"Urgent Need to Establish Climate Change Flood Warning System"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recommended the urgent establishment of an alert system to prepare for various disaster situations such as floods, droughts, and typhoons caused by climate change.

In a report released on the 5th (local time), WMO stated that the frequency of water-related disaster risks has increased over the past 20 years, with disasters related to floods and droughts rising by 134% and 29%, respectively, since 2000.

According to the report, drought damage caused the largest number of casualties ever recorded in the African region, and severe economic losses occurred in North America, as well as in Asia and the Caribbean regions.

WMO pointed out that "60% of the 101 countries surveyed have fragmented and inadequate water management" and emphasized the need for improved forecasting systems to prevent damage caused by weather anomalies such as floods, droughts, and typhoons.

It also projected that the population facing difficulties in accessing water will increase from 3.6 billion in 2018 to over 5 billion by 2050 due to population growth.

WMO stressed, "About 60% of national meteorological and water resource agencies were assessed as lacking the capacity to provide climate services related to water," highlighting the need for heightened awareness of water-related disaster crises.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.