Climate Services Report for 2023

Climate Services Report for 2023

News: The Climate Services report for 2023 was prepared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and 32 partner organizations and initiatives. The report reveals that the health sector is ill-equipped to address heat and extreme weather impacts.

Key Findings:
• Climate change threatens to undo decades of health progress, with less than 25% of global health ministries using climate information to monitor climate-related health risks.
• Despite air pollution being the fourth-largest health risk factor, only 2% of international climate finance is allocated to address it.
• Climate finance has doubled, averaging $1.3 trillion annually in 2021 and 2022.
• Less than 25% of health ministries across the world utilize climate information and services to monitor health risks related to climate sensitivity.
• While extreme heat causes the greatest mortality of all extreme weather, heat warning services are provided to health decision-makers in only half of the affected countries.
• Climate change mitigation leading to reducing air pollution can save lives.
• Investments to improve the capabilities of the health sector to safeguard the most vulnerable are insufficient.

Key recommendations
• The report stresses the need for collaboration between health and climate agencies to address the climatehealth nexus, especially in vulnerable regions like Africa.
• It also recommends developing in-country capacities to improve local knowledge and policy mandates for health and meteorological actors to collaborate.