United Nations: Asia Most Affected by Climate Disasters in 2023
The World Meteorological Organization stated today that Asia was “the region most affected by climate-related disasters” in 2023, with floods and storms causing loss of life and negative economic impacts.
The Secretary-General of the UN-affiliated organization, Celestine Saulo, affirmed in a report that “2023 was the hottest year ever recorded for many countries in the region, alongside a deluge of extreme conditions ranging from drought and heatwaves to floods and storms.”
She added that “climate change has led to an increased frequency and intensity of these phenomena, resulting in profound impacts on societies, economies, and, most importantly, on human life and the environment in which we live,” according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The report on the climate status in Asia in 2023 highlighted the accelerating trend of key climate change indicators, such as surface temperature, glacier retreat, and sea-level rise, with significant consequences for the region’s societies, economies, and ecosystems.
In 2023, sea surface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean reached record levels, and the Arctic region experienced a maritime heatwave, according to the report.
Temperatures in Asia are rising at a faster rate than the global average, and this warming trend has nearly doubled since the 1961-1990 period.
79 Disasters in Asia
According to the International Disaster Database, a total of 79 disasters related to weather and hydrological phenomena were reported in Asia in 2023.
More than 80% of these disasters were linked to floods and storms, resulting in the deaths of over 2000 people and directly affecting nine million others.
The Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, stated that “the most vulnerable countries were hit hardest once again in 2023.
For example, the tropical cyclone Mocha struck Bangladesh and Myanmar, being the strongest cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal in the last decade, thanks to early warning and better preparedness efforts that saved thousands of lives.”
