STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN ASIA 2023 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The State of the Climate in Asia 2023" report has shed light on Asia's susceptibility to climate-related disasters, with floods, storms, and heatwaves.

The State of the Climate in Asia 2023

• About: The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the climate conditions and associated impacts in Asia during the year 2023.
• Based on: Data collected from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, United Nations partners, and a network of climate experts.
• Publisher: World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Key Findings:

• Disaster Vulnerability: Asia was identified as the world’s most disaster-prone region in 2023, with floods, storms, and heatwaves causing significant casualties and economic losses.
• Temperature Rise: Eastern and northern India recorded the highest temperature rise.

o The annual mean near-surface temperature over Asia in 2023 was the second-highest on record, 0.91°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.87 °C above the 1961-1990 average.

• India specific findings: 
• Temperature Rise:

o Average temperatures in 2023 increased by 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius in eastern India compared to the average of 1991-2021.

o States like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and northern states experienced significant warming trends.

• Sea Level Rise: Satellite measurements revealed an annual increase of 4.44 mm in sea levels in the Bay of Bengal from January 1993 to May 2023. 

o Incidentally, the Sundarbans, on the coast of West Bengal, have been found to have the highest sea level rise in India.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

• About: It  is a specialized agency of the United Nations. 
• Function: It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.
• Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951 for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
• Headquarter:  Geneva, Switzerland.