ISLAMABAD, March 24: Climate-related disasters have led to significant economic losses, exceeding $4.3 trillion, and have claimed over two million lives globally between 1970 and 2021, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
On the occasion of World Meteorological Day, observed on March 23, WMO Secretary-General Professor Celeste Saulo highlighted that while economic costs continue to rise, the death toll from these disasters is decreasing. “We are better at saving lives than ever before,” Saulo remarked.
The WMO also pointed out that the world has just experienced the hottest decade on record, and 2024 is expected to be the first calendar year to temporarily surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Unfortunately, this will not be the last instance, as rising temperatures continue to pose severe risks.
The WMO stressed that even the smallest increase in temperature matters, impacting lives and livelihoods.
The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, storms, floods, and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, are escalating.
Early Warnings Gap
This year’s World Meteorological Day theme, “Closing the Early Warnings Gap Together,” focuses on the role of national meteorological and hydrological services in building a safer, more resilient world.
The day aims to underscore the importance of these services and promote global cooperation in addressing climate challenges. WMO reports that, by 2024, 108 countries have established some capacity for multi-hazard early warning systems—more than double the 52 countries in 2015.
However, the WMO emphasized that greater progress and speed are needed to address the growing risks posed by climate change.
The WMO also calls for greater innovation and collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities to scale up technologies, share resources, and invest in solutions for climate resilience.
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The goal of the United Nations’ “Early Warnings for All” initiative is to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has access to an alert system by 2027.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for high-level political support, increased technology, stronger collaboration, and enhanced financing to achieve this goal.
Pact for the Future
He also highlighted the importance of increasing the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks and delivering on the commitments made in the “Pact for the Future.”
The WMO’s State of the Global Climate report confirmed that 2024 is likely to be the first year with temperatures more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, marking the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.
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The report showed that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are at the highest levels in 800,000 years. Each of the past 10 years has been the warmest on record, with ocean heat content setting new records annually.
The Arctic has experienced the lowest sea-ice extents on record, and the Antarctic has seen similar declines. The last three years have also seen the largest loss of glacier mass ever recorded, and the rate of sea-level rise has doubled since satellite measurements began.
The record global temperatures in 2023 and 2024 are primarily attributed to increasing greenhouse gas emissions and the transition from a cooling La Niña t
