Photo by Flickr user SFTHQ, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic, http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfthq/4882596322/in/set-72157624578317711/
Salvano Briceno of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), in an interview with the Associated Press, pointed to aggravating factors in the latest climate catastrophes: China's failure to stem deforestation, contributing to its deadly mudslides; Russia's poor forest management, feeding fires; and the settling of poor Pakistanis on flood plains and dry riverbeds in the densely populated country, squatters' turf that suddenly turned into torrents.
"The IPCC has already identified the influence of climate change in these disasters. That's clear," Briceno said. "But the main trend we need to look at is increasing vulnerability, the fact we have more people living in the wrong places, doing the wrong things."