Asia is at the epicenter of the climate crisis, warming at twice the global average — a trend with increasingly dire consequences. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report for 2024 underscores the intensifying toll of extreme weather events across the region, driven by rising land and ocean temperatures, erratic precipitation, and glacial retreat.
Unprecedented heat waves scorched both land and sea, contributing to rising sea levels and the rapid melting of glaciers, particularly in Central and South Asia. Surface temperatures in the Indian and Pacific Oceans hit record highs, exacerbating marine heatwaves and threatening biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Asia faced water extremes on both ends of the spectrum. Northern Kerala in India saw deadly landslides from record rainfall, while Kazakhstan battled its worst floods in 70 years due to combined snowmelt and heavy rains. Conversely, a prolonged drought in China impacted millions and devastated agriculture.
The WMO stressed that adaptation through climate-resilient infrastructure, especially early warning systems, is essential. Nepal emerged as a leading example, where early alerts and structured disaster response during September 2024 floods helped reduce casualties despite heavy destruction. Still, even with these successes, the WMO emphasized that more widespread and coordinated action is urgently needed.
As the climate emergency accelerates, Asia’s experience offers a stark warning and a call to invest in preparedness and mitigation. Climate extremes are not isolated anomalies—they are the new normal.
Meanwhile, The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean report shows that 2024 was one of the warmest years on record. Rising temperatures caused the complete disappearance of Venezuela’s last glacier, making it the second country after Slovenia to lose all glaciers in the modern era. El Nino conditions also disrupted rainfall patterns, leading to severe droughts in regions like the Amazon and Pantanal in Brazil, where rainfall was 30–40 percent below normal.
GreentechLead.com News Desk