The health costs of hydrometeorological extreme events

All the health economic costs from hydrometeorological extreme events (HEEs) can and should routinely be estimated either in part or in full with well-tested current economic tools and methods. This effort can be supported by a small but rapidly growing pool of studies that specifically evaluate the health costs of HEEs. This chapter provides an overview of some of the most commonly utilised methods, as well as a discussion on economic considerations regarding the economics of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as applied to HEEs and health, and various actionable policy recommendations. The health costs of HEEs provide a strong incentive for their active management and DRR in order to limit the burden HEEs place upon society. At most aggregated levels, reducing or off-setting the costs of HEEs often makes good financial sense.