In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 million people, 3 and devastating tropical storms in the United States of America (USA), with cumulative damage exceeding US$100 billion.
With 16,753 reported deaths, the year under review stands below the 2004-2023 average of 65,566 deaths, primarily due to the absence of mass disasters — such as significant earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, or heat waves — whose death toll per event can exceed 10,000. Nevertheless, several extreme temperature- related events in Asia rank among the year’s top 10 deadliest events. In June 2024, an extreme heat event in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca claimed more than 1,300 lives as temperatures exceeded 50°C. Other Asian countries also experienced severe heat waves and record-breaking temperatures in 2024, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines. However, the actual human impact is likely underreported and not fully reflected in EM-DAT.
Based on available data, heat waves in India between March and June reportedly caused 733 deaths, while 568 people died in Pakistan. In Bangladesh, around 33 million children were affected by extreme heat.4 In the USA, preliminary estimates suggest 1,006 deaths, though this only includes data from the cities of Phoenix (Arizona) and Las Vegas (Nevada). In Europe, excess mortality — from extreme temperature events — was reported in Mediterranean countries, such as Italy and Greece, but final figures were not yet available at the time of reporting.
In Afghanistan, severe winter conditions, including cold spells, snowfalls, blizzards, landslides, and floods, led to nearly 1,200 deaths, according to the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA).5 On May 24, a major landslide struck Enga Province in Papua New Guinea, resulting in one of the country’s most severe disasters in recent memory. United Nations agencies estimated around 670 fatalities, though most victims remain buried under the debris, making the final toll uncertain. In Japan, on January 1, a powerful earthquake claimed 551 lives and was among the top 10 costliest disasters of 2024, with estimated damage totaling US$15 billion.
Floods caused the highest number of fatalities in Africa. From July to September, 576 people died in Chad, while floods in Niger from June to October claimed 396 lives. In India and Bangladesh, 8 million and 5.8 million people, respectively, were affected by heavy monsoon rains, flash floods, and thunderstorms in late August, while another 5.1 million people were affected in Bangladesh earlier in June and July. In Spain, floods in late October and early November, especially in the Valencia region, were among the 2024 top 10 costliest globally, with damage totaling US$11 billion. In Brazil, early May floods, landslides, and mudslides in the Rio Grande do Sul region caused an estimated US$7 billion in damage.
Tropical storms also had a major impact globally. In early September, Typhoon Yagi caused the highest number of fatalities in Myanmar, killing 460 people and causing extensive damage and casualties in other countries as well, notably Vietnam, with 345 fatalities reported. In total, at least 29 million people across Southeast Asia were affected by destructive cyclones, including Typhoon Gaemi (Carina) and Prapiroon (Butchoy) in July, and Trami (Kristine) in October. Earlier in the year, Cyclone Remal in Bangladesh affected approximately 4.6 million people. The USA also experienced significant impacts from storms in 2024, including major hurricanes such as Helene, Milton, and Beryl, which rank among the most costly in this annual report.
Droughts severely affected several African countries. In 2024, extreme drought conditions impacted approximately 9.8 million people in Zambia, 7.6 million in Zimbabwe, and 6.1 million in Malawi, exacerbating food and water shortages. In Brazil, an unprecedented drought in the Amazon region, one of the most severe in centuries, caused an estimated US$6 billion in damage. The USA also experienced a drought, primarily in the southern, eastern, and northwestern regions, with estimated losses of US$5.4 billion. The EM-DAT data indicate that, overall, 2024 was more costly in terms of disaster-related damage than the average year over the past two decades.
- In the report, disasters are related to natural hazards, excluding biological and extra-terrestrial hazards, reported at the country level in EM-DAT.
- Drought figures include events declared in 2024 and their provisional impact at the date of reference. Hence, events declared in previous years and still ongoing in 2024 are not included.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)via PerventionWeb.net
Full Text: https://www.preventionweb.net/media/106230/download?startDownload=20250425
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