A man relocates a baby to safety during floods in Dimapur, India, in June 2023. (Photo: AFP)

In a report published on Tuesday, WMO said that 79 disasters linked to hydro-meteorological events had been reported in Asia in 2023. More than 80% of these were related to floods and storms that caused more than 2,000 deaths.

Asia is warming faster than the global average, according to WMO. Last year, high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to central Asia, as well as from eastern China to Japan.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said that many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms. The report also highlighted that most glaciers in the high-mountain region in Asia had loss significant mass because of record-breaking high temperatures and dry conditions.

Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, said Celeste. "2023 set new records of every single climate indicator. This annual report shows that the climate crisis is a survival challenge that humanity faces."

It is closely intertwined with inequality crisis, as witnessed by growing food insecurity, population displacement and biodiversity loss, she added. 

The International Labor Organization estimates that more than 2.4 billion workers — or 70% of the global workforce — are exposed to climate change-related health hazards. The report, published Monday, also estimates that nearly 19,000 lives and two million disability-adjusted life years are lost annually to 22.8 million occupational injuries attributable to excessive heat.