Climate India 2023: An assessment of extreme weather events

Climate India 2023: An assessment of extreme weather events

Summary

India 2023: An assessment of extreme weather events is an attempt to build an evidence base on the frequency and expanding geography of extreme weather events in India. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in India. It has sourced its data on extreme events from two key government sources: IMD and the Disaster Management Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

One of the key findings of the report is that India has seen a climate disaster nearly every day in the first nine months of this year. These disasters have claimed 2,923 lives, affected 1.84 million hectares of crop area, destroyed over 80,563 houses and killed close to 92,519 livestock. Another key finding is that the country no longer needs to count just the disasters; it needs credible numbers on the loss and damage as the data available is not comprehensive. 

India recorded its sixth driest February and its driest ever August in 122 years, indicating that we now see an extreme weather event occurring every five years or less, instead of every 100 years. The report also highlights the need for the country to strengthen preparedness and reduce the risks they pose.