State of Climate Services Report 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.
• Most of the deaths and economic losses have occurred in Asia, where warning systems need to be tightened.
• 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

• In India, the TWS is lost at a rate of at least 3 cm per year. In some regions, the losses have been more than 4 cm per year as well.
• 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).