Jakarta – The year 2024 will go down as the hottest year in modern history, changing the face of the planet with extreme heatwaves, floods and rampant drought. A report from the Global Water Monitor 2024, which included experts from the Australian National University, states that 4 billion people in 111 countries are exposed to the impacts of such extreme weather.
Professor Albert van Dijk, who led the study, explained that climate change has significantly disrupted the global water cycle.
“Rising sea surface temperatures intensified tropical cyclones and droughts in the Amazon Basin and southern Africa. Global warming also contributed to heavier downpours and slower-moving storms, as evidenced by deadly flash floods in Europe, Asia and Brazil,” he said, as quoted by eurekalert.org, Tuesday, January 7.
Data from the report shows that 2024 will be the fourth consecutive year with the hottest temperatures ever recorded. Professor van Dijk said the average land temperature increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the beginning of the 20th century and 2.2 degrees Celsius compared to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The report says the impact is not just on the weather but also on human life. The most damaging water-related disasters 2024 included flash floods, river floods, droughts, tropical cyclones and landslides. Water-related disasters killed over 8,700 people, displaced 40 million and caused economic losses exceeding USD 550 billion.
“From historic droughts to catastrophic floods, these extreme events impact lives, livelihoods, and entire ecosystems. Separate, heavy rainfall events caused widespread flash flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing more than 1,000 people,” Professor van Dijk said.
Meanwhile, he explained that Brazil experienced more than 80 deaths due to flooding triggered by more than 300 millimetres of rain in a short period.
On the other hand, a severe drought hit southern Africa, causing a more than 50 per cent drop in corn production. In the Amazon region, rivers reached historic lows, cutting off major transportation routes and disrupting hydropower generation.
Widespread and worsening disasters
The report also notes that these extreme conditions are affecting people and the world’s critical ecosystems. “Wildfires driven by the hot and dry weather burned through more than 52,000 square kilometres in September alone, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases,” Professor van Dijk said.
China’s Yangtze and Pearl Rivers flooded cities, displacing tens of thousands of people and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses. Meanwhile, extreme monsoon rains in Bangladesh destroyed more than a million tons of rice, affecting the food security of millions of people.
Van Dijk emphasised the importance of global action to address these impacts of climate change. “Water is our most critical resource, and its extremes—both floods and droughts—are among the greatest threats we face,” he said.
According to van Dijk, humans must quickly adapt to increasingly erratic conditions. “We need to prepare and adapt to inevitably more severe extreme events. That can mean stronger flood defences, developing more drought-resilient food production and water supplies, and better early warning systems,” he said.
He added that climate change is not only an ecological challenge but also a social and economic one. “This disaster shows that we face a major threat to the survival of people and the planet. Collective action must be taken immediately.” (Hartatik)
