A new report by the International Federation of Red Cross and leading economists say the effects of climate change pose a growing humanitarian threat.
More frequent and intense climate-related disasters including floods, storms and bushfires are forecast to leave 150 million people in need of humanitarian aid each year by the end of next decade and cost up to $29 billion annually.
Chief executive of Austalian Red Cross, Judy Slatyer, said extreme weather events in Australia are becoming more frequent.
“In Australia there have been steadily growing investments in preparing for extreme weather events, yet there is much more needed to reduce the human impact of climate-related disasters,” she said.