2023 set to be world’s hottest year on record: Report

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, November 24: With about a month to go for the dawn of new year, reports suggest that 2023 could possibly be the world’s hottest year on record. With the global warming spreading footprints across all the continents, the rising temperature is now among the top worries in the world ahead of a key climate meeting in the United Arab Emirates for COP28.

Shin Nakayama, Editor-in-Chief of Nikkie Asia, said in a mail to subscriber that “we had about three years through 2022 to get used to the stay-at-home lifestyle during the coronavirus pandemic. This year, however, I imagine many of us stayed home to avoid the heat, even though we could finally take off the masks”.

The Japanese news magazine in a report has given an account of the deepening global warming crisis in the world ahead of the COP28 meeting. The report also highlighted the consequences of the global warming with health issues now becoming more prevalent.

The report said that the impact of global warming on health is now more concerning. “Heat stress is only one of many such threats. Dengue fever and malaria are on the rise in Thailand and Malaysia, while respiratory diseases caused by air pollution are increasing in Indonesia. In addition, mental disorders such as depression and anxiety have been linked to climate change,” added the report.

The news magazine stressed that “health is often a neglected aspect of climate change discussions, but this year marks an important milestone: The first-ever meeting of health ministers and senior health officials will take place at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai”. “The conference will also hold discussions on peace and conflict for the first time. Climate change impacts can be a factor in the outbreak or escalation of conflict, as we have previously highlighted in our special reports on Asia’s hydropolitics,” added the news magazine.

Incidentally, the United Nations in its report released recently on progress on global climate action revealed that the nations are far from achieving the emissions target to limit the rise in the global temperature to two-degree centigrade. The Eco Business in a report said that “when the Paris Accord was adopted in 2015, greenhouse gas emissions were projected to rise 16 per cent by 2030. Today, that increase is projected to be 3 per cent. But from now emissions must fall 28 per cent by 2030 to keep temperature rise to 2°C, or 42 per cent to stay within 1.5°C, and countries are failing to match this need with action, UNEP found”.

Current climate policies will result in a rise of 3 degree centigrates this century. The increase will be limited to 2.9°C if countries fully implement their national climate plans (known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs).