Hyderabad: As per World Meteorological Organisation’s estimates, India has lost Rs 65 lakh crores in 2020 owing to natural calamities like tropical cyclones, floods and draughts.
On Tuesday, the WMO’s “state of the climate in Asia” report was released. The report observed how global warming indicators including shifts in land and ocean temperatures, change in precipitation, glacier retreat, shrinking sea ice impacted society socially and economically. The report was earlier published ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26 which is to be held on October 31 in Glasgow, Scotland.
“The natural calamities have affected agriculture and food security, contributing to increased displacement and vulnerability of migrants, refugees, worsening health risks, and exacerbating environmental issues and losses of natural ecosystems,” remarked World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
According to the report accessed by Scroll.in, the summer monsoons in South and East Asia were unusually active in 2020, leading to colossal loss of life. Cyclone Amphan affected Sundarban region in West Bengal in May 2020 which led to the displacement of 24 lakh people in India and 25 lakh people in Bangladesh.
Changes in rainfall patterns and storm patterns have also affected the mangroves. Ocean warming in Asia is also increasing more than the global average – at three times the rate in the case of the Arabian sea, according to the report.