Time To Look Back On Climate Change Issues Which Affected Us In 2024
An year-end analysis on Climate Change Issues by Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
As we say goodbye to another eventful year, it is time to look back on some of the climate change issues which have affected us severely. year 2024 brought record-breaking heatwaves, devastating typhoons, and alarming biodiversity loss. According to the World Weather Attribution group (WWA), the unprecedentedly high temperatures during the April-May in 2024 heatwave have taken the lives of people from Middle East to Delhi and disrupted Asia. The scientists warn that the threat of extreme heat is rapidly increasing across Asia.
Human-caused climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems, according to a latest report by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central. The annual report reviews a year of extreme weather and warns that every country needs to prepare for rising climate risks to minimise deaths and damages in 2025 and beyond. The world experienced an average of 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024 due to human-caused warming.
Climate change intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3700 people and displaced millions. Climate change had a stronger influence than El Niño on many extreme weather events. The average historical humidity across Southeast Asia in April can often reach 70-80%. According to scientists, at these levels, the maximum air temperatures beyond which the conditions start to exceed human survivability are around 37-37.5°C. Depending on an individual’s condition, even air temperatures of 28-30°C can substantially increase body temperature due to the inability to sweat and cool off. The result is adverse health impacts, including permanent disability, heatstroke and death.
“Extreme weather killed thousands of people, forced millions from their homes this year and caused unrelenting suffering. The floods in Spain, hurricanes in the US, drought in the Amazon, and floods across Africa are just a few examples.The floods in Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad were the deadliest event studied by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central. With at least 2000 people killed and millions displaced. If warming reaches 2°C, which could happen as early as the 2040s or 2050s, the regions could experience similar periods of heavy rainfall every year, the study found, highlighting how climate change is making some events a ‘new normal’.
Globally, there were 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024 due to human-caused climate change, the scientists found. These days represent the top 10% warmest temperatures from 1991-2020 for locations around the world. The result highlights how climate change is exposing millions more people to dangerous temperatures for longer periods of the year as fossil fuel emissions heat the climate. If the world does not rapidly transition away from oil, gas and coal, the number of dangerous heat days will continue to increase each year and threaten public health, the scientists say.
2024 brought four typhoons displacing 9 million in the Philippines, driven by climate-fuelled warmer oceans. In 2024, communities across Asia stood strong for climate justice. In the Philippines, locals opposed the Verde Island Passage LNG project to protect vital ecosystems. Indonesians resisted coal mining, defending their lands and waters, while Japanese activists challenged fossil fuel financing that displaced vulnerable communities. Their collective actions sent a clear message: justice and accountability cannot be ignored.
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
