Synthesis Report of IPCC AR6 Flashcards
NEWS
According to the 4th and final installment Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) under the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), there is increased evidence of maladaptation in various sectors and regions.
The Synthesis Report integrates the main findings of the AR6 cycle based on contributions from the three Working Groups, and the three Special Reports.
What are the Key Findings?
Unprecedented Global Warming:
Human-induced global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius has spurred changes to the Earth’s climate that are unprecedented in recent human history.
More Widespread Climate Impact:
Adaptation Measures:
Adaptation measures can effectively build resilience, but more finance is needed to scale solutions.
Climate policies in at least 170 countries now consider adaptation, but in many nations, these efforts have yet to progress from planning to implementation. Measures to build resilience are still largely small-scale, reactive and incremental, with most focusing on immediate impacts or near-term risks.
There is a more than 50% chance that global temperature rise will reach or surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2021 and 2040 across studied scenarios, and under a high-emissions pathway, specifically, the world may hit this threshold even sooner — between 2018 and 2037.
Maladaptation:
India has many such examples of maladaptation, resulting in vulnerable communities becoming more helpless to the impacts of climate change rather than being able to adapt to them.
Maladaptation is defined as the changes in natural or human systems that inadvertently increase vulnerability to climate stimuli.
Odisha has one of the most dynamic coasts in the country, with sea levels rising at a rate more than the average for the rest of the country. It is also the most cyclone-prone state in India.
What Does it Mean for India?
The report says that India could be one of those countries where heat and humidity would pass limits of human survivability.
The report refers to wet-bulb temperatures, a measure that combines heat and humidity. (A wet-bulb temperature of 31°C is extremely dangerous for humans, while a value of 35°C is unsurvivable for more than about 6 hours, even for fit and healthy adults resting in the shade.)
While Patna and Lucknow are expected to exceed wet-bulb temperatures of 35°C, most of the Indian states and cities could reach dangerous levels by the end of the century.
India is also one of those countries which are most vulnerable to sea-level rise.
By the middle of the century, around 35 million people in India could face annual coastal flooding, with 45-50 million at risk by the end of the century if emissions are high. The risks would be far fewer if emissions are lower.
Climate change could also mean that about 40% of people in India will live with water scarcity by 2050 compared with about 33% now. Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins could see increased flooding if warming passes 1.5°C.
India is also seen as the most vulnerable country in terms of crop production, warns the report. Rice, wheat, pulses, coarse and cereal yields could fall almost 9% by 2050. In the South, maize production could decrease 17% if emissions remain high.
