By Dr Chipiwa Rufu
CLIMATE change is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
Understanding the climate change problem is a work in progress for the scientific community.
The risk it poses to global societies means that mitigation and adaptation efforts command the expertise of economists, development agencies and policymakers.
It has become an international and inter-disciplinary concern and the subject of multilateral negotiations and geopolitical debate.
The articles I will be writing aim to provide broad and concise knowledge on climate change.
They seek to develop an understanding and appreciation of the collective action needed to tackle the problem of climate change, the risks it poses and the multilateral negotiation process and compliance mechanism.
The articles are designed to equip readers with the knowledge and capacities to make important decisions and represent the interests of their respective parties when considering climate change commitments, strategy or policy development.
Climate is the measure of average weather conditions over a period of time (30 years or more) and it can be determined on a regional or global scale.
Subsequently, if the weather has various changes in a significant way (in a way that can be proved by statistics) this is named climate change.
For instance, measurement of elements of weather such as temperature and rainfall.
Weather can change on a daily basis.
Climate is less variable as it is a measure of average weather over a period of time.
Weather forecasts aims to predict the weather, while climate change aims to predict the statistics of weather phenomenon, average properties, variability and strength as well as to ascertain trends in future.
Climate change results from various factors such as increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
Greenhouse gas emissions
Human activities result in the emission of greenhouse gases that exacerbate greenhouse effect (destruction of the ozone layer).
For instance, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulphur hexafluoride (SFs) and nitrogen trifluoride (nf3) (Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases 2013-2020).
Atmospheric concentration of these gases results in the intensification of the greenhouse effect since the beginning of the industrial era (mid-19th Century).
This, in turn, overtime, warms the mean global surface temperatures resulting in climate change.
- Carbon dioxide – fossil fuels combustion for energy production used in lamps, transportation, building heating and cooling as well as the manufacture of goods. Deforestation releases carbon dioxide and reduces its uptake by plants while afforestation and reforestation activities remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Zimbabwe could be a culprit. After the redistribution of land, there was rampant uncontrolled deforestation of trees. Moreover, firewood remains the source of cooking energy particularly in the resettled rural areas.
- Methane is emitted mainly from agricultural activities, natural gas distribution and landfills
- Nitrogen Oxide is emitted as a result of the use of fertiliser and combustion of fossil fuels
- Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is emitted from the production, distribution and transmission of electricity as well as from industrial activities such as manufacture of and production of metals.
- Hydrofluorocarbons are emitted when we use refrigerators, air conditioning units and fire extinguishers.
- Ozone is a greenhouse gas that is continually produced and destroyed in the atmosphere by chemical reactions. Human activities have increased ozone concentrations through the release of gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen which chemically react to produce ozone.
- Water Vapour is the most abundant and most powerful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Indirect effects of human activities have a substantial influence on its abundance
- Aerosols have a complex effect on climate. Fossil fuel and biomass burning have increased the atmospheric abundance of aerosols containing sulphur compounds, organic compounds and black carbon (soot). Human activities such as surface mining and industrial processes have increased dust in the atmosphere. Aerosols are known to affect the properties of clouds, the size of water droplets and the thickness of clouds.
Impact of climate change
The warming of the climate system is unquestionably happening.
Data showing global average surface and ocean temperatures indicate a warming trend during the past century.
That is the increasingly rapid retreat of glaciers and shortening of snow seasons.
Rising global sea levels are also observed and its impact on many islands such as the Maldives.
The Prime Minister of the Maldives presented a short and precise speech full of emotion on the just ended COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, about environmental changes that include:
- Temperature rise;
- Sea-level rise;
- Melting of snow and ice;
- Changes in precipitation;
- Change in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events;
- Changes in ecosystem and biodiversity patterns.
She reiterated that less developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
To add on, African countries and poor or low-lying nations also have particularly high vulnerability. Changing weather patterns, such as severe floods and droughts, increase the exposure of millions of people in LDCs to poverty, hunger and disease.
The rising sea level, along with other climatic changes, threaten the very survival of many LDCs.
Approximately, 860 million people in LDCs are adversely affected by climate change.
Many of them have become environmental refugees.
Vulnerability is a result of a country’s geographical location, poverty levels and institutional capacity as well as reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture.
Developing countries are burdened more by climate-related natural disasters than industrialised countries.
Projected negative impact on socio-economic and environmental systems that are caused or enhanced by projected climate change effect on:
- Global mean surface temperatures;
- Water cycle;
- Global mean sea levels;
- Global food security and human health – malnutrition, diarrhoeal diseases, heart and breathing problems, especially in developing countries such as Bangladesh.
Climate change continues to threaten food security in Bangladesh.
Rising sea levels and seasonal storms worry farmers
Climate change is a real threat to human security.
Not only does it affect health security, it also affects food security.
Mitigation measures are not supposed to be indigenous solutions, but international resolutions that could possibly be implemented by several countries as encouraged by the Maldives Prime Minister at the COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Dr Chipiwa Rufu writes in her own capacity. She can be contacted on 0775378808