23-4-2024 (GENEVA) Asia emerged as the world’s most disaster-prone region concerning climate-related hazards in the previous year, as outlined by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with floods and storms inflicting the highest number of casualties.
According to a report released on Tuesday by the WMO, Asia witnessed 79 disasters associated with hydro-meteorological events in 2023. Over 80% of these calamities were attributed to floods and storms, resulting in a toll of over 2,000 fatalities.
“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,” remarked WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
Saulo underscored the exacerbating impact of climate change on the frequency and severity of such events.
The WMO further noted that Asia is experiencing warming at a faster rate than the global average. Last year witnessed elevated average temperatures stretching from western Siberia to central Asia, as well as from eastern China to Japan.
Moreover, the report shed light on the alarming loss of significant mass in most glaciers across Asia’s high-mountain regions, attributed to record-breaking high temperatures and dry conditions.
