Query: Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts and other natural disasters have yet to show any obvious long-term change.”

Relevant passages:
Extreme weather <=SEP=> Extreme weather includes unexpectable , unusual , unpredictable severe or unseasonal weather ; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution -- the range that has been seen in the past . Often , extreme events are based on a location 's recorded weather history and defined as lying in the most unusual ten percent . In recent years some extreme weather events have been attributed to human-induced global warming , with studies indicating an increasing threat from extreme weather in the future .

Severe weather <=SEP=> Severe weather refers to any dangerous meteorological phenomena with the potential to cause damage , serious social disruption , or loss of human life . Types of severe weather phenomena vary , depending on the latitude , altitude , topography , and atmospheric conditions . High winds , hail , excessive precipitation , and wildfires are forms and effects of severe weather , as are thunderstorms , downbursts , lightning , tornadoes , waterspouts , tropical cyclones , and extratropical cyclones . Regional and seasonal severe weather phenomena include blizzards , snowstorms , ice storms , and duststorms .

Disaster risk reduction <=SEP=> Disaster risk reduction ( DRR ) is a systematic approach to identifying , assessing and reducing the risks of disaster . It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them . Here it has been strongly influenced by the mass of research on vulnerability that has appeared in print since the mid-1970s . It is the responsibility of development and relief agencies alike . It should be an integral part of the way such organizations do their work , not an add-on or one-off action . DRR is very wide-ranging : Its scope is much broader and deeper than conventional emergency management . There is potential for DRR initiatives in just about every sector of development and humanitarian work .   The most commonly cited definition of DRR is one used by UN agencies such as UNISDR , also known as the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction , and UNDP : `` The conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society , to avoid ( prevention ) or to limit ( mitigation and preparedness ) the adverse impacts of hazards , within the broad context of sustainable development . ''

Natural disaster <=SEP=> A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth ; examples include floods , hurricanes , tornadoes , volcanic eruptions , earthquakes , tsunamis , and other geologic processes . A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage , and typically leaves some economic damage in its wake , the severity of which depends on the affected population 's resilience , or ability to recover and also on the infrastructure available .   An adverse event will not rise to the level of a disaster if it occurs in an area without vulnerable population . In a vulnerable area , however , such as Nepal during the 2015 earthquake , an earthquake can have disastrous consequences and leave lasting damage , requiring years to repair .

Effects of global warming <=SEP=> The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused ( directly or indirectly ) by human emissions of greenhouse gases . There is a scientific consensus that climate change is occurring , and that human activities are the primary driver . Many impacts of climate change have already been observed , including glacier retreat , changes in the timing of seasonal events ( e.g. , earlier flowering of plants ) , and changes in agricultural productivity .   Future effects of climate change will vary depending on climate change policies and social development . The two main policies to address climate change are reducing human greenhouse gas emissions ( climate change mitigation ) and adapting to the impacts of climate change . Geoengineering is another policy option .   Near-term climate change policies could significantly affect long-term climate change impacts . Stringent mitigation policies might be able to limit global warming ( in 2100 ) to around 2 ° C or below , relative to pre-industrial levels . Without mitigation , increased energy demand and extensive use of fossil fuels might lead to global warming of around 4 ° C. Higher magnitudes of global warming would be more difficult to adapt to , and would increase the risk of negative impacts .