Since 1975, disasters have claimed the lives of more than 2.2 million people. Storms, floods, droughts, heat waves and other weather-related phenomena are responsible for two thirds of the fatalities and economic losses from disasters (UNISDR 2009 Global Assessment Report).
Governments can reduce this risk by assessing and reducing vulnerability to existing weather and climate hazards, incorporating disaster risk reduction into national adaptation and development plans, and by strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of the communities most at-risk.
Investment in the development of hydrometeorological capacity plays a key role in the reduction of weather related losses. For decades the FMI has addressed this issue through international and national development cooperation projects.
Experts from practically all units of the FMI take part in FMI's international projects. In the year 2013, 35 FMI experts took part in short-term missions on all inhabited continents of the world to either provide training or assist in development tasks.
The FMI international development cooperation activities are coordinated by a dedicated group for international consulting, headed by Mr Matti Eerikäinen.