WMO highlights the risks of climate changes to people’s lives – Reports
WMO highlights the risks of climate changes to people’s lives – Reports: The World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) has released its annual report titled “The State of the Global Climate 2022,” highlighting that climate change continues to bring more droughts, flooding, and heatwaves to communities across the globe.
The report showcases how record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are causing planetary-scale
changes in the atmosphere, ocean, and land. In 2022, every continent experienced droughts, floods, and
heatwaves that cost billions of dollars, leading to food insecurity and mass migration. The report also
reveals that Antarctic sea ice hit its lowest extent on record, and European glaciers melted at unprecedented rates.
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events induced by climate change have compounded threats to
people’s lives and livelihoods. The report draws attention to the effects of hydrometeorological hazards
and COVID-19, which have led to rising undernourishment and exacerbated protracted conflicts and violence. Hazardous climate and weather-related events displaced new populations and worsened conditions for
95 million people already living in displacement at the beginning of the year.
WMO highlights the risks of climate changes to people’s lives – Reports: the findings
Despite the alarming findings, the WMO Secretary-General, Prof. Petteri Taalas, noted that UN agencies’ collaboration has been very effective in addressing the humanitarian impacts of extreme weather and
climate events. The UN Early Warnings for All Initiative aims to ensure that every person on earth is
covered by early warning services. However, Taalas emphasized that achieving this goal would require
improving observation networks and investing in early warning, hydrological, and climate service capacities.
The report also highlights the effects of climate change on ecosystems and the environment, showing
how it affects recurring events in nature such as when trees blossom or birds migrate. Alongside the report, a story map provides policymakers with information on how climate change indicators are playing out and how improved technology makes the transition to renewable energy cheaper and more accessible than ever.
the climate action
The report was released ahead of Earth Day 2023, echoing the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the day, emphasizing the need for accelerated climate action with deeper and faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The WMO report complements the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service’s State of the Climate in Europe report and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment report, which includes data up to 2020. The report draws from dozens of experts, including National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and Global Data and Analysis Centers, Regional Climate Centers, and the World Climate Research Programme, among others. UN partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme, contributed to the report.