商务风险管理指南：恶劣天气的风险与机遇.pdf

9 From Drought to Flooding: Risk and Opportunities from Adverse Weather Malcolm was reminiscing about the day of the storm. ‘It wasn’t exactly unexpected,’ he said. ‘But having the transformer come crashing on to the roof was pretty scary for the people at work.’ Fortunately no one was hurt. The energy company had restored power and removed the debris, but the organization had been idle for three days due to damage. The backlog took weeks to clear. And some clients defected. ‘What happened was straightforward,’ he said. ‘A cable holding the transformer snapped in the high winds, and brought it crashing down on to the office roof. Oil and other chemicals from the transformer also leaked into the building,’ he said . Everyone had accepted that the office location, next to the sub-station, wasn’t exactly glamorous. But since it was only for back office work the location didn’t seem to matter. And the lease was cheap. The CEO moved the whole department into head office for a few weeks. Some people had to work in the corridors. Later they asked you to add ‘adverse weather’ to your risk register . Overview In this chapter we look how weather patterns are changing, leading to unexpected storms and heat waves. We consider how this will affect organizations, and what you can do to prevent loss or damage. First, a quick look at some facts: • The UK has recently been battered by gales and rain, sometimes leaving 27 000 homes and businesses without electricity in the wake of 109mph winds. • In the US, temperatures are expected to rise between 3 degrees and 5 degrees centrigrade (5–9 degrees fahrenheit) over the next century, according to the Natural Resources Defence Council (). • Texas has suffered its worst one-year drought in history, which caused billions of dollars in crop damage and record wildfires. Its agricultural losses were the largest in the state’s history. • Sea levels will rise, putting millions at risk of floodi