Asia worst hit by climate, water-related hazards, WMO says in a grim warning
NEW DELHI: Asia remained the continent worst hit by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023, WMO said on Tuesday, and while it did not rank countries within the region, it listed several extreme weather events — heatwaves, floods, and a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) — that devastated parts of India last year, to highlight how the country was affected.
While floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, the impact of heatwaves became more severe in 2023, according to the report: The State of the Climate in Asia 2023.
In India, severe heatwaves in April and June last year resulted in about 110 reported fatalities due to heatstroke, the report said. A major and prolonged heatwave affected much of South-east Asia in April and May, extending as far west as Bangladesh and Eastern India with record-breaking temperatures, WMO flagged.
NEW DELHI: Asia remained the continent worst hit by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Tuesday, and while it did not rank countries within the region, it listed several extreme weather events — heatwaves, floods, and a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) — that devastated parts of India last year, to highlight how the country was affected by these.
While floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, the impact of heatwaves became more severe in 2023, according to the report: The State of the Climate in Asia 2023.
The report comes even as parts of India are beginning to reel under early-summer heatwaves, which, this year, are also coinciding with the ongoing general elections, an exercise in which almost a billion people are eligible to vote.
In India, severe heatwaves in April and June last year resulted in about 110 reported fatalities due to heatstroke, the report said.
A major and prolonged heatwave affected much of South-east Asia in April and May, extending as far west as Bangladesh and Eastern India, and north to southern China, with record-breaking temperatures, WMO flagged.
This year too, many parts of Asia other than India, including Bangladesh are already seeing heatwaves.
In India, Yemen, and Pakistan, floods were the natural hazard event which caused the greatest number of fatalities in 2023, highlighting the continuing high level of vulnerability of Asia to natural hazard events, especially floods. Over 80% of reported hydrometeorological hazards in Asia were flood and storm events, according to EM-DAT data. Floods were the leading cause of death in reported events in 2023 by a substantial margin, WMO said.
In the North Indian Ocean basin, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Mocha made landfall along the Rakhine Coast in Myanmar on May 14 which caused widespread destruction and 156 reported deaths. Several extreme rainfall events took place in 2023. In June, July and August, several floods and storm events resulted in more than 600 reported deaths across India, Pakistan, and Nepal, WMO said. In August 2023, widespread floods and landslides struck multiple states in India, including Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, claiming 25 lives and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
Triggered by heavy rainfall, the disaster compounded the effects of an earlier monsoon surge in June.
Along with extreme temperatures recorded over eastern India, the most exceptional temperatures occurred in Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Vietnam.
A significant Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) originating in South Lhonak in India on October 4, led to the catastrophic collapse of the Teesta III hydroelectric dam at Chungthang in North Sikkim, causing widespread devastation downstream.
“This type of disaster is increasingly observed because of climate change-induced glacier retreat50 and highlights the compounding and cascading risks faced by vulnerable mountain communities. Glacial lakes formed by retreating glaciers, exemplified by the reduced expanse of South Lhonak Lake, pose threats that are transboundary, spanning across regions in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan,” the report said.
In India, in recent years, lightning accompanied by thunderstorms has been a leading cause of fatalities. In 2023, thunderstorms and lightning claimed around 1,200 lives in various parts of the country, according to the report.
All these events happened even as global warming intensified, and Asia warmed faster.
The annual mean near-surface temperature over Asia in 2023 was the second highest on record, 0.91°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.87°C above the 1961–1990 average. Particularly high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to central Asia and from eastern China to Japan. Japan and Kazakhstan each had record warm years, the report said adding that Asia is warming faster than the global average. The warming trend has nearly doubled since the 1961–1990 period.
“The report’s conclusions are sobering. Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms. Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events,” said WMO Secretary-general Celeste Saulo.
“The new report highlights the significant vulnerabilities of Asia, including India, to the escalating threats of climate change. With surface temperatures rising, Himalayan glaciers retreating, and sea levels menacing our coastlines, the demand for precise, projected climate information and tailored meteorological services in India is more critical than ever. There is an urgent necessity not only to enhance our disaster preparedness but also to implement effective adaptation strategies to protect the millions whose lives and livelihoods are at stake due to the climate emergency. Financial and technological support from wealthier nations is crucial,” said Harjeet Singh, Loss and Damage expert.
“The South Asian subcontinent is covered on all three sides by the fastest warming tropical ocean and the melting Himalayan glaciers on the north. This has made the region a poster child of climate change. Tropical weather systems develop quickly, are fast moving and small, which makes them unpredictable. Climate change has made the weather much more uncertain and disastrous. As the Indian Ocean waters warm, it supplies more heat and moisture for weather systems to intensify. The number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased by 50% during the last four decades, and more extremely severe cyclones like Tauktae and Amphan are projected to form in the future. The monsoon that sources its energy and moisture from the Indian Ocean has become more erratic, with short spells of heavy rains and long dry periods, causing floods and dry seasons in the same season,” said Roxy Mathew Koll, Senior Scientist, Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology.
Avani Dias