WMO’s 2024 Climate Report for Asia: Key Highlights & Warnings

Why in the News?

The WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) has released its annual “State of the Climate in Asia  2024” report, warning of record-breaking temperatures, glacial retreat, intensified cyclones, and devastating floods across Asia, highlighting the continent’s acute vulnerability to climate change.

Background

About WMO:

• A specialised UN agency founded in 1950, succeeding the International Meteorological Organisation (1873).
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
  • Focuses on weather, climate, and water-related issues, supports disaster risk reduction, climate monitoring, and early warning systems.
  • India is a member among WMO’s 193 members (187 countries + 6 territories).
• Purpose of the Report:
  The “State of the Climate” report is an annual flagship publication by the WMO, synthesising meteorological, hydrological, and disaster data to guide climate policy and regional preparedness.
• Asia’s Climate Vulnerability:
  • Asia is home to 60% of the global population.
  • Includes low-lying coastal nations, Himalayan ecosystems, and megacities, all highly sensitive to climate variability.
  • The region is exposed to tropical cyclones, glacial floods, heat waves, droughts, and rising sea levels.

Features / Key Findings of the 2024 Report

Record-Breaking Temperatures

• 2024 was the warmest year in Asia since records began.
• The global mean temperature exceeded the previous 2023 record of 1.45°C, making it the hottest year since 1850.
• Heatwaves were widespread and intense:
  • Myanmar recorded 48.2°C, the highest in its history.
  • Countries like India, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand reported prolonged extreme heat events.

Glacier and Snow Loss

• 23 out of 24 monitored glaciers in the Himalaya and the Tian Shan experienced mass loss.
• Consequences:
  • Rising risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
  • Reduced river flow in the long run, affecting agriculture and water supply.

Cyclones and Storm Surges

• Cyclone Remal:
  • Made landfall in Bangladesh and eastern India with winds at 111 km/h and storm surges of 2.5 metres.
• Cyclones Asna and Fengal affected Oman, India, and Sri Lanka.
• Storms are becoming more intense and wetter due to warmer oceans.

Marine Heatwaves

• Abnormally high sea surface temperatures affected the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean around China, Japan, and India.
• Implications:
  • Coral bleaching.
  • Collapse of local fisheries.
  • Accelerated monsoon variability.
  • Floods and Landslides

• Flash floods in Kerala, Nepal, and Sri Lanka killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
• Urban flooding is worsened by unplanned construction, poor drainage, and extreme rain bursts.

Drought and Crop Damage

China experienced a severe drought:
Affected 4.8 million people.
Destroyed over 335,000 hectares of crops.
Economic loss: CNY 2.89 billion.

Challenges Highlighted

• Extreme Weather Becomes the Norm
  Events like 48°C heat, glacial loss, or cyclones are no longer exceptions but recurrent and intensifying.

Data and Monitoring Gaps

• Many South Asian and Central Asian countries lack dense meteorological networks or real-time data systems.
• Climate resilience efforts are fragmented across South Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia.
• Transboundary river systems (like the Indus, Ganga, and Mekong) lack a joint climate-disaster response.

Loss of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

• Marine heatwaves and floods are damaging wetlands, coral reefs, and glacier-fed river ecosystems.

Climate-Induced Migration and Displacement

• Millions are at risk of becoming climate refugees due to sea-level rise, droughts, or flood disasters.

Way Forward

Strengthen Regional Early Warning Systems

• Implement WMO’s Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) across Asia.
• Prioritise investment in hydromet services and disaster risk communication.

Improve Glacial and Monsoon Monitoring

• Expand high-altitude weather stations and satellite-based tracking of glaciers and snowpack.
• India and China must lead a Himalayan climate observatory network.

Mainstream Adaptation into Development Plans

• Climate-resilient urban planning, crop selection, water conservation, and infrastructure design.
• Build climate-smart agriculture to handle droughts and floods.

Enhance International and Subregional Cooperation

• Strengthen the SAARC Disaster Management Centre and BIMSTEC climate programs.
• Data sharing and joint modelling of cyclones, floods, and glacial melt.

Climate Financing and Technology Transfer

• Mobilise green climate funds and support from Multilateral Development Banks.
• Help Least Developed Countries (LDCs) access climate risk insurance, early warning tech, and resilient seeds.

Education and Community-Based Resilience

• Public awareness of heat action plans, flood safety protocols, and drought preparedness.
• Local governance and Panchayats must be trained to act on early warnings.

Conclusion

The WMO’s State of the Climate in Asia – 2024 underscores the climate emergency confronting Asia. With rising temperatures, glacier retreat, and more frequent climate disasters, nations in the region must act urgently and collaboratively to build climate resilience, strengthen early warning systems, and mainstream adaptation into every development strategy. For India, the findings are a timely wake-up call to prioritise climate-smart infrastructure and policy as a national imperative.

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

Question: What are the key findings of the WMO’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report, and what do they imply for climate resilience in India?

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION