According to reinsurer Munich Re to survive more people in natural disasters, because the prevention is better. The material damage remains high.

worst natural disaster in 2019: Mozambique after the cyclone, "Idai" photo: Zohra Benserema/reuters

BERLIN taz | less and less people die as a result of natural disasters. In the past year, hurricanes, cyclones, and other weather events in the world of 9,000 deaths – 15,000 in the year 2018 you have requested. Resulting from the natural disaster balance sheet of the reinsurer Munich Re, for 2019. Reinsurers accept from insurers such as Allianz or Axa, a part of the business, the policies to companies and private people to sell. Because you global collect damages, you have a good Overview.

the average of the past 30 years, approximately 52,000 people in natural disasters were killed, according to Munich Re, each year. According to the reinsurer, the victims figures are dropping, because the preventive measures, warnings and evacuations will be better.

"natural climate variability, weather-related disasters of the year will influence the year. Long-term effects of climate change are already noticeable and visible,“ said Munich Re Board member Torsten Jeworrek. Most of the people came 2019, especially in Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Malawi through the cyclone "Idai" killed, called for a 1,000 deaths. In addition, hundreds of thousands lost all their belongings. The damage of 2.3 billion US Dollar is equivalent to about 10 percent of the economic performance of Mozambique. Assured of them, according to Munich nothing Re was almost.

The most expensive material damage was caused by the Typhoon "Hagibis" and "Faxai" in Japan, which cost together $ 26 billion. Japan was taken as in the previous year, severe typhoons with extreme precipitation. According to Munich Re, the influence of the natural Climate oscillation called "El Niño Modoki is responsible for it", which provides for changes in water temperatures in the tropical Pacific. This storm tracks of typhoons more likely to be steered in the direction of Japan. In addition, the climate change results to a series of cyclones in Japan and the United States.

Over the Atlantic emerged in 2019, with three severe hurricanes in the long-term average. In the case of heavy Storm there were 18 significantly more than the average, at 12. Since they stayed mostly over the sea and not on Land moved, the damage is low. Unlike 2018, the forest fires in California took place in the past year easier.

you were in Australia extreme, where they still persist. "While individual events directly to climate change. Recent studies have shown, however, that in the long term, favourable environmental conditions for Bush fires, especially in the South and East of Australia have become more frequent,“ said Munich Re.

The economic damage caused by a total of 820 natural catastrophes in the past year was the disaster in the balance sheet according to 150 billion US dollars, i.e., in the long-term average. It was about a third in a little less assured than in the previous year.

According to Munich Re, the lag from the many flood damages are also insured in industrial countries, less than storm damage. This is also due to the lack of readiness of the insurance industry to insure people and businesses in known flood areas. In developing and emerging countries, victims of natural disasters are not insured, often because they can't afford it.