Asia is officially the Most Disaster-prone Region, IN THE WORLD

A recent World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report points out that Asia faces the most climate, weather, and water-related disasters globally. This is highlighted in the 2023 State of the Climate in Asia report, showing that these risks are increasing.

Climate change is making disasters like heatwaves, floods, and storms more severe everywhere. But Asia is hit harder because it's warming up fast due to greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. Last year, many Asian countries had record-high temperatures, matching the hottest year globally. China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia had severe heatwaves, affecting a big part of the world's population. Sadly, India alone reported over 110 heat-related deaths from long-lasting heatwaves.

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In 2023, Asia had 79 water-related disasters, mostly floods and storms. These events impacted 9 million people and caused over 2,000 deaths. As the climate warms, there's more moisture in the air, leading to heavier rains. Also, warmer oceans make tropical storms stronger. Sea temperatures in Asia hit record levels last year, causing more powerful storms and higher sea levels that threaten coastal areas.

Countries like India, Pakistan, and Nepal saw extreme floods and storms, resulting in at least 600 deaths from June to August. Cyclonic storm Mocha, the strongest in a decade in the Bay of Bengal, took at least 156 lives.

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Climate activist Harjeet Singh stresses the urgent need for global unity and financial aid for developing Asian countries. They lack enough resources to handle climate challenges and need support to become more resilient and respond better to climate impacts.