World entering ‘age of climate extremes’: UN chief
The UN chief statement came as the UN’s World Meteorological Organization released a report indicating that 2026 has continued a streak of exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels
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Context
The warned the climate conference in Turkiye that the world has entered a 'new age of climate extremes'. This statement coincided with a report indicating record-breaking global temperatures, exacerbated by a strong phenomenon interacting with human-induced climate change. The data highlights accelerating ice loss, rising sea levels, and the urgent need for robust early warning systems.
UPSC Perspectives
Environmental
The WMO report presents alarming data on climate change indicators, crucial for . The report notes that 2026 continues a trend where the past 12 years are the hottest on record, pushing average surface temperatures 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels. This dangerously approaches the 1.5°C threshold set by the , beyond which climate impacts become significantly more severe. The data also underscores the accelerating loss of cryosphere (frozen water part of the Earth system), citing massive glacier retreat and ice mass loss in 2025. This contributes directly to rising global sea levels, posing existential threats to low-lying coastal areas and small island developing states (SIDS). The UN's call for a 'just transition' from fossil fuels highlights the need for a shift to renewable energy that is equitable, ensuring that vulnerable communities and developing nations receive necessary financial and technological support, a recurring theme in negotiations.
Geographical
A key geographical concept highlighted in the article is [El Niño], a critical topic in . El Niño is the warm phase of the , characterized by the anomalous warming of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The WMO defines an El Niño event when SSTs are 0.5°C above average, but current forecasts suggest it could reach a highly anomalous 3.8°C above average. This naturally occurring phenomenon acts as a 'risk multiplier' when combined with anthropogenic global warming, significantly disrupting global weather patterns. For India, a strong El Niño is typically associated with a deficient southwest monsoon, leading to droughts and impacting agriculture. Conversely, it can cause severe flooding in parts of South America. The article notes the development of an [La Niña] (the cool phase of ENSO), which often follows El Niño and brings contrasting weather patterns, such as heavier monsoons in India.
Disaster Management & Governance
The increasing frequency of 'climate extremes' demands enhanced disaster preparedness and climate adaptation strategies. The WMO highlights the intensification of heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms beyond historical baselines. This necessitates a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive disaster risk reduction (DRR), aligning with the . A positive development noted is the increase in countries with multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), growing from 55 in 2015 to 136. However, the WMO stresses the need for sustained investment in global observation networks and data forecasting. For UPSC, understanding the components of MHEWS (risk knowledge, monitoring/warning service, dissemination/communication, and response capability) is essential. The UN chief's call for 'finance and protection' for vulnerable countries underscores the contentious issue of climate finance and the operationalization of the [Loss and Damage Fund], established at recent COPs to compensate nations facing irreversible climate impacts.