In 2023, Asia was identified as the region most vulnerable to disasters related to weather, climate, and hydrological hazards, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
"The findings of the report are sobering. In many countries of the region, 2023 was the hottest year on record, accompanied by a barrage of extreme events: from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms. Climate change has exacerbated the frequency and intensity of such events, profoundly impacting society, the economy, and most importantly, the lives of people and the environment we live in," wrote WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo in the report's preface.
Temperature
According to the WMO, the annual mean surface temperature in Asia in 2023 was the second-highest on record, 0.91 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.87 degrees higher than the 1961-1990 average.
Particularly high average temperatures were recorded from Western Siberia to Central Asia and from Eastern China to Japan. Japan and Kazakhstan experienced record warmth during the year. The report notes a clear warming trend in Asia since the second half of the 20th century, with warming occurring faster in the region than the global average, nearly doubling its pace compared to the 1961-1990 period.
Precipitation
Precipitation is a key climate parameter necessary for providing water for drinking, household use, agriculture, industry, and hydroelectric power. Variations in precipitation levels also lead to droughts and floods, explains the WMO. In 2023, precipitation was below normal over much of the Turan Plain (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), the Hindu Kush (Afghanistan, Pakistan), the Himalayas, the Ganges region, and other parts of Asia.
For example, Southwest China received below-average rainfall almost every month last year, leading to drought conditions.
Glaciers
Glacier mass is sensitive to changes in regional temperature, precipitation, and surface radiation. Glacier melt, in turn, affects sea levels, regional water cycles, and the emergence of local hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods, clarifies the WMO. High Mountain Asia, centered on the Tibetan Plateau, holds the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions, covering an area of about 100,000 square kilometers. Over the past few decades, most of these glaciers have been retreating at accelerated rates, as stated in the report.
Twenty out of 22 observed glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region continued to lose mass. The situation was exacerbated by record high temperatures and dry conditions in the Eastern Himalayas. In 2022-2023, the Urumqi No. 1 glacier in the Eastern Tianshan Mountains recorded its second-largest negative mass balance since observations began in 1959.
Extreme Events
According to the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), in 2023, over 80% of the registered hydrometeorological hazardous events in Asia were floods and storms, as outlined in the report.
Last year, 17 named tropical cyclones formed in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. Although this number was below average, countries like China, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea still experienced serious consequences and record rainfall. Floods were the main cause of fatalities reported in 2023. In India, Pakistan, and Nepal, more than 600 people lost their lives due to floods and storms in June, July, and August. In South Korea, at least 40 people died as a result of floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains and stormy weather.
In November, heavy rains triggered floods in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. In Oman, 19 people lost their lives due to flooding.
Extreme temperatures were also observed in many parts of Asia last year. Japan experienced its hottest summer on record. China saw 14 cases of extreme temperature increases during the summer, with nearly 70% of national meteorological stations recording temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, and 16 stations breaking temperature records.
In India, about 110 people died from heatstroke in April and June due to intense heat. In Kazakhstan, 14 people lost their lives in wildfires.
This report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for concerted global action to address the escalating climate crisis and its devastating impacts on the Asian region and beyond.
