Reports show that since the late 19th century, the temperature of the Earth has increased by more than 1.1 degrees Celsius, with over half of that rise occurring in the past 30 years. WMO reports show over the past eight years, we’ve had the highest temperatures ever recorded.
WMO reports on climate change
Image Source- thehindu.com
As a result of ongoing emissions, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have all reached new highs. According to the research, the annual increase in methane has been the most ever recorded.
A report published on Sunday by the World Meteorological Organization projected that the average temperature across the globe will be 1.15 degrees Celsius ( 0.13 degrees C) higher than it was at the pre-industrial level in the year 2022. Over the past eight years, we’ve seen temperatures that are higher than any others on record.
What is COP27?
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt will host the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference from November 6 to November 18, 2022. The conference is more commonly known as the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP27. This will be the 27th annual United Nations conference on climate change.
Since the first United Nations climate agreement in 1992, the summit has occurred annually. Governments utilize it to reach agreements on measures to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects.
WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas’s speech
In a statement released on Sunday, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas, issued a warning that the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are so high that the “lower 1.5°C (target) of the Paris Agreement is barely within reach.” “The greater the warming, the worse the impacts,” he added.
Pieces of information that the WMO report stated
Since 1993, the rate at which the sea level has been rising has doubled, and it has reached an all-time new high this year after having increased by roughly 10 millimeters, since January 2020. According to the analysis, the rise in sea level over the previous two and a half years is responsible for ten percent of the total rise in sea level since satellite monitoring began nearly 30 years ago.
According to the analysis, the Alps lost an average of 4 meters in height, surpassing records of glacier melting in 2022. Even the Greenland ice sheet witnessed rainfall at the 3,200-meter-high top. The amount of ice that covered the Antarctic sea reached a record low this year. Between the years 2021 and 2022, Switzerland saw a loss of 6% of the glacier ice volume.
The 2022 global mean temperature is 1.15 °C above the 1850-1900 temperatures on average. If the current trend persists, 2022 would be the fifth or sixth warmest year on record (from 1850), somewhat warmer than 2021. The research suggested that 2015–2022 will likely be the eighth warmest years, on record.
The numbers that were used in the preliminary report were accurate up until the end of September of this year; the complete report is scheduled to be issued in April of next year.
South Asia- the most affected part
According to the report, South Asia, including India, will be one of the most severely impacted regions in 2022 due to climatic impacts. In its report, the World Meteorological Organization highlighted “selected high-impact events,” with South Asia topping the list.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has highlighted the significance of heatwaves and floods in South Asia. Also, “the pre-monsoon period was particularly hot in India and Pakistan” was mentioned.
The survey said Pakistan’s hottest March and April ever reduced crop production. This (high heat), together with the restriction of wheat exports and limits on rice exports in India, is endangering the international food markets and creating threats to countries already impacted by basic food shortages, the report noted, implying a wider impact.
In late August, Pakistan had extreme monsoon flooding. The research indicated July (181% above normal) and August (243%) were the wettest on record, nationally. Sindh was hardest hit, followed by Balochistan.
Reports also show that major flooding occurred in India during the monsoon season, especially in the Northeast in June. Also, led to 663,000 displacements in the Indian state of Assam. During the season, more than 700 people lost their lives as a result of flooding and landslides, and another 900 people lost their lives, as a result of lightning.
The WMO report also added that about 7.2 million people in Bangladesh have been affected by the worst floods in 20 years, and 481,000 have been relocated as a result.
In the meantime, specialists have voiced their alarm about maritime heatwaves, namely those that are occurring in the region that surrounds the Indian subcontinent. There was a significant lack of rainfall in several parts of the world, including Europe, Central Asia, Northern Australia, Eastern Africa, the majority of North Africa, the middle and southern parts of South America, and the middle and western parts of North America.
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, referred to the climate problem as an existential threat and claimed that change is occurring at a catastrophic rate.
