Climate change has affected the entire globe and the process is accelerating at a dangerous pace, while severely affecting the environment, causing glaciers to melt, ice on rivers and lakes to break. It is a fact that the number of climate-related disasters has tripled in the last 30 years. Whereas, out-of-pattern flooding is also affecting plant growth and wildlife.
Meteorologists have predicted that global warming will accompany the loss of sea ice, at the same time, sea levels will increase due to rapid and intense heatwaves across different regions; adding that if the effects of climate change could not be mitigated now, the phenomenon will continue for decades to come and make it impossible to reverse the process. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also predicted that temperatures could rise by 2.5 to 10 percent over the next century, while this systematic change can already be observed in different regions.
Owing to climate change, the effects of temperature have begun to affect the pattern of seasons, with hot and cold rains and floods affecting different regions. The most developed regions of the world like the US and Europe are experiencing the worst heatwaves, with record-breaking summers every year. This changing pattern of climate gives us an idea about the changes that will affect the countries where people are already facing difficulties irregular weather patterns. The lives of the citizens of poor and developing countries are in severe danger as they do not have access to alternative means of coping with climate change.
One of the problems faced by the world due to climate change is that with low humidity and strong winds, forest fires are becoming a more common phenomenon, which is intensifying the situation and multiplying the effects of global warming and climate change. Another side of the story is also very threatening as there has been a regular increase in cold weather across the globe since 1980, which is affecting the ecosystem as well as the agriculture sector. In extreme cold, trees stop growing and become inactive to conserve energy. While massive rainfalls and floods have also made human life more difficult, damaging infrastructure and road networks.
Let me quote few examples which are eye-openers for everyone across the globe. Cyclones Idai and Kenneth which came in March 2019, took the lives of more than 1000 people across Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique in Southern Africa, and left millions without food or basic services. Australian wildfires which burnt more than 10 million hectares, killed at least 28 people and millions of native animals. East Africa drought in 2011, 2017, and 2019 have repeatedly wiped out crops and livestock, they have left 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in need of aid. South Asia floods during last year along with landslides have displaced 12 million people from their homes in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Dry Corridor in Central America as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua are seeing their typical three-month dry seasons extended to six months or more leaving 3.5 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance.
The decline in groundwater level can be another problem while with increasing climate change, large amounts of hot water will vapor out and there is also a possibility of sea-level rise due to rapid showers of rain. Between 2006 to 2016, the rate of global sea-level rise was 2.5 times faster than it was for almost all of the 20th century.
The developing countries are facing the worst food shortages while many are living in starvation due to droughts. The basic commodities of life are becoming rare for a large population which may lead the world towards a civil war-like situation. As a side effect of climate change and ensuing floods, natural disasters, water issues, drought, starvation, extreme cold, and hot weather, people would start migrating from their home towns leading to an exodus of economic migrants.
The international community will have to join hands to cope with this global problem. Owing to modern technology, we are fully aware of the changes which are expected shortly so precautionary measures need to be taken in advance. International organizations also need to play a positive role in defeating this global threat not only to humans but to marine and wildlife as well. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that adapting to climate change and coping with damages will cost developing countries $140-300 billion per year by 2030.
Few steps may be taken to control the effects of climate change; the irrigation system needs to be improved by introducing sprinkler and drip irrigation at a larger scale, mass-scale plantation drives, effective programs like early warning systems, preparedness, and management including response and rehabilitation to natural disasters in most affected regions, targeted media awareness campaigns highlighting the threats of climate change and its implications, capacity building of institutions working on climate change with solutions to their infrastructural issues and last but not least, affected governments to take bold decisions to prepare the nations to effectively combat the negative impacts of climate change.
