The house we live in is becoming too hot and too dangerous.
The reality is that nature is being destroyed, and humanity is paying a heavy price. Each passing month in 2024 has witnessed floods, wildfires, record heat, or a combination of various extreme weather phenomena. The time for world leaders to reach an agreement on climate change solutions is running out. Some of the most vulnerable communities on the planet are finding creative ways to cope with these challenges.
This discord is deafening.
Inside a stadium in oil-rich Azerbaijan, diplomatic discussions aimed at slowing climate change are being hindered by money.
Outside, the burning of fossil fuels has caused immeasurable human loss. Millions are suffering. Nature is losing.
Below is a statistical overview of disasters this year by month and how some of the most vulnerable people on the planet are trying to cope in an increasingly harsh world.
January
Temperatures reached 27 degrees Celsius in Washington (USA) on January 26.
The hottest year on record began with the warmest January ever.
February
Ladias Konje, a farmer in a wilting cornfield in Kanyemba village, Zimbabwe.
A prolonged drought has engulfed Southern Africa. Rain did not come in February when maize, the staple crop, needed it the most. Crops died. Livestock died. About 27 million people, many already on the brink of famine, lack food to survive. This is due to a natural weather cycle known as El Niño, occurring when temperatures rise.
March
A green turtle swimming through a bleached coral reef at Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef, north of Cairns, Australia.
The air and oceans remain at record highs as they have for many months. In March, the global average sea surface temperature reached a monthly high of 21.07 degrees Celsius.
This caused a mass bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, home to 400 coral species that nurture thousands of fish species. This is the fourth and largest bleaching event ever recorded.
April
Students in Manila during a severe heat wave that forced classes to be canceled.
The world experienced the warmest April on record, marking the 11th consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures. A heatwave spread across Southern and Southeast Asia, with temperatures soaring above 37.7 degrees Celsius for consecutive days. For millions of children, it was too hot to learn. Schools closed in Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines.
May
Drawing water from a well in Shahapur district, Maharashtra, India.
Dangerously high temperatures covered many regions of India, posing some of the greatest threats to outdoor workers. A new insurance program, created by a union representing informal workers, such as fruit sellers and waste pickers, provided a small payment to women who missed work due to extreme heat.
June
Fires along the Paraguay River in Pantanal, Brazil.
The worst wildfires in two decades in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands burned over a million hectares. The culprits: deforestation and drought, exacerbated by climate change. Among the victims: rare jaguars and parrots that live in Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world.
July
Damaged and destroyed homes in Petite Martinique, Grenada, after Hurricane Beryl.
Hurricane Beryl struck Caribbean nations including Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It also became the first storm to trigger an innovative financial solution in Grenada that could provide relief to other storm-affected nations: pausing debt payments.
August
A house destroyed in a wildfire in Chalandri, a suburb of Athens.
Europe experienced the hottest August on record, concluding the hottest summer ever. High temperatures exacerbated drought and wildfire risks. A wildfire rapidly spread down southern Athens. A nature reserve north of Rome caught fire. Olive trees wilted on branches in southern Italy.
Europe is warming faster than any other continent.
September
Flood rescue in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
The wealthy and poor worlds alike are being submerged. In Chad and Nigeria, a region where ongoing conflict forces people to flee their homes, floods have displaced hundreds of thousands and swept away crops.
On the other side of the world, Hurricane Helene swept through much of the Southern United States like a wrecking ball. Nearly 230 people died, making it the deadliest storm to hit the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
October
A street covered in mud in flood-hit Chiva, near Valencia, Spain.
A major and unusual flood occurred in Valencia, Spain. In one town, a year’s worth of rain fell in just 8 hours. Valencia reported 202 fatalities. Anger surged against provincial officials for failing to send timely evacuation warnings.
November
The sky turning orange in Greenwood Lakes, New York due to wildfires.
New York City issued a rare drought warning as the northeastern United States grappled with an unusually dry autumn. Wildfires erupted across the region as autumn leaves turned to tinder.
