For decades, scientists and meteorologists have been warning about the impact of environmental problems such as floods, the disappearance of forests due to deforestation, drought, and scarcity of water and food, air pollution, climate change, the extinction of species and the pollution of the oceans, which threaten the planet and the entire population.
“If a man does not take the necessary, urgent and far-reaching measures to combat environmental disasters caused by climate change, the planet will continue heading towards a climate catastrophe,” stated the United Nations (UN) in its report ‘ The emissions gap 2021: The heat is on ‘.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, pointed out that 2021 was the decisive year to face the global climate emergency. The science is clear; To limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 ° C we must reduce global emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels.
ALSO READ: Children will face 7 times more climate disasters
Most shocking disasters of 2021
Here’s a look at some of the most shocking environmental incidents of 2021, which killed at least 1,075 people and displaced more than 1.3 million people around the world.
Floods in Western Europe
In July this year, Western European countries – such as Germany and Belgium – showed entire villages underwater, with cars wedged between collapsed buildings and rubble, killing more than 130 people, and more than 1,300 missing. While the Netherlands (Holland) and Luxembourg were also affected by extreme rains.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, at that time called for “fighting decisively” against climate change. This natural disaster records the highest loss of life in the country since 1962, where 340 people died.
ALSO READ: Climate change threatens one of the Bengal tiger’s last refuges
Mud avalanche in Japan
In early July 2021, heavy rains triggered a powerful mudslide in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, about 90 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, Japan. The landslide destroyed some 130 buildings.
Forest fires and heatwave
In India, tens of millions of people in the Northwest were affected by heatwaves. The Indian Meteorological Department classified the capital New Delhi and surrounding cities as experiencing “extreme severe heat”, with temperatures at 40 degrees Celsius, more than 7 degrees Celsius above normal.
High temperatures were also reported in much of California and Nevada, and parts of northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah. This includes cities like Sacramento, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and Phoenix this year.
In August this year, Greece was hit by a wave of forest fires (more than 400), which consumed more than 100,000 hectares.
In neighboring Turkey, several fires also struck various areas of the country, in what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the worst in national history.
While in Italy, two people died from the smoke caused by the fires. Only in the Calabria region, 57 fires were counted.
Another heatwave hit the Pacific Northwest hard in the United States, making the drought even worse. At least 83 people have died from heat-related illnesses in Oregon, and authorities are investigating another 32 deaths. In Washington state, at least 78 people died.
Support us to keep independent environmental journalism alive in India.
Keep Reading
MP farmers battle stray animals, sleepless nights to protect crops
Indore’s Pipliyahana Lake struggles to survive, even after conservation measures
Costliest water from Narmada is putting financial burden on Indore
Changing weather pattern impacts soybean crops in Dewas region of MP
Follow Ground Report on X, Instagram and Facebook for environmental and underreported stories from the margins. Give us feedback on our email id greport2018@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Join our community on WhatsApp, Follow our Youtube Channel for video stories.
