The Big Thing About Climate Change You Need to Hear Before 2023

2022 has witnessed several extreme weather events including heatwaves, floods, and cyclones.

Photo: The Quint

Over the course of 2022, climate change-related disasters have wreaked havoc worldwide. Reports have estimated that the total damages due to extreme weather events are already at $38.4 billion globally.

In just 2022, tropical cyclones alone cause $3 billion in damages. However, despite the climate change warning signs flashing in the form of extreme weather events, global leaders are doing the bare minimum to mitigate climate change.

Disasters World Wide 

Europe suffered through a record-breaking heatwave during the months of June-August with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius.

The heatwave led to a surge in forest fires across the continent, causing damages to multiple residential areas and created a drought-like situation in many parts of the country. The heatwave caused the death of 16,700 people.

Pakistan experienced devastating floods in the month of September. With all four of the country's provinces affected, it was the worst flood recorded in the country's history.

Approximately 33 million people were directly affected by the floods and 1,700 deaths were recorded.

How did India Fare? 

India experienced extreme weather events for 241 of the 273 days between January and September. Climate change held no punches back as heatwaves, cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rainfall, hailstorm, floods, drought, and landslides caused damages countrywide.

Madhya Pradesh experienced climate events every second day and both MP and Assam recorded 301 deaths each. The death toll was highest in Himachal Pradesh, at 359.

Karnataka, which experienced an extreme weather event for 82 days, accounted for more than 50 per cent of the crop area affected in the country.

India suffered the second-highest economic loss due to extreme climate events in 2021, wracking up nearly $7.6 billion in damages due to flooding and storms.

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