Physical Climate Hazards

Physical climate hazards are potentially damaging physical events or trends caused or intensified by climate variability and climate change. They include acute hazards, such as floods, storms, wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and landslides, as well as chronic changes, such as rising temperatures, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, changing rainfall patterns, water scarcity, and permafrost thaw. These hazards can affect people, ecosystems, buildings, infrastructure, supply chains, agriculture, and economic activity. Their severity depends on factors such as frequency, intensity, duration, geographic exposure, and the vulnerability of affected systems. Assessing physical climate hazards is a key part of climate-risk analysis, helping organizations understand potential impacts, prioritize adaptation measures, improve resilience, and support long-term planning and investment decisions.