March 11,2020

Andrew Campbell 

The UN's weather and climate agency, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), carries out extensive observation of physical aspects of global environment subject to climate change and publishes State of the Climate report each year. As a wide-ranging UN climate report, “The WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2019” was released on March 10.

According to WMO’s extensive data, climate indicators such as greenhouse gases and oceans with marine heatwaves have confirmed that 2019 was the second warmest year whereas 2016 was the warmest year on record. In 2019, high devastating events to impact our living environment including floods, drought, heatwaves, wildfires, and tropical cyclones were striking many countries across the globe in 2019. The 2019 WMO statement shows climate-related impacts on people with threats or damages in food security, human health, and migration/displacement as well.

While the UN Secretary-General and WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas released the 2019 WMO report at a press conference at UN headquarters on March 10, he warned climate change already causing calamities on earth and there is likely more to come. Taalas urged 2020 is a crucial year to address the climate emergency. He called on all countries to aim high at the incoming climate conference in Glasgow in November.

Photo:Webshot.