The World Meteorological Organization released a preliminary report on the state of the global climate in 2022 showing that the past eight years are on the track to be the warmest on record, fueled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat.
The global mean temperature in 2022 is estimated to be about 1.15°C above the 1850-1900 average. The period between 2015-2022 is most likely to be the warmest on record.
In the European Alps, records of glacier mass loss were shattered in 2022. Moreover, there was rain instead of snow in Greenland for the first time.
Melting of ice has contributed to the world ocean level rise. The global mean sea level (GMSL) rise is estimated to be about 3.4 ± 0.3 mm yr over the 30 years (1993-2022) of the satellite altimetry. Only in the last two and a half years the increase in GMSL amounts to 10% of the total since the beginning of satellite measurements almost 30 years ago.
Climate change causes a wide variety of global and local natural disasters, from extreme droughts to major floods. Record rains in July and August led to a widespread flooding in Pakistan. Meanwhile, large parts of the northern hemisphere were exceptionally hot and dry. China had the most extensive and long-lasting heatwave since national records began in the country and the second-driest summer on record. The Yangtze River at Wuhan reached its lowest recorded level for August.
Much of Europe was suffocated by repeated periods of extreme heat. The temperature exceeded 40 °C on 19 July for the first time in the United Kingdom, which was accompanied by a prolonged and devastating drought and forest fires. European rivers, including the Rhine, Loire and Danube fell to critical levels.
“The greater the warming, the worse the impacts. We have such high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now that the lower 1.5°C of the Paris Agreement is barely within reach,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas.
“All too often those who are least responsible for climate change suffer the most – as we saw with the terrible flooding in Pakistan and deadly, long-running drought in the Horn of Africa. But even well-prepared societies this year have been ravaged by extremes – as seen by the protracted heatwaves and drought in large parts of Europe and southern China,” he said.
The Director of the World Meteorological Organization was heard. In response to the WMO Report, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General submitted COP 27 the proposals for establishment of a global disaster early warning system and an associated Action Plan for its establishment.
According to him, at present there is no system of early warnings of natural disasters in half of the world countries. This global system can start its operation as early as 2027. At the same time, its creation might cost $3.1 billion.
“The cascade of catastrophes takes by surprise vulnerable population living in climatically hot areas and having no advance warning tools,” Bloomberg quotes him.
“The mere notification of an imminent danger 24 hours before will reduce the damage by 30%,” the Secretary General emphasised.
At the same time, Spain and Senegal at COP 27 initiated creation of the International Drought Resilience Alliance. The goal of the alliance is to help the countries prepare for such disasters and minimise their impact on economy. “The mission of the alliance is to provide political momentum for making land more resilient to drought and climate change,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Senegalese President Macky Sall jointly said at COP 27.
The alliance’s initial fund will be small – just 5 million Euros, which should be used for provision support to the alliance activities and intensification of attraction of additional resources.
The idea was supported at COP27 by the leaders of almost 50 states. As a result, the new global alliance members agreed to give priorities to making drought resilience in their national development and cooperation, and actively involve shareholders, including private investors and companies.
The Alliance will also promote consolidation of regional initiatives, accelerate exchange of innovations, technology transfer and resource mobilisation. It will collaborate with the other platforms, including the WMO and the UN initiative to provide early warning systems.
