The temperatures of the planet have risen by 1.15º C compared to the pre-industrial era; glaciers reduced in thickness by 2022 by more than 1.3 meters, and the rate of sea level rise has already doubled since the 1990s. These are some of the data from the report on the state of the climate on the planet in 2022 published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
"Droughts, floods and heat waves affected communities on all continents and caused millions of dollars in losses. "The extent of Antarctic sea ice fell back to historic lows and the melting of some European glaciers reached unprecedented levels," the report highlights.
The eight years from 2015 to 2022 were the eight warmest years on record, based on instrumental records since 1850. It was the fifth or sixth warmest year.
Glaciers have accumulated a decrease in their thickness of almost 30 m since 1970. The Alps recorded a record level of melting glaciers. Switzerland, in one year (from 2021 and 2022), lost 6% of its glacier ice volume and a third between 2001 and 2022. For the first time in history, there was not even snow left on the summer thaw season. Similar phenomena occurred in Asia, western North America or South America.
Antarctic sea ice decreased to a minimum extent of 1.92 million km2 (on February 25): this is the lowest level on record (for the reference period 1991-2020) . The trend recorded in the Arctic Ocean continues.
The rise reached an unprecedented maximum since records have been available (1993-2022). The rate has doubled and has gone from 2.27 mm/year in the first decade analyzed (1993-2002) to 4.62 millimeters per year (2013-2022).
What are the causes that contribute to sea level rise? They are three: 1) the loss of ice in the continental glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica (36%), 2) the warming of the oceans, i.e. their thermal expansion (55%), and 3) the oscillations or variations in the levels of water storage on the ground (less than 10%).
Ocean heat content reached a new record high. Nearly 90% of the energy trapped in the climate system by greenhouse gases ends up in the oceans. 58% of the surface recorded at least one heat wave in 2022.
Unprecedented heat waves hit Europe this summer. The excess mortality associated with heat in Europe exceeded 15,000 deaths in total between Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Portugal. China suffered the most extensive and long-lasting heat wave since records began in the country. 58% of the sea surface recorded at least one heat wave by 2022.
The drought wreaked havoc in East Africa; in January 2023, more than 20 million people were estimated to be facing severe food insecurity in the region, due to the effects of drought and other disturbances. Meanwhile, record rainfall in July and August caused major floods in Pakistan, which left more than 1,700 dead, affected 33 million people and displaced nearly 8 million
"Greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and the climate continues to change, while populations around the world continue to be severely affected by extreme weather and climate phenomena", notes Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the ' WMO in assessing this data.
All this sum of factors caused new displacements of population and worsened the conditions of a large part of the 95 million people who were already living displaced at the beginning of the year. Nearly 1.2 million people became internally displaced in Somalia due to famine and the catastrophic effects of drought. "We have the necessary instruments, knowledge and solutions. But we have to act more quickly. We need to accelerate climate action with stronger and faster reductions in emissions in order to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5°C", says António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.
