Extreme natural events: an overlooked driver of biodiversity loss?

Extreme natural events are expected to become more severe and more frequent with changes in climate.

Extreme natural events, such as floods, droughts or hurricanes, are expected to become more severe and more frequent with changes in climate. These extreme events, in the wrong place at the wrong time, could have enormous direct and indirect human, environmental and economic impacts. We know little about how these impacts might affect biodiversity and current mitigation strategies for reducing the impacts are quasi absent. This meeting will review the environmental, ecological, societal and economic challenges posed by predicted changes in the occurrence and severity of extreme natural events. The current set of strategies in place to mitigate and adapt to the expected impacts will also be explored.