Context: Recently, the World Meteorological Organization released a provisional ‘State of the Global Climate report’ on the sidelines of the COP-28 meet in Dubai.
State of the Global Climate Report 2023
- The report combines input from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, regional climate centres, UN partners and leading climate scientists.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- The WMO is an intergovernmental organization with 192 Member States and Territories.
- Establishment: WMO was established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950.
- Specialized Agency: It became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology, and related geophysical sciences.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- India is one of the Member States of the WMO.
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What are the key findings of the State of the Global Climate Report 2023?
- The global mean near-surface temperature in 2023 (to October) was around 1.40 ± 0.12 °C above the 1850–1900 average.
- The past nine years, 2015-2023, will be the nine warmest years on record.
- Ocean and Land Temperature Records: Record monthly global temperatures have been observed for the ocean — from April through to September — and, starting slightly later, the land — from July through to September.
- Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Soar: Observed concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — reached record high levels in 2022.
- Ocean Heat Content Peaks in 2022: Ocean heat content reached its highest level in 2022, the latest available full year of data in the 65-year observational record.
- Antarctic Sea Ice Hits All-Time Low: Antarctic sea-ice extent reached an absolute record low for the satellite era (1979 to present) in February.
- Ice extent was at a record low from June onwards, and the annual maximum in September was far below the previous record low maximum.
- Glacial Melt Crisis: Glaciers in western North America and the European Alps experienced an extreme melt season.
- In Switzerland, glaciers lost around 10% of their remaining volume in the past two years.
- Climate-Induced Displacement: Extreme weather and climate conditions continued to trigger new, prolonged, and secondary displacement in 2023
- Food Security Concerns in 2023:Food security, population displacements and impacts on vulnerable populations continue to be of concern in 2023, with weather and climate hazards exacerbating the situation in many parts of the world.
- Extreme Weather’s Socio-Economic Toll: Extreme weather continues to lead to severe socio-economic impacts.
- Wildfires in Hawaii, Canada and Europe led to loss of life, the destruction of homes and large-scale air pollution.
News Source: Economic Times
December 1, 2023
