Wazzup Pilipinas!?
The year 2025 was not merely a period of record-breaking heat; it was the year the global climate reached a terrifying breaking point. From the scorched hills of Los Angeles to the submerged villages of Southeast Asia, the world witnessed a relentless sequence of "avoidable tragedies" fueled by the continued burning of fossil fuels. As governments and corporations weighed the cost of transition, the planet presented its own invoice: a staggering multi-billion dollar toll in property damage and, more tragically, thousands of lives lost to a crisis they did little to cause.
The Inferno and the Flood: North America’s Trial
The year began with an apocalyptic display of "fire weather" in California. The Palisades and Eaton Fires erupted in January, a month usually reserved for winter rains, spreading with a ferocity that defied containment. Driven by prolonged drought and unusually high temperatures—conditions made 35% more likely by human-induced climate change—the flames obliterated entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
The Cost: Over $60 billion in economic losses, making it the most expensive wildfire event in U.S. history.
The Human Toll: While 31 deaths were initially recorded, subsequent studies revealed the true impact was closer to 431 fatalities.
By July, the element of destruction shifted from fire to water as Texas was struck by catastrophic flash flooding. A slow-moving storm unleashed up to 8 meters of rain in just 45 minutes, a surge so rapid it overwhelmed campers in the dead of night, claiming at least 135 lives.
Supercharged Storms: The Assault on the Global South
In late November, a rare and deadly alignment of three storm systems—Cyclone Senyar, Cyclone Ditwah, and Typhoon Koto—devastated South and Southeast Asia. These storms were "supercharged" by rising ocean temperatures, which allow the atmosphere to hold more moisture and release it with lethal intensity.
A Region in Ruin: More than 1,750 people died across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam, and Malaysia. In Sri Lanka alone, two-thirds of the nation's rail lines were destroyed.
Economic Paralysis: The combined cost for this single cluster of storms is estimated to exceed $25 billion.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Melissa became the most powerful storm ever to strike Jamaica. Rapidly intensifying over "unusually warm" Caribbean waters, it made landfall with winds reaching 296 km/h, causing widespread destruction and at least 45 deaths.
The Silent Killers: Drought and Heat
While storms grab headlines, slow-onset disasters in 2025 proved equally transformative.
Brazil's Dust Bowl: A persistent drought affected more than half of Brazil by mid-year, drying up urban water supplies and crippling the agricultural sector to the tune of $4.75 billion.
The Middle East Crisis: A five-year drought continued to grip Iran and West Asia. In Tehran, home to 10 million people, authorities warned that an ongoing water crisis might soon necessitate the evacuation of the capital itself.
Japan's Extreme Year: Japan endured its hottest summer on record, with temperatures peaking at 41.8°C in Isesaki. This heat followed massive February snowstorms that were 10% more intense due to climate change.
A Political Choice
The report from Counting the Cost 2025 is clear: the suffering of this year was not an act of God, but a "political choice". While renewable energy is now the cheapest form of electricity, trillions in subsidies continue to flow into the very fossil fuel projects that fuel these disasters.
For the communities in the Global South, 2025 was a year of permanent loss and damage. As the planet heads into 2026, the demand for rich, polluting nations to pay for the "polluter-pays" principle has never been more urgent. Without a rapid shift, the financial and human costs documented this year are merely a preview of the breakdown to come.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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