2023 was . Last year is on track to surpass it and caused more problems than just the rising thermometers.
(WWA) released its annual “Extreme Weather” report showing how the record 34.34 degree Fahrenheit increase in man-made warming over the past year caused “relentless heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms and floods” . The WWA estimates that climate change was responsible for at least 3,700 deaths and 26 weather events in 2024 that caused “the displacement of millions.”
The report recorded a total of 219 events from 2024 that met its “trigger criteria” for identifying impactful climate events. Many of the events were influenced by the natural weather pattern known as El Niño (which only occurs under the effects of climate change), but WWA studies “found that climate change played a larger role than El Niño in fueling these events, including the historical one”. drought in the amazon.”
Climate change added an average of 41 additional days of dangerous heat and caused unprecedented rainfall and flooding around the world. A study of 16 floods found that all but one were caused by warm atmospheres that retained more moisture, leading to heavier rains. These weather conditions can also fuel larger, deadlier hurricanes and typhoons, such as Helene, the Category 4 hurricane that hit the United States in September. North Carolina He estimates that Helene caused $53.8 billion in damage in her state alone.
According to the WWA report, two of the world's most important ecosystems were also “hard hit by climate change in 2024.” The amazon rainforest and the Pantanal wetland, the world's largest tropical wetland, suffered severe droughts and forest fires that created a “huge loss of biodiversity” last year.
Both areas are critical to maintaining the strength of Earth's ecosystems, climate, and economies. <a target="_blank" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/why_amazon_important/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:The amazon’s plant life;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “> It removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and releases water into the atmosphere that helps control the climate and circulate ocean currents. It is home to tens of thousands of wildlife species and provides much-needed flood control for the region and creates global economic activity for livestock and soy production, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The WWA report sets out some critical resolutions for 2025 to combat the growing influence of climate change. The report calls for a “more rapid shift” from fossil fuel use, improvements to early warning systems for extreme weather events, a greater focus on reporting heat-related deaths, and funding for developing countries and the most vulnerable regions. affected by the effects of climate change.
