Annual report

Strategic Priorities
| Climate and environment 
75

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El Niño remained a threat in South America, 
and the frequency and intensity of storms was 
a concern, particularly in the greater Caribbean 
and North America.
Climate- and weather-related events caused 
devastation in Asia Pacific in 2022. In Pakistan, 
unprecedented monsoon rain triggered one 
of the country’s worst floods in decades and 
caused a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, 
which affected a staggering 80 per cent of the 
total population. While the Global Climate Risk 
Index 2022 was not available at the time of going 
to press, the previous year’s analysis showed 
that six of the ten countries most affected by 
weather-related events from 2000–2019 were in 
Asia Pacific. These were Bangladesh, Myanmar, 
Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
In Europe, several countries were affected 
by severe heatwaves and wildfires in 2022, 
and large parts of the continent also experi-
enced a record-breaking drought. The highest 
temperature during 2022’s record-breaking 
heatwave, 47°C, was recorded in Portugal. 
Projections for the coming years indicate more 
frequent and more severe heatwaves across 
the region, more widely spreading forest fires 
particularly in southern Europe, and increased 
rainfall flooding and water scarcity, especially in 
south-eastern Europe.
In the Middle East and North Africa, communi-
ties face water scarcity, air pollution, inadequate 
waste management, arable land depletion, 
desertification, loss of biodiversity, declining 
marine resources and degradation of coastal 
ecosystems. In Iran, communities in several 
provinces needed IFRC and Iranian Red Crescent 
Society after a significant decline in precipitation 
and water resources pushed communities 
into crisis.
In the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk 
Report for 2022, environment-related hazards 
form five of the most severe risks anticipated 
for the coming decade, with the top three risks 
being climate action failure, extreme weather, 
and biodiversity loss. The 2023 report lists six 
climate-related risks in its top ten.
The impact of these hazards hits hardest in the 
world’s low- and middle-income countries. It is 
the poorest communities who suffer the most 
and who are in greatest need of support from 
the IFRC network and its donors and partners.
In 2022, the IFRC worked closely with National 
Societies to support communities across the 
spectrum of climate and environmental dangers, 
with a strong focus on reducing risks and antic-
ipatory action, and with local people and local 
action at the heart of all programmes.