The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently reported during the United Nations Weather Conference on the effects of intensifying climate change on India, highlighting how the country will experience extreme heat and precipitation from 2011 to 2020. The analysis highlights the dire effects of climate change, showing that this decade was the warmest on record due to a catastrophic temperature increase.
The research offers a thorough assessment of the climate from 2011 to 2020, pointing out that June 2013 marked the beginning of India’s worst monsoon season. During the season, Uttarakhand had significant flooding and landslides due to extreme rains, melting of mountain snow, and the rupture of lakes supplied by snow. According to the study, more than 5,800 people perished in this tragic incident.
During this time, the WMO highlighted the effects of climate change on a worldwide scale, pointing out that the northwest of India, Pakistan, China, and the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula had unusually high levels of precipitation—a phenomenon known as “wet decades.”
Between 2011 and 2020, the average number of extremely hot days was almost twice as high in several parts of Southeast Asia, most of Europe, southern Africa, Mexico, and eastern Australia as it was in 1961–1990.
In contrast to the increase in global temperatures, the research emphasizes a notable decrease in extremely cold days and nights, with 2011–2020 temperatures being almost 40% lower than the average for 1961–1990.
The paper focuses on particular Indian events, like the destructive June 2013 floods and the 2018 Kerala landslip disaster. It also mentions the occurrence of severe and widespread floods in the 2019 and 2020 monsoon seasons, which killed over 2,000 people in India and nearby nations.
Extended drought spells between 2011 and 2020 had significant effects on the human and socioeconomic spheres. Drought conditions were proclaimed in eleven Indian states, resulting in acute shortages of both food and water. The problem was made worse by the unequal allocation of water resources, which severely harmed the impacted areas.
The study also highlights the negative effects of climate change on the entire world, including the quickening glacier melting and the 75% decrease in Antarctic ice cover between 2001 and 2020. States and coastal areas are at risk from increasing sea levels.
Every decade since the 1990s has been warmer than the one before, according to WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, which is a worrying trend. He emphasized that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are rising and that immediate global action is required to address this issue. Efforts to mitigate climate change are falling short.
The report’s conclusion emphasises how climate change has a major impact on the frequency of extreme events and raises the possibility of future heat waves becoming more frequent and severe. The report emphasises the necessity of coordinated international action to combat climate change and its profound effects on ecosystems, food security, and economic stability.The extensive analysis, which examines financial data from 2011 to 2020, shows a notable increase in the amount of money and assets allocated to climate projects. This upsurge shows that both public and private organisations are becoming more cognizant of and giving priority to climate-related issues.