Reported economic losses due to natural disasters in Africa 1970-2019, by type
About 1.7 thousand natural disasters in Africa have been reported between 1970 and 2019, causing economic losses of around 38.5 billion U.S. dollars. Floods and storms had the highest economic impact. Storms caused 37 percent of the total reported economic losses, while floods were responsible for 34 percent of them. Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change compared to other regions of the world. A large share of the population lives below the poverty line and its livelihood depends on activities extremely sensitive to climate changes and weather conditions.