IDMC-ADB report: southwest monsoon lasting longer, displacing millions in South Asia.

20 September 2022.

Introduction:

The recently released joint report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised concerns regarding long southwest monsoon causing large-scale displacement of masses in South Asia.

Highlights:

  • The report found that southwest monsoon is lasting longer than its season and overlapping with the northeast monsoon, causing more severe downpour, flooding and storms in South Asia.
  • While the southwest monsoon reached the peninsular India on time, it had stayed beyond seasonal boundary of September.
  • In 2021, it had lasted until October, overlapping with the northeast monsoon
  • This report assessed the forced movement within a country boundary and displacement due to natural disasters during the period of 2010-21.
  • It found that disasters displaced about 61.4 million people in south Asia during this period. of this, 58.6 million were displaced because of weather-related disasters.
  • Floods and storms caused about 90 per cent of the total displacement.
  • Floods caused the displacement of 37.4 million and storm, including major tropical cyclones, caused 21 million internal displacements.
  • El Nino Southern Oscillation variation has played a major role in the increased instances of flooding and storms.
  • Climate change is also causing prolonged and unpredictable monsoon seasons.
  • In the overall Asia-Pacific region, about 225 million individuals were displaced during the 2010-2021 period.
  • This means that nearly 19 million people were displaced because of disaster each year.
  • This is more than 75 per cent of the total global figure on displacement.
  • 95 per cent of all disaster displacements in Asia Pacific are caused by monsoon rains, floods and storms.
  • The disaster displacement risks are mainly worsened by rapid urbanization, socioeconomic vulnerability and population growth in hazard-prone areas.

About IDMC

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is an international non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council – a humanitarian NGO that works towards protecting rights of people who are displaced.

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