Brazil has seen an alarming increase in climate disasters in recent years compared to the previous two decades, a new study released on Saturday revealed.
“Climatic disasters have become more frequent and severe in recent decades, reflecting the effects of climate change,” said the report, prepared by the Brazilian Alliance for Ocean Literacy in collaboration with the Brazilian government and UNESCO.
The study, conducted by the research arm of the Federal University of São Paulo and released on Friday, said that in the four years between 2020 and 2023, Brazil’s official data showed an average of 4,077 climate disasters per year.
This was nearly double the 2,073 disasters registered annually, on average, over the two decades from 2000 to 2019.
A “dangerous scenario,” the report said.
Disasters classified as such include droughts, floods, violent storms, extreme temperatures, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis.
The study showed a correlation between the country’s exposure to climate disasters and rising sea surface temperatures.
It also said that record-breaking drought and flooding in Brazil in 2024 added to the climate challenges the South American nation was facing.
“Economic losses from climate disasters in Brazil have increased significantly over the past few decades, reflecting the increasing impact of climate change,” the study said.
It estimated the cost of such damage in Brazil between 1995 and 2023 at $88.4 billion.
The researchers stressed the “urgent need for action to reduce the effects of climate change”, as the world strives to meet the goals set in the landmark Paris Agreement to curb global warming.
In addition, “it is important to strengthen the resilience of natural and human systems to cope with ongoing impacts,” he said.
In November 2025, Brazil is scheduled to host the United Nations Climate Conference COP30 aimed at improving international coordination to combat climate change and its impacts.