// ENERGY, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE
INTERVIEW
As extreme weather intensifies, its economic, health and security impacts are becoming systemic. Strengthening early warning systems, climate data sharing and risk-informed policy will be central to building resilience From forecast to resilience: governing climate risk in a warming world
What are the costs of extreme weather events? Extreme weather events are increasing in intensity and therefore in the damage they are causing – especially those related to warming: heat waves, wet spells and floods, which are often followed by dry spells and drought. The World Meteorological Organiza- tion’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report emphasises how increasing global greenhouse gas emissions are changing the energy balance of the Earth’s system. The ocean now absorbs 91% of the extra heat. In a warmer air mass, there is more moisture and, consequently, more intense, severe, concentrated, heavier rains. So there are costs for economic sec- tors that are vulnerable to climate and weather – agricultural production, energy distribution and consumption, and biodi- versity through spreading diseases and pests. But the most basic economic impact is in terms of debt: to overcome the hazards, countries need to get money from somewhere. Affected areas cannot provide food or water secu- rity – both are needed to survive – so people are forced to migrate. And where climate and weather extremes compound with fragile and conflict-affected coun- tries, we are seeing impacts magnify. At least two million deaths between 1970 and 2021 were due to extreme weather events, with 90% reported in the develop- ing world. How is climate change harming human health? As temperatures rise, we see a rise in infectious diseases, in particular vector- borne diseases such as dengue, which is the fastest-growing mosquito-borne viral disease: about half of the world is exposed. One third of the global workforce faces heat stress. The most vulnera- ble workforce is in agriculture and food production. Heat stress also affects the economy, because workers are simply not as productive. I want to highlight heat-health ser- vices – meteorological services targeted to the health sector. Health ministries and national meteorological and hydrological services must work together to have the correct tools so decision- making can prepare for extreme events. Only 50% of health services now use any climate information.
Interview with Celeste Saulo, secretary- general, World Meteorological Organization
104 // G7 FRANCE: THE ÉVIAN SUMMIT 2026
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