Asia Warming Twice as Fast as Global Average, Causing Severe Climate Impacts
Asia is experiencing a climate crisis as the continent warms at twice the rate of the global average, leading to devastating consequences for millions of people.
According to a recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events are increasingly common across the region.
In 2024, multiple Asian countries, including China, set new temperature highs during several months, underscoring the rapid pace of warming. Scientists attribute this accelerated warming primarily to Asia’s large landmass, where temperatures over land rise faster than over oceans. The Indian and Pacific Oceans surrounding Asia have also recorded unusually high surface temperatures, contributing to prolonged heatwaves.
The extreme weather has manifested in various ways. Northern Kerala in India suffered a fatal landslide caused by record rainfall, killing over 350 people. Kazakhstan, home to thousands of glaciers, experienced its worst flooding in 70 years due to heavy rain and snowmelt. Conversely, other areas such as China faced severe droughts lasting through summer, impacting nearly 5 million people and damaging vast agricultural lands.
Despite these challenges, some countries have demonstrated effective adaptation strategies. Nepal, for example, successfully deployed early warning systems that helped communities prepare for and respond to severe floods and landslides in September 2024. These systems, combined with comprehensive emergency funding protocols, enabled rapid evacuation and humanitarian response, significantly reducing casualties.
As Asia continues to warm at an alarming rate, the WMO report calls for urgent investment in climate adaptation infrastructure and community preparedness to protect vulnerable populations from increasingly extreme weather patterns.
