Abstract

The State of the Climate in Asia 2020 is the first of its kind, multi-agency effort to provide science-based knowledge on the state of climate in Asia and its inter-connection with sustainable development in the region. The report highlights the major climate trends through universally agreed climate change indicators, addressing land and sea temperatures, glacial retreat, sea level rise, and decreasing sea-ice extent in addition to high impact events which affected the region during 2020. The 2020 report is the first in the series of the report; the second can be found here.

Weather and climate hazards, especially floods, storms, and droughts, highlighted in the report, had significant impacts in many countries of the region—affecting agriculture and food security, contributing to increased displacement and vulnerability of migrants, refugees, and displaced people, worsening health risks, and exacerbating environmental issues and losses of natural ecosystems. Combined, these impacts take a significant toll on long term sustainable development, and progress toward the UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals in particular.

The information contained in this report is intended to help to better understand the climate trends and events, extreme weather, and the associated risks and impacts in the region. Climate change often acts as a threat multiplier to poverty, through cascading effects and compounding risks that need to be addressed in disaster risk reduction efforts. Enhanced monitoring of climate drivers at regional scales and increased funding for climate observing and early warning systems, and associated services are crucial elements for developing climate resilient economies and societies which have become more necessary than ever to “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic.