In 2023, Asia was the “most disaster-hit region,” warming more quickly than the rest of the world: UN

Asia has the unenviable distinction of being named the world’s most disaster-prone area due to climate-related risks in 2023.

According to a study issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday (Apr 23), Asia was the region most severely affected by floods and storms last year, accounting for the greatest number of fatalities.

Asia suffered 79 catastrophes associated with hydro-meteorological occurrences in 2023, according to the United Nations organization. According to the WMO, of these, over 80% were caused by storms and floods, which resulted in over 2,000 deaths overall. Nine million additional people were also directly impacted.

Asia and Global Warming
The WMO reports that global temperatures reached record highs in 2018 and that Asia warmed more quickly than the rest of the globe.

According to Reuters, which cited the WMO, the continent had temperatures last year that were over two degrees Celsius higher than the average from 1961 to 1990. In addition, Asia’s mean annual near-surface temperature, which was 0.91 degrees Celsius higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, was the second-highest on record.

The future water security of the area is at risk due to rising temperatures and melting glaciers, according to WMO.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated in a statement that “the report’s conclusions are sobering.”

“Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms” .

“Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, profoundly impacting societies, economies, and, most importantly, human lives and the environment that we live in,” said the head of the WMO.

most disaster-prone area in the world
According to WMO, which was cited by AFP, “Asia remained the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate, and water-related hazards in 2023.”

Record high average temperatures were reported in Asia. The summer in Japan was the warmest on record. across the meantime, precipitation across Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain region and the Himalayas was below average.

China, on the other hand, experienced drought due to practically monthly precipitation amounts that were below average.

Moreover, the High-Mountain Asia area, centered on the Tibetan Plateau, has seen glaciers melting at an ever-faster pace over the last several decades.

Twenty of the 22 glaciers in the area, which has the greatest amount of ice outside of the polar regions, continued to lose mass of ice last year.

“It is imperative that our actions and strategies mirror the urgency of these times,” Saulo said. “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the evolving climate is not merely an option, but a fundamental necessity.”