June 27, 2025
THIMPHU – Asia is heating up at nearly twice the global average, and the consequences are mounting, from record-breaking floods and heatwaves to accelerating glacier loss and rising sea levels.
A new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms 2024 as one of the region’s warmest years on record, with average temperatures across Asia reaching 1.04°C above the 1991–2020 baseline.
The State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report highlights a continent under siege from climate extremes. Sea surface temperatures across Asian waters were the highest ever recorded, warming at nearly double the global rate. Meanwhile, extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, glacial outburst floods are intensifying in both frequency and impact.
In the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, which includes Bhutan, 23 out of 24 high mountain Asia glaciers monitored showed continued mass loss. Reduced winter snowfall and extreme summer heat intensified glacier losses in the central Himalayas and most of the Tian Shan in Central Asia.
The boreal spring snow cover extent (SCE) over Asia which refers to spring season in the Northern Hemisphere has been decreasing by 215,000 km² on average per decade. A belt of below-average SCE extends from western to eastern Asia, with negative anomalies dominating the central region and middle Himalayas.
Pakistan recorded its wettest April on record, while heavy rainfall in September and October in Nepal triggered floods and landslides. In August, 130 people lost their homes, school, and health facilities due to a glacial lake outburst flood in Thame, Nepal.
The WMO report notes that in 2024, Myanmar recorded a new national maximum temperature of 48.2°C, while several parts of India experienced intense heatwaves, with 450 fatalities reported. Lightning strikes killed 72 people in northern India on 10 July and 1,300 people across the year.
Droughts were also widespread. China’s Yunnan and southern Sichuan Provinces faced winter and spring droughts, and by August, drought in the Yangtze River and Chongqing areas had intensified, resulting in economic losses of 2.89 billion yuan.
“These observations largely coincide with what is being seen across the HKH region as well,” said Sher Muhammad, Remote Sensing Specialist at ICIMOD.
He said that seasonal snowmelt contributes around 25 percent of annual river flows on average across the HKH, rising even higher in western basins. However, continual snow deficits are eroding this critical source, triggering early-summer water shortages, heat stress, and worry among downstream communities.
In Bhutan, while the last monsoon season was categorised as “normal” in terms of rainfall and temperature, the impacts were far from ordinary. The country received an average of 1,161.08 mm of rainfall during the monsoon, against a normal baseline of 1,269 mm. The average temperature recorded was 22.8°C, compared to the normal of 21.8°C.
The monsoon brought challenges and disruptions, including roadblocks, landslides, and flash floods. The flood following incessant rainfall in Dechencholing, Thimphu on August 10, 2024, severely impacted 49 households and displaced 158 residents.
The National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) reported that the 2024 monsoon began with average rainfall in early June, which increased until mid-July. Rainfall dropped below the climatological norm in late July but returned to normal levels in early August. Temperatures, initially typical, rose from late July through early August.
Between July and August, extreme weather events were reported across the country. These included a flash flood at Begana Guru Lhakhang stream in Thimphu on July 15, another at Bumthang Lamay Monastery stream on August 5, and heavy rainfall on August 17 affecting Isuna, Paro, and Gidakom. A flash flood in Gangtey on August 18 impacted several villages.
The forecast for the upcoming monsoon (June–September) anticipates normal rainfall and slightly above-normal temperatures. However, “normal” does not mean usual, and even normal rainfall can cause severe disruptions.
The director general of ICIMOD, Dr Pema Gyamtsho (PhD), said that given Asia’s population and economic exposure to the impacts of temperature rise, it is an injustice that the devastating consequences of inaction on climate goals are hitting some of the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems on Earth.
“As we have heard from other major convenings earlier this year, this is the last decade of action on preserving essential planetary resources including our glaciers,” he said. “This can only happen if we put forward a coordinated effort with our member countries of the HKH in profiling these challenges and urge the global community, including major emitting countries to lead on action towards just transitions.”
ICIMOD’s disaster risk reduction lead, Saswata Sanyal, highlighted the report’s call for anticipatory action to address increasing climate-related disasters.
He said that acting before hazards occur is essential to reducing harm. “ICIMOD’s participation in a regional initiative on anticipatory action, which aims to empower HKH communities to respond proactively to risks such as flash floods and heavy rainfall.”
Neera Shrestha Pradhan, Lead of the Cryosphere and Water at ICIMOD, shared that the 2024 monsoon severely affected communities in Nepal.
She said ICIMOD is supporting the global early warnings for all initiative by promoting nature-based solutions, community-level responses, and flood mitigation efforts. “ Beyond early warnings, the organisation is working to enhance preparedness through collaboration with local governments and by piloting interactive training tools to build long-term resilience to floods and multi-hazard risks in the region.”