Preventing Disaster ― Early Warning Systems for Climate Change

Around the world, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly "the new normal" and are expected to increase in the 21st century as a result of climate change. Extreme weather events have devastating impacts on human lives and national economies. This book examines ways to protect people from hazards using early warning systems, and includes contributions from experts from four different continents representing 14 different universities, 8 government agencies and two UN agencies. Chapters detail critical components of early warning systems, ways to identify vulnerable communities, predict hazards and deliver information. Unique satellite images illustrate the transnational impact of disasters, while case studies provide detailed examples of warning systems. With contributors from the fields of economics, ethics, meteorology, geography and biology, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in disaster risk reduction or climate change.

Ashbindu Singh has 30 years of work experience: 13 years working with the Indian Forest Service in various capacities at local, provincial and national levels and over 17 years with UNEP in different parts of the world. He has over 100 publications including 35 UNEP reports, in peer reviewed scientific journals and conferences, on various environmental issues. Findings of his research work are extensive referred by the scientific community and those involved in the environmental policy formulations. The team under his direction has produced highly influential reports on various environmental issues including global forests, threats to freshwater, coastal vulnerability, linkage between environment and health, environmental conflicts , transboundary air pollutants, biodiversity and UNEP’s best selling publication “One Planet many people: Atlas of our changing environment” His current interest focuses on how to bridge the gap between science and policy and applications and communication of earth observations technologies for environmental assessment and monitoring. As a Commonwealth and Rhodes scholar, Zinta is currently pursuing a DPhil in Zoology with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford. She has been working with the United Nations Environment Programme as a coordinating lead author of the Global Environment Outlook Report, UNEP's flagship state of the environment report. In her research, Zinta has also explored the interaction between human and natural worlds and the impact of this complex relationship on wildlife. Much of her work has focused on great apes.