2024-04-25 09:58:09
New Delhi: Climate change and natural disasters caused maximum devastation in Asia, including India and its neighboring countries, in 2023. In this regard, the World Metrological Organization (WMO) has released the ‘State of the Climate in Asia-2023’ report on Tuesday, in which it has been claimed that the maximum economic losses and deaths have been caused by floods and storms. The heat wave in 2023 also caused a lot of damage. There were 110 deaths due to heat wave in India in April and June. Floods especially caused the most damage to India, Yemen and Pakistan. Also, most of the deaths due to natural disasters occurred in floods.
Asia vulnerable to floods
In such a situation, it can be believed that Asia is especially becoming the most sensitive region for floods. 80% of the damage in 2023 is due to floods and storms in Asia. Cyclone Moka, which hit the North Indian Ocean basin, made landfall in Myanmar on April 14, resulting in 156 deaths. Several extreme rainfall events occurred in 2023. From June to August, 600 deaths occurred due to floods and storms in India, Pakistan and Nepal. In North Pakistan, incidents of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) occurred due to the bursting of lakes formed due to melting of glaciers.
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Wheat yield reduced due to heat
According to WMO, the longest and most severe heat wave was seen in South East Asia during April to May. Apart from Bangladesh, East India, this effect of heat wave extended from North to South China. 2023 was Asia’s second hottest year. This year the temperature was 0.91 degrees above the average temperature of 1991-2020 and 1.87 degrees above the average temperature of 1961-1990. Due to the heat, wheat production in India reduced, due to which the government also had to change its old plan for global supply of wheat. This means that climate change is also giving rise to food crisis.