On the occasion of Earth Day 2023, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has once again highlighted the catastrophic effects of climate change. WMO has released its yearly report, Status of the Global Climate 2022. The research emphasises how communities around the world have continued to be impacted by climate change, with heatwaves, droughts, and floods, as well as the rising costs of these occurrences.
Key climate indicators such as greenhouse gases, temperatures, sea level rise, ocean heat content and acidification, sea ice, and glaciers are highlighted in the report. According to the data, the previous eight years have seen the highest global mean temperatures on record. Sea level and ocean heat are also at record highs. The extent of the Antarctic sea ice has reached a record low, and certain European glaciers are melting at an alarming rate.
How Pakistan and Bangladesh are giving Heat Stress to India?
Here is the key Findings with respect to the melting glaciers, heatwave and drought.
Heatwave in India and Other Countries
According to report, heatwaves in the 2022 pre-monsoon season in India and Pakistan caused a decline in crop yields. This, combined with the banning of wheat exports and restrictions on rice exports in India after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, threatened the availability, access, and stability of staple foods within international food markets and posed high risks to countries already affected by shortages of staple foods.
As per the Cambridge University report, April 2022 in India was the hottest in 122 years and followed the hottest March on record, reportedly killing at least 25 people. The cumulative heatwave-related mortality in India is over 24,000 deaths since 1992.
Explainer: What is Heat Wave? Impacts on India
On the other hand the record-breaking heatwaves affected Europe during the summer. Excess deaths associated with the heat in Europe exceeded 15000 in total across Spain, Germany, the UK, France, and Portugal.
Floodgates to the death
The effects of climate change do not only affect one area. Around 700 deaths were attributed to flooding and landslides in India during the monsoon season, with another 900 deaths attributed to lightning. The north-east had the worst flooding in June. The seriousness of climate change and its effects on vulnerable people are highlighted by this one incident alone.
Harmful gasses on Earth’s surface
The increase in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, in 2022 is also addressed in the report. The global mean sea level has continued to rise and has now hit a new all-time high, while ocean heat content has also reached an all-time high. Even under La Nina conditions, at least one marine heatwave occurred in 2022 on 58% of the ocean’s surface.
90% of India under Danger zone of Heatwave
Melting Glaciers
For thousands of years to come, sea levels will rise and glaciers will melt. An average mass balance loss of 1.18 m water equivalent, which is substantially higher than the average over the previous ten years, was observed during the hydrological year 2021-2022. Six of the ten biggest negative mass balance years on record have happened after 2015, and the cumulative mass balance since 1970 totals more than 26 m water equivalent.
During the summer, record-breaking heat waves also impacted China and Europe. Around 15,000 people died as a result of the heat in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal. The effects of climate change are already being felt, and both human and non-human life is suffering as a result.
The WMO report serves as a wake-up call for the globe to tackle climate change with urgency. To lessen the effects of global warming, it is crucial to cut greenhouse gas emissions and practise sustainable development. To lessen the effects of climate change and increase resilience in vulnerable communities, we must all work together. Something must be done right away; we cannot wait any longer.