MADRID: The annual assessment of the Earth’s climate carried out by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has indicated that it is almost certain that the last decade (2010-20) has been the hottest on record. Weather experts from the WMO also warned that Heatwaves and floods, which used to be ‘once-in-a-century’ occurrences, are now being more regular due to the bleakness of the Earth’s deteriorating climatic condition. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO said that countries ranging from ‘Bahamas to Japan to Mozambique’ have suffered the effects of tropical cyclones while wildfires are rampant in countries like Australia and even the Arctic.
The annual assessment was brought forth during the two-week climate conference ongoing in Madrid.
The report highlights that 2019 may be the second or third warmest year in recorded history. It also stated that the major driving force behind the elevated global hunger levels is climate change, leaving over 820 million people malnourished globally in the year of 2018. The concentration of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere had hit a record high of 407.8 parts per million in 2018 and went even further this year.
In summation, the bleak picture portrayed by the report has made it apparent that a radical shift in global environmental policy is the need of the hour, posing a challenge to the leaders congregated for the COP 25 summit.