Climate change and natural disasters – integrating science and practice to protect health

BACKGROUND: Hydro-meteorological disasters are the focus of this paper. The authors examine, to which extent climate change increases their frequency and intensity. METHODS: Review of IPCC-projections of climate-change related extreme weather events and related literature on health effects. RESULTS: Projections show that climate change is likely to increase the frequency, intensity, duration, and spatial distribution of a range of extreme weather events over coming decades. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for strengthened collaboration between climate scientists, the health researchers and policy-makers as well as the disaster community to jointly develop adaptation strategies to protect human.