India lost $87bn in 2020 due to natural calamities

According to a report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday, natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts incurred a cost of around $87 billion for India in 2020

India ranked as the second most affected nation from the repercussions of global warming on both lives and property, following China, which experienced losses totaling $238 billion. This information was highlighted in the State of the Climate in Asia report from the weather agency of the United Nations, which referenced estimates from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Additionally, losses in Japan were slightly lower, amounting to $85 billion.

The report emphasized that droughts were responsible for the most significant damage. It also noted that 2020 marked the warmest year on record for Asia, with a mean temperature of 1.39 degrees Celsius above the average of the 1981-2010 period.

The report underscored the severity of the global climate crisis, released just days before the global summit in Glasgow scheduled for later this week.

It noted instances of extreme heat in various locations, with Verkhoyansk in Russia registering the highest recorded temperature within the Arctic Circle at 38 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, the report highlighted the unusually active East and South Asian summer monsoons. The frequent occurrence of cyclones, floods, and landslides resulted in loss of life and widespread displacement across nations.

One notable event mentioned in the report was Cyclone Amphan, considered one of the strongest storms ever recorded. It struck the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest spanning India and Bangladesh, in May 2020. This cyclone resulted in the displacement of approximately 2.4 million and 2.5 million people in India and Bangladesh, respectively.

The report highlighted the rapid warming of the Indian Ocean, alongside the Pacific and the Arctic, with record-breaking surface temperatures observed. It noted that sea surface temperatures around Asia were rising at a rate three times faster than the global average, particularly noticeable in the Arabian Sea. These warmer sea surface temperatures increase the likelihood of severe storms occurring in the region.

The report noted a slowdown in progress on food security and nutrition worldwide. In the previous year, 48.8 million individuals in South-East Asia, 305.7 million in South Asia, and 42.3 million in West Asia were undernourished. Additionally, it mentioned that the full extent of the impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition is still to be determined.