The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) releases a new 2021 State of the Climate Services report for 2021.
Context
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) releases a new 2021 State of the Climate Services report for 2021.
Key-findings
- In 2018, an estimated 3.6 million people worldwide had less than one month of water a year, expected to exceed five billion by 2050.
- Rising temperatures are causing global and regional rainfall changes, leading to changes in rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, which have a significant impact on food security and human health and well-being.
- Water-related disasters: Water-related disasters have increased dramatically since 2000
- Flood-related disasters have increased by 134 percent over the past two decades.
- Terrestrial water storage (TWS): TWS decreased by 1 cm per year for 20 years (2002-2021).
- The biggest losses have occurred in Antarctica and Greenland.
- Most of the deaths and economic losses have occurred in Asia, where warning systems need to be tightened.
- Over the past year, heavy rains across the continent caused severe flooding in Japan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and India. Millions were displaced and hundreds were killed.
Scenario in India
- In India, the TWS is lost at a rate of at least 3 cm per year. In some regions, the losses have been more than 4 cm per year as well.
- India has recorded the highest losses in groundwater storage if the loss of water storage in Antarctica and Greenland is not included.
- According to the report, India has the highest loss rate for TWS.
- The northern part of India has suffered the highest losses in the country.
- The average annual water supply was reduced to 1,545 cubic meters in 2011, from 1,816 cubic meters in 2001.
- It is expected to drop further to 1,367 cubic meters by 2031.
- Five basins of 21 rivers are ‘water shortages’ (water supply per person less than 1,000 cubic meters) and three ‘water pressures’ (water supply per person below 1,700 cubic meters).
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Founded in 1950, the WMO became a special agency of the United Nations in 1951.
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a special organization of the United Nations dedicated to climate (climate), climatology (climate), operational hydrology (water) and other geophysical related sciences such as oceanography and atmospheric chemistry.
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