State Of The Climate In Asia : Report
Asia has warmed faster than the global average since 1960, the World Meteorological Organisation’s 2023 ‘State of the Climate in Asia’ report has said.
- According to the report, released on April 23, the Asian continent is struggling with extreme climate events like floods and heatwaves, with record-breaking temperatures and precipitation reported across its countries.
- More than 2,000 people were killed and more than nine million were affected by extreme climate events across Asia in 2023. More than 80% of these events were related to storms and floods.
- The report recorded several parts experiencing severe heat waves, leading to multiple fatalities, but acknowledged that heat-related mortality is widely underreported.
- In India, severe heat waves in April and June killed around 110 people by heat stroke (a condition in which the body temperature increases beyond 40 degrees C).
- In India, floods and landslides in August 2023, primarily in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, killed at least 25 and damaged a lot of infrastructure. Lightning by itself accounted for 1,200 deaths around India through the year.
- Report noted an “alarming gap” between climate projections and the ability of Asian countries to adapt to and mitigate climate change and its impacts.
