The year 2024 witnessed a multitude of extreme weather phenomena, a steady rise in temperatures, fierce floods, hurricanes, and severe droughts, with living beings of all kinds suffering due to climate changes.

The "Global Water Monitoring Report for 2024" revealed that rising temperatures have affected the global water cycle, the secret of life on Earth. The report clarified that last year, nearly half of the world's population suffered from high temperatures, with an average temperature 2.2 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial era, placing a burden on the global water cycle.

Losses

The water cycle is one of the most prominent biogeochemical cycles, through which water moves across the Earth's ecosystem. When there is a disruption in this cycle, disasters can occur, such as heavy rains, severe droughts, sudden floods, and tropical cyclones, leading to further calamities like landslides, loss of life and crops, and threats to food security, biodiversity, and the entire ecosystem.

Unprecedented temperatures in 2024 disrupted the global water cycle, leading to water-related disasters that displaced approximately 40 million people, caused economic losses estimated at about 550 billion dollars, and resulted in approximately 8,700 deaths. Sudden floods affected specific areas, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022 highlighted Pakistan's experience of one of the fiercest floods ever in 2022, which resulted in the destruction of villages, loss of lives, and significant damages. The conference concluded with the approval of the establishment of a loss and damage fund, following clear efforts and intense negotiations in which Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Ambassador to South Korea, played a prominent role as the chief negotiator for the G77 and China during COP27.

Droughts and floods

The severe drought in many regions of South Africa has led to a reduction in maize productivity by more than 50%, causing food hardship for around 30 million people. The drought forced farmers to cull livestock and caused power outages for residents.

On the other hand, other regions have witnessed catastrophic floods, such as southern China, where the waters of the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers inundated the surrounding countries and cities, causing the displacement of residents and other food losses. In Bangladesh, heavy rains caused widespread flooding that affected more than 5.8 million people and destroyed agricultural crops.

Without water, life on Earth's surface would not exist. Scientists even search for signs of life on planets and celestial bodies by tracking the traces of water on their surfaces. However, the delicate system of the water cycle on the Earth's surface is witnessing changes that could lead to greater disasters in the future and threaten life. Therefore, it is essential to take effective steps to manage the climate change crisis.