Knowledge Nugget | Global Climate in ‘Emergency’: record heat, melting ice, and rising health risks — WMO Report 2025

Key Takeaways:

1. The State of the Global Climate report 2025 released on World Meteorological Day (23rd March), is based on scientific contributions from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, WMO Regional Climate Centres, United Nations partners and dozens of experts.

2. According to the report, every key climate indicator is raising alarms and the years from 2015 to 2025 have been the hottest 11 years. It also mentioned that 2025 was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 °C above the 1850-1900 average.

3. The 2025 report for the first time included the earth’s energy imbalance as one of the key climate indicators. Earth’s energy imbalance is the highest in a sixty five-year record.

4. According to WMO, earth’s energy balance measures the rate at which energy comes in and leaves the Earth system. Under a stable climate, energy received by the earth from the sun is almost the same as the amount of outgoing energy.

(Source: FAQ 7.1 IPCC, 2021)

5. However, rising concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — to their maximum level in at least 800,000 years have upset this energy equilibrium on earth. 

6. As per the report, the ocean continues to warm and absorb carbon dioxide. It has been absorbing the equivalent of about eighteen times the annual human energy use each year for the past two decades. 

7. Extreme events around the world, including intense heat, heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones, caused disruption and devastation and highlighted the vulnerability of inter-connected economies and societies.

8. Annual sea ice extent in the Arctic was at or near a record low, Antarctic sea ice extent was the third lowest on record, and glacier melt continued unabated, according to the report.

9. Climate change has wide-ranging impacts on mortality, livelihoods, ecosystems and health systems and amplifies risks such as vector- and water-borne diseases and mental health stressors, especially among vulnerable populations.

10. Dengue stands out as the world’s fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease. According to the World Health Organization, about half the world’s population is at risk and reported case are currently the highest ever recorded.

(Source: Google NotebookLM generated image)

11. Heat stress is a growing problem. Over one-third of the global workforce (1.2 billion people) face workplace heat risk at some point each year, especially those in agriculture and construction. In addition to health impacts, this leads to productivity and livelihood losses.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025

1. On the occasion of the first-ever World Day for Glaciers on March 21 last year, UNESCO released The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers.

2. According to the report, snow cover in nearly all mountain regions has reduced, especially in spring and summer, with an expected further decrease in the coming decades. Snow cover is the total of all the snow and ice on the ground. It includes new snow and previous snow and ice that have not melted.

3. As per the report, in several regions, higher elevations seem to be warming faster than lower ones; glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate; permafrost is thawing at an increased rate; snow cover has declined; and snowfall patterns have become more erratic.

Post Read Question

Consider the following statements with reference to the State of the Global Climate Report 2025:

1. It was released by the World Meteorological Organization on World Meteorological Day.

2. It states that 2025 was the hottest year on record.

3. It includes Earth’s energy imbalance as a key climate indicator for the first time.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(Sources: Global climate in ‘state of emergency’ as energy imbalance reaches record high: WMO report, wmo.in)

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