4b. The impacts of climate change are global and dynamic Flashcards
Regional Risks: Africa
- Stress on water resources
- Decrease crop productivity = impacts on food security + livelihoods
- Increased risk of desertification = flows of migration
- Droughts
- Floods
- Increase risk of waterborne disease
Impacts on the Artic
Biome shift:
- Land, fresh water & ocean species are migrating to cooler climates to escape warming
- Increased extinction risk
- melting of ice sheets
- Reduced habitats for caribou/wildlife = changes to their seasonal behaviours
- Ring temperatures = reduced productivity in marine ecosystems which is impacting the biological pump
- Gwithcin people = substance farmers - rely on Caribou
Vegetation:
- Canada + Alaska have experienced forest fires & Blowdown (trees weekend through disease)
- Insect outbreaks due to rising temperatures is causing faster breeding rates which is causing increased tree mortality
Impacts on SIDS
- Much of their economy is reliant on the fishing industry
- Most infrastructure on the coast = increased exposure
- Low lying
- Higher risk of tropical storms due to warmer temperatures
- Land becomes inundated via flooding = crops can’t grow, industry can’t thrive = economic strain
SIDS example: Palau
- Located in the west pacific
- 25% of land mass lies 10m above sea level
- Inundation of low lying atolls will reduce the agricultural capacity
Climate:
- Hot & humid
- Average temperatures = 25 degrees
- 150 inches annual rainfall
- Wet season = May - September
- Dry season = October - December & February - April
- Subject to typhoons = damage to fisheries + infrastructure
Socio-economic:
- Biologically rich with mangrove & tropical forests seagrass beds, reefs etc
- Tourism = economic base = 47% of GDP
- Climate change can cause coral bleaching
- Warmer oceans may alter migration patterns of fish = impact to fishing industry
Adaptation strategies:
- Salt tolerant crops
- Foreshore re-vegitation
Synoptic Links to place profile: Natural environment
- fresh water is contaminated by salt water
- reduced biodiversity due to shifts in migration patters, coral bleaching, flooding etc
- reduced agricultural capacity sue to salination
Synoptic Links to place profile: Demographic
Migration of young individuals looking for better education & job opportunities
- Older family members may also migrate to live off of their young family members earnings
Synoptic Links to place profile: Socio - economic
Fishing industries impacted due to change sin fish migration patters
- Fisherman having to migrate with the fish to maintain an income
- reduced tourism due to flooding = closure of many industries + stranded investments
- Large scale weather events = loss of productivity + disruption to education & employment
- Internal displacement
Health implications
- cooler Highland areas are warming = increase risk of infections via vectors (mosquitos) = higher risk as people aren’t immune to disease
- Rise in extreme weather = spread of disease + distraction of infrastructure
- Disparity of QofL increases especially in LIDC’s
-Overall increase in:
- Mental + phial health issues
- Morbidity + mortality
- vector borne diseases
- NCDS + CD’s
2003 EU heatwave
- 39 degree record
- Water sources dried out/ became low
- Forest fires
- Rivers effected due to ash + soil was he into rivers
- Heat stroke
- Dehydration
- Sunburn = increase cancer risk
- Air pollution = 1/3 of deaths
- Hosepipe bans
- Increased tourism to good weather BUT this increased pressure on water supplies
- Crops dried out
- Animals at risk = increased food prices
Flooding of Somerset levels
- low lying
- Situated by the river Parrett & canals
- River has estuaries = increased flood risk due to high tide
- inundated farms + villages
- sewage leaks = risk of disease
- Occurred due to storm surges, high tides & long wet season
