten of the most extreme weather events in 2021 were driven by climate change and they displaced more than 1.3 million people and caused $170 billion in damages, according to a new report released on Monday.

The report by Christian Aid, titled Counting the Cost 2021: A Year of Climate Breakdown, said each of the 10 events cost more than $1.5 billion. Most of the estimates are based only on insured losses meaning the true financial costs are likely to be considerably higher.

Hurricane Ida which struck the US in August cost $65 billion and killed 95 people. Floods in Europe in June caused losses of $43 billion and killed 240, while floods in China’s Henan province caused destruction worth $17.5 billion, killed 320, and displaced over a million.

While the report focuses on the financial costs which are usually higher in richer countries because they have higher property values and can afford insurance, most of the most devastating extreme weather events hit poorer nations.