Key findings of the State of Global Climate Report 2023 which was released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently are provided below.
The recently released State of the Global Climate 2023 report, published by the World Meteorological Organisation paints a concerning picture of our planet’s changing climate.
The report shows that various records were once again broken or even surpassed for various indicators, such as greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover, and glacier retreat.
Extreme weather events like heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and powerful tropical cyclones caused significant hardship and disruption to the daily lives of millions of people.
One of the most alarming findings of the report is that 2023 was the warmest year on record globally. The average near-surface temperature was 1.45 degrees Celsius (with a margin of error of ยฑ 0.12 degrees Celsius) above the pre-industrial baseline.
Additionally, the report confirmed that the past ten years have been the warmest decade on record.
State of Global Climate Report 2023
Key findings of the State of Global Climatic Report 2023 are:
- 2023 was the warmest year on record globally at 1.45 ยฑ 0.12 ยฐC above the pre-industrial average, continuing the long-term warming trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions.
- Concentrations of the major greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide) reached new record high levels, exacerbating the greenhouse effect.
- Ocean heat content and global mean sea level also reached new record highs.
- The rate of sea level rise in the past ten years (2014-2023) has more than doubled since the first decade of the satellite record (1993-2002).
- Antarctic sea ice extent hit a record low, indicating rapid changes in the polar regions.
- Glaciers around the world experienced record ice loss in the 2022-2023 hydrological year, driven by extremely negative mass balance in both western North America and Europe.
- Extreme weather events like heat waves, wildfires, and floods cause severe impacts on human populations and the environment globally.
- Food security, population displacement, and impacts on vulnerable populations continue to be of mounting concern in 2023, with weather and climate hazards exacerbating the situation in many parts of the world.
Socio-economic Impacts
The socioeconomic impact of such climatic changes is multifold.
- Global hunger levels remained high in 2022, with 9.2% of the global population (735.1 million people) being undernourished, compared to 7.9% (612.8 million) in 2019.
- The current global food and nutrition crisis is the largest in modern human history.
- Conflicts, economic downturns, high food prices, and climate extremes have exacerbated food insecurity.
- Droughts cause over 65% of losses in the agriculture sector globally.
- Floods, storms, and cyclones lead to around 20% of losses in agriculture.
- Weather hazards triggered new, prolonged, and secondary displacements in 2023, increasing vulnerability.
- Climate-related displacements are often multi-causal, driven by social, political, economic, environmental, and demographic factors.
- Climate shocks and stresses in displacement contexts entrench poverty, hunger, and inequality, and limit access to essential services.
Extreme Weather and Climate Events
The world is facing extreme weather and climatic events because of the extreme weather and climatic phenomenon. Some such major events are:
- Extreme weather events in 2023 had severe socio-economic impacts globally.
- Mediterranean Cyclone Daniel in September caused heavy rainfall, flooding, and over 4,700 deaths in Libya alone.
- Tropical Cyclone Freddy was one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones, causing flooding and loss of life in Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.
- Tropical Cyclone Mocha was one of the most intense cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, affecting Bangladesh and Myanmar, with over 156 deaths in Myanmar.
- Hurricane Otis in Mexico was a rapidly intensifying Category 5 hurricane, causing widespread destruction and estimated economic losses of around US$12 billion.
- New Zealand’s North Island suffered repeated extreme rainfall, flooding events, and Cyclone Gabrielle, resulting in economic losses estimated at US$5.3 to 8.6 billion.
- Severe and persistent heatwaves affected southern Europe, and North Africa, with record-breaking temperatures in Italy, Tunisia, Albania, Morocco, and Algeria.
- Canada’s wildfire season was the worst on record, with 14.9 million hectares burned, far exceeding the previous record.
- The deadliest single wildfire occurred in Hawaii, on the island of Maui, causing over 100 deaths and destroying over 2,200 structures.
- Long-term droughts persisted in northwestern Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, central and southwest Asia, and parts of Central and South America.
- The Greater Horn of Africa region experienced substantial flooding after heavy rains associated with El Niรฑo and the positive Indian Ocean Dipole, displacing millions of people.
World Meteorological Organisation
Key details of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO):
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
- It provides an authoritative voice on the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, climate, and water resources.
- WMO has 193 member states and territories.
- It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) founded in 1873.
- It was established in 1950. WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951 for meteorology (weather and climate).
- WMO facilitates the free exchange of meteorological data and information.
- Also contributes to policy formulation on safety, economic welfare, and environmental protection.
Key Programmes of WMO
Key programs of the World Meteorological Organisation are as follows:
- World Weather Watch (WWW) – Observations, data exchange, analysis, forecasts
- Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) – Monitoring human influence on the atmosphere
- World Weather Research (WWRP) – Advancing weather science, forecasting, and applications
Conclusion
The Global Climate Report 2023 shows that climate change is getting worse at an alarming rate. It broke many records for things like greenhouse gas levels, temperatures, ocean warming, and rising sea levels.
Extreme weather events like heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and powerful storms cause huge problems and cost billions of dollars worldwide.
These findings make it clear that urgent action is needed from everyone to address climate change and reduce its harmful impacts on communities, the environment, and economies worldwide.
Related articles:
- Global Warming: Impact on Global Climate
- World Climate
- Climate change and health
- Climate change and women
- Global Climate Risk Index
Article Written By: Priti Raj
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