Published by WMO, the State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report highlighted the accelerating rate of climate change across several indicators such as surface temperature, glacier retreat, sea level rise and more.
In the wake of a recent study on Europe’s climate challenges, the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) 2023 report, “State of the Climate in Asia,” presents a stark picture of the region’s escalating climate crisis. The report, released shortly after its European counterpart, details significant changes across multiple indicators including surface temperature, glacier retreat, and sea level rise.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General, described the report’s findings as “sobering.” “Countries across Asia not only faced their hottest years on record in 2023 but also endured a plethora of extreme weather events from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms. These events have had profound impacts on human lives, economies, and societies at large,” Saulo emphasized.
A Rapidly Warming Continent
The report illustrates that Asia is warming at nearly twice the rate observed between 1960 and 1990, surpassing the global average. This accelerated warming led to a record number of casualties and significant economic losses due to intensified floods, storms, and heatwaves. Last year, the northwestern Pacific Ocean recorded its highest sea-surface temperatures. Remarkably, the Arctic Ocean experienced a marine heatwave, with regions such as the Arabian Sea, the southern Kara Sea, and the southeastern Laptev Sea warming at more than triple the global rate. The Barents Sea was specifically identified as a “climate change hotspot.”
Ongoing Rise in Sea Levels
Triggered by thermal expansion and the melting of glaciers, ice caps, and ice sheets, the global sea level has continued to rise. However, Asia experienced even higher rates from 1993 to 2023. The continent recorded 79 water hazard-related disasters last year, with floods and storms accounting for over 80 percent of these events, resulting in more than 2,000 fatalities and impacting nearly nine million people, as per the Emergency Events Database.
Watch how sea levels in the region have changed over time!
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) April 23, 2024
According to the #StateOfClimate in Asia 2023 report, sea-level rise rates across most of Asia are higher than the global mean. Check out the report now for more information. https://t.co/GIqKTbhE2q pic.twitter.com/qJqNLBaIKz
Temperature and Precipitation Trends
In 2023, Asia’s annual mean near-surface temperature was the second highest on record, at 0.91 °C above the 1991–2020 average. Regions from western Siberia to central Asia and from eastern China to Japan, including Japan and Kazakhstan, experienced record temperatures.
Conversely, precipitation levels were below average in extensive areas such as the Turan Lowland, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas, as well as around the Ganges and lower Brahmaputra Rivers. The Arakan Mountains in Myanmar and the lower Mekong River area also received less rainfall than usual. Southwest China faced a persistent drought, with significantly lower precipitation throughout 2023.
Despite the general decline in rainfall, several extreme weather events occurred, including heavy rainfall in Myanmar in May; floods and storms across India, Pakistan, and Nepal in June and July; and record hourly rainfall in Hong Kong in September.
Advocating for Early Warning Systems
From 1970 to 2021, the Asia-Pacific region witnessed 3,612 disasters linked to weather, climate, and water extremes, leading to 984,263 deaths and $1.4 trillion in economic losses. Tropical cyclones were the leading cause of death. The WMO and its partners, including the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), are advocating for enhanced early warning and disaster risk reduction systems.
“Early warning systems and better preparedness have already saved thousands of lives,” stated Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of ESCAP. “Together with the WMO, we are committed to elevating climate ambitions and accelerating policy implementation, ensuring that early warnings reach everyone in the region so that no one is left behind as we face an evolving climate crisis,” Alisjahbana assured.
