Asia Climate Crisis: Asia’s summer weather has been extreme. Governments have warned residents of more disasters due to record monsoon rainfall and scorching heatwaves.
In Japan, China, South Korea, and India, torrential rains have caused flash floods, landslides, and power outages in recent weeks. Rains destroyed millions. Elderly people have more heat-related illnesses.
Saturday’s Cheongju riverbank burst flooded an underpass, trapping vehicles and killing 13 people. 41 people died in central and southern regions due to heavy rains. After the deaths, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a comprehensive approach to extreme weather events, acknowledging climate change’s inevitability and urgency.
Record-breaking southwest Japan’s flooding has killed six and missing several. Due to unprecedented rainfall, the Japan Meteorological Agency advised residents to be vigilant.
Similar regional extreme weather. Manila, Phnom Penh, and India were flooded. Record rainfall has shut down several Indian states, killing dozens. Delhi’s wettest July day in 40 years closed schools and left many vulnerable people homeless.
Some places have torrential rain, others scorching heat. Monday’s northeastern China record high was 52.2°C (125°F). Japan hit 39.7°C (103°F). Chinese weather stations reached 50°C (122°F). Beijing had two weeks of heat red alerts in early July due to 40°C (104°F) temperatures. John Kerry is discussing climate cooperation with Beijing during extreme heatwaves.
China, a major polluter, has experienced more extreme weather events like heavy downpours and flooding, especially in the south. Japan had dangerous heatwaves. Kiryu city in Gunma Prefecture reached 39.7 degrees Celsius (103 Fahrenheit), and Hatoyama town in Saitama reached 39.6. Heat stroke is rising, especially in Japan’s elderly (28%)
READ MORE: Scorching Heatwaves and Raging Fires: Southern Europe Braces for Extremes
Human-caused climate change will increase extreme weather events. The World Meteorological Organization predicts global temperatures will exceed pre-industrial levels within five years, crossing a critical climate threshold. Asians face climate change. Extreme weather causes droughts, crop failures, and economic slowdowns.
Weak Pakistan. Flooding last year killed 1,700 and displaced millions. Economic factors worsened things. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned the UN General Assembly that climate change affects all nations. Climate change redefines national security, requiring global cooperation and immediate action.
The IPCC expects India’s 1.4 billion people to suffer most from climate change. Recent heatwaves in the north and east have been followed by severe flooding, forcing thousands to flee their homes in Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains and causing significant damage. Monsoon flooding and landslides affect millions of Indians. 35% of India’s poor live in urban slums, making floods dangerous. Climate change impacts the poor.
severe weather. Asia’s climate emergency. Future challenges require global cooperation and adaptation. Our survival depends on fighting the climate crisis together as nature fights back.
Our Reader’s Queries
What are the climate threats in Asia?
Southeast Asia stands as one of the areas most at risk from climate change, encountering escalating sea levels, scorching heat waves, inundating floods, prolonged droughts, and surging, erratic weather patterns.
Which country is most affected by climate crisis?
Chad tops the list as the most vulnerable country to climate change, as identified by the University of Notre Dame’s country vulnerability studies. Somalia, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Nigeria also face significant challenges due to climate change.
Is Asia warming faster than the global average?
Asia, the biggest landmass on Earth reaching all the way up to the Arctic, is heating up faster than the rest of the world. The temperature rise in Asia from 1991 to 2022 was nearly twice as fast as the increase from 1961 to 1990, as revealed in the WMO State of the Climate in Asia 2022 report.
What is the climate crisis in South Asia?
South Asia faces severe vulnerability to climate shocks. The region is experiencing a “new climate normal” with increasing heat waves, cyclones, droughts, and floods, pushing governments, businesses, and citizens to their limits to adapt.