Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Climate-related disasters have inflicted economic damages of more than $4.3 trillion and caused over two million deaths worldwide between 1970 and 2021, according to a report released by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
In a statement marking World Meteorological Day (March 23), WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo noted that while economic losses from extreme weather events are escalating, global efforts have significantly reduced the human toll. “We are better at saving lives than ever before,” he stated.
The WMO’s latest assessment highlights that 2024 is expected to be the first calendar year to temporarily exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — a critical threshold for climate change.
“This is more than just a statistic,” said the WMO. “Every fraction of a degree matters. We are witnessing more frequent and intense heatwaves, devastating floods and storms, and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones.”
This year’s World Meteorological Day theme — “Closing the Early Warnings Gap Together” — reflects the urgent need to expand early warning systems. The WMO reported progress under the UN’s ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative, noting that 108 countries now have some form of multi-hazard early warning system — up from 52 in 2015.
However, the agency stressed that more action is urgently needed. “No country can tackle these challenges alone,” it said. “Forecasting hazards requires international cooperation, data-sharing, and transforming forecasts into clear, actionable warnings.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged high-level political support, technological advancement, public-private collaboration, and expanded financing to ensure the success of the initiative. “Increasing the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks is key,” he said, calling for full implementation of the Pact for the Future agreed last year.
The WMO’s State of the Global Climate report revealed alarming findings:
2024 is likely to be the warmest year on record in 175 years.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are the highest in 800,000 years.
Each of the last 10 years ranks among the warmest ever recorded.
The past three years saw the largest glacier mass loss on record.
Sea level rise has doubled since satellite tracking began.
The lowest levels of Arctic and Antarctic ice were recorded in recent years.
The recent surge in global temperatures, especially in 2023 and 2024, has been driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions, a transition from La Niña to El Niño, and other factors like volcanic activity and changes in solar radiation.
The WMO reiterated that global action is vital: “By acting now, investing, and innovating together, we can fulfill the promise of ‘Early Warnings for All’ by 2027 — to ensure that everyone, everywhere, is protected.”
