State of Climate Services Report 2021
- Category
Environment
- Published
14th Oct, 2021
-
Context
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) releases a new 2021 State of the Climate Services report for 2021.
Key-findings
- In 2018, an estimated 3.6 million people worldwide had less than one month of water a year, expected to exceed five billion by 2050.
- Rising temperatures are causing global and regional rainfall changes, leading to changes in rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, which have a significant impact on food security and human health and well-being.
- Water-related disasters: Water-related disasters have increased dramatically since 2000
- Flood-related disasters have increased by 134 percent over the past two decades.
- Terrestrial water storage (TWS): TWS decreased by 1 cm per year for 20 years (2002-2021).
- The biggest losses have occurred in Antarctica and Greenland.
- Over the past year, heavy rains across the continent caused severe flooding in Japan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and India. Millions were displaced and hundreds were killed.
Scenario in India
- India has recorded the highest losses in groundwater storage if the loss of water storage in Antarctica and Greenland is not included.
- According to the report, India has the highest loss rate for TWS.
- The northern part of India has suffered the highest losses in the country.
- The average annual water supply was reduced to 1,545 cubic meters in 2011, from 1,816 cubic meters in 2001.
- It is expected to drop further to 1,367 cubic meters by 2031.
- Five basins of 21 rivers are ‘water shortages’ (water supply per person less than 1,000 cubic meters) and three ‘water pressures’ (water supply per person below 1,700 cubic meters).