Geneva: Global warming caused a record number of natural disasters across the world in 2007,up nearly 20 per cent from a year earlier, the International Federation of the Red Cross said today.

"As of 10 October 2007,the Federation had already recorded 410 disasters, 56 per cent of which were weather-related, which is consistent with the trend of rising numbers of climate change-related disasters," the IFRC said in its "World Disasters Report".

In 2006,the IFRC recorded 427 natural disasters, a rise of 70 percent in the two years since 2004.

"These figures confirm the trend of recent years," IFRC Secretary General Markku Niskala told a press conference.

Over the last 10 years, the number of natural disasters rose by 40 per cent from the previous decade, while the number of deaths caused by disasters doubled to 1.2 million people from 600,000,the report said.

The number of people on average affected by natural disasters each year rose to 270 million from 230 million over the same period.

"Better reporting of smaller disasters partially explains these increases. However, more severe disasters are also on the increase," the IFRC report said.

The report warned that vulnerable groups in society such as women, disabled people, the elderly and ethnic minorities face extra hardships when coping with natural disasters.

The IFRC cited examples of blind, deaf or paralysed people who may be unable to flee danger on their own, or people unable to follow evacuation plans because they have been excluded from school and thus cannot read.

Source : PTI