The six Western Balkans countries (WB6) are already highly exposed to multiple natural hazards; in a changing climate, the costs of inaction will be high. The incidence and intensity of shocks, unpredictable extreme events and of slow-onset stressors, are expected to increase. Wildfire, drought, extreme heat, landslide, and flash floods hazard will worsen, and financial exposure to all hazards is expected to grow. Worse still, these climate hazards will continue to occur simultaneously, resulting in compounding overall risk and risks cascading across sectors and regions. As highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Climate change impacts and risks are becoming increasingly complex and more difficult to manage. Multiple climate hazards will occur simultaneously, and multiple climatic and non-climatic risks will interact, resulting in compounding overall risk and risks that will cascade across sectors and regions. Some responses to climate change result in new impacts and risks. Impacts are also very localized, interacting with and exacerbating underlying vulnerabilities and often disproportionately affecting people who are poor and vulnerable; this topic is explored in detail under the People and Places Deep Dive in the Regional CCDR.
Authors
- Disclosure Date
- 2024/09/26
- Disclosure Status
- Disclosed
- Doc Name
- Western Balkans 6 - Country Climate Development Report : Adapting to a Changing Climate - The Case for Urgent Action : Background Note
- Pages
- 42
- Product Line
- Advisory Services & Analytics
- Published in
- United States of America
- Rel Proj ID
- 7B-Western Balkans Six - Regional Countries Climate And Developmen -- P179205
- Unit Owning
- ECA Regional Director (SCADR)
- Version Type
- Final
- Volume No
- 1