2023 was a year of devastation. Declared as the hottest year ever recorded by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, we have experienced unforeseen climate emergencies around the globe that have taken thousands of lives and caused billions of dollars in infrastructure and economic damage. People have been forced out of their homes and have lost their livelihood due to these extreme weather conditions, and it has been crushing to see a lack of commitment from governments and corporations to work on fixing this climate crisis.
Scientists have warned us of this exact danger. In 2015, when the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 countries, a 1.5 degree Celsius threshold was set to limit the increase in global warming — an agreement that entails a radical reduction in carbon emissions. This year, we reached a record high in carbon emissions from fossil fuels and exceeded the 1.5 degree limit. Clearly, our calls for climate justice are falling on deaf ears.
We outlined some of the climate emergencies of the year in this blog — from torrential rains in Southeast Asia that resulted in catastrophic floods and landslides, to droughts in Africa that exacerbated the region’s hunger and poverty. Our hope is for 2024 to be a better year for climate action, and we will keep on demanding reparations from Big Oil and rich and polluting nations to do their part in fixing the mess that they made.
New Zealand Floods
Three people died in Auckland after flash floods turned many roads into rivers. The city has broken several rainfall records and experienced the wettest month in record.
The flooding of Auckland is terrifying. The loss of lives and homes, heartbreaking.
Coastal areas in Brazil experienced a heavy downpour that killed 36 people. A record 600 mm of rain fell in 24 hours.
Greenpeace activists help delivering donations, removing debris and rubble and cleaning houses and streets after the severe rains that hit the North Coast of the São Paulo state.
Coastal dwellers know that climate related extreme events are becoming more frequent. The very same storm impacted their houses and the summer houses near the beach. But, besides the rain, inequality is also extreme. The inhabitants of Vila Sahy, in São Sebastião, the most impacted place, saw their houses being destroyed and their lives taken due not only to the greed of the wealthy, but to the lack of public policies to prevent and adapt to guarantee safer cities.
Cyclone Freddy claimed over 605 lives across southern Africa, with millions affected. Torrential rains and brutal winds caused hectares of farmland, roads, and infrastructure, and the cyclone is dubbed as the longest ever cyclone in history.
People walk across a makeshift bridge over flood water in Blantyre on March 14, 2023, caused by heavy rains following cyclone Freddy’s landfall. – Cyclone Freddy, packing powerful winds and torrential rain, killed more than 100 people in Malawi and Mozambique on its return to southern Africa’s mainland, authorities said on March 13, 2023.
Freddy, on track to become the longest-lasting storm on record, barrelled through southern Africa at the weekend for the second time within a few weeks, making a comeback after a first hit in late February.
Thousands were left homeless after heavy rains caused devastating floods in the northern region of Italy. Droughts from the previous years caused the land in the region to become less capable of absorbing water, which aggravated the flooding.
” class=”wp-image-60149″/>Special operators (OPSA) of the Italian Red Cross and firefighters rescuers seek and help residents blocked in their homes after heavy rains caused flooding across Italy’s northern Emilia Romagna region, on May 25, 2023 in Conselice, Italy. The region of Emilia-Romagna experienced severe flooding in the last week, resulting in widespread damage and more than a dozen deaths. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Wildfire season in Alberta started early due to extremely dry weather conditions. Ninety-one wildfires burned simultaneously with 27 being deemed uncontrollable.
Floods in North India
Flash floods washed away the lives of at least 80 residents of the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The region experienced the worst torrential rains in 50 years.
Several wildfires spread across the island of Maui, and strong winds made the situation worse. More than 10,000 residents, including indigenous peoples, were forced to flee into the ocean.
The South Korea city of Cheongju flooded after a nearby river overflowed due to heavy rains. Thousands of people had to evacuate, with multiple people reported missing.
South Korean rescue workers searching for missing persons along a road submerged by floodwaters leading to an underground tunnel in flood waters after heavy rains on July 16, 2023 in Cheongju, South Korea.
After an overly dry summer, Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria experienced a surge of rain that flooded the streets, resulting in irreparable damage in houses and public buildings.
Flood Damage in Norway
Local storm ‘Hans’ has resulted in extremely high water levels, flooding and damage throughout the south of Norway.
Engorged rivers and waterways have resulted in abnormally high water levels at the waterfall in the centre of Hønefoss, causing local damage to property and infrastructure..
Local storm ‘Hans’ has resulted in extremely high water levels, flooding and damage throughout the south of Norway.
Disaster authorities issued a ‘black rainstorm warning’ when Typhoon Haikui brought in the heaviest rains that the region has seen in 140 years.
Floods in the Philippines
Typhoon Saola brought in severe rains and strong winds in the Northeastern part of the Philippines, where the majority of the land is used for agriculture.
Due to extreme heat and prolonged dryness, the forests of Greece suffered a devastating fire that led to the death of several residents.
Forest fire in Brazil
Over 11 million acres have been burned in the Amazon in 2023 alone, and while fire season is cyclical in the Amazon, the staggering increase in the duration of the dry season, partnered with intense El Niño, has made the fires uncontrollable and distressing.
Flooding in New York
In September, a state of emergency was declared in New York after a strong storm brought in flash floods overwhelming the transport system.
The Amazon River has recorded an all-time low flow. The river’s main source, the Rio Negro is at its lowest since records began in the early 1990s. With thousands of species of animals as well as livelihoods relying on the Amazon, this drought is an alarming reminder of the climate mess that we are in.
Libya Floods
Over 11,000 people died when the city of Derna flooded due to extreme rains that collapsed a nearby dam.
A toxic cloud of smoke blanketed the city of Delhi and surrounding areas, resulting in hazardous health risks. The government mandated schools to be shut down for safety, but continuous burning in agricultural areas and the rising number of polluting vehicles continued to worsen the pollution.
Heavy smog seen engulfed amid rise in pollution levels at Barakhamba on November 2, 2023 in New Delhi, India. The Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the “very poor” category for the sixth consecutive day on November 2. As of Thursday at 11 am, Delhi’s Anand Vihar area is the worst hit area with AQI 740. The key reason behind the hazardous situation in Delhi NCR is low wind speed and continuous stubble burning in the Punjab state for the dropping of air quality levels.
More than 300 industrial agriculture lobbyists have participated at this year’s UN climate talks taking place in the Brazilian Amazon. At COP30 we urgently need effective action that not just halts, but reverses deforestation.
Brazilian artivist Mundano delivered, in partnership with Greenpeace a striking art installation to demand world leaders take bold action for forests at COP30.
The world’s shared promise to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is hanging by a thread. This is not the moment to surrender. It is the moment to act.
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© GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images© GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images” alt=”People shelter from the sun under an umbrella as they arrive to visit the Forbidden City during a heatwave in Beijing on June 24, 2023. Beijing recorded its third consecutive day of 40 degree Celsius weather, the first time since records began. 
© PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images© PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images” alt=”Firefighters battle a wildfire in Carrascal, Proenca a Nova on August 6, 2023. More than 1,000 firefighters battled a wildfire in central Portugal as officials warned that thousands of hectares were at risk amid soaring temperatures across the country. 
