GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Environment and Conservation
Source: DTE
Context: According to the State of climate in Asia 2022 report released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region.
About the report:
- One of a series of WMO regional State of the Climate reports, it was released during a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction.
- UN ESCAP (HQ: Bangkok; founded in 1947) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Highlights of the report:
- Over 50 million people were directly affected due to 81 weather, climate and water-related disasters in Asia during 2022.
- The number of disaster events in the region decreased in comparison to 2021 (over 100 natural hazards).
- But the effects of such events in 2022 were much more pronounced, with an increase in the number of fatalities, people affected and economic damage.
- For example, ~5,879 Asians died due to natural disasters in 2022 – 55% more than in 2021.
- The economic cost of the damage has been over $ 36 billion and Pakistan accounted for 42% of this.
Floods and droughts in 2022:
- The economic losses associated with floods exceeded the average over the past 20 years (2002-2021).
- This was primarily due to the significant economic losses from floods in Pakistan (over $15 billion), China (over $5 billion) and India (over $4.2 billion)
- The economic losses associated with drought ($7.6 billion), mainly occurred in China, exceeding the 20-year average by nearly 200%.
- If compared with 2021, the economic cost of drought had more than doubled.
Challenges ahead:
- Asia, the continent with the largest land mass extending to the Arctic, is warming faster than the global average.
- In 2022, the estimated mean temperature over Asia was 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average, making it either the second/ third warmest year on record.
- Global melting ice, glaciers and sea level rise, threatening more socio-economic disruption in the future.
- For example, in the north-east Indian Ocean and western tropical Pacific region sea level is rising at the rate of above 4 mm per year.
- The expected increase in the frequency and severity of extreme events over much of Asia will impact agriculture.
- More than 25% of all climate-related loss and damage is associated with the agriculture sector.
Way ahead:
- As early warnings are one of the most effective ways of reducing damage from disasters, significant gaps to be addressed to strengthen these systems.
- Agriculture sector must be central in all climate adaptation planning.
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