What is climate change?

We know that climate change has been and is affecting ecosystems around the Earth and directly impacting human daily life.

What You Need to Know About Climate Change

What is Climate Change?
Causes of Climate Change
Indicators of Climate Change on Earth
Some Impacts of Climate Change
How to Cope with Climate Change

What is Climate Change?

Climate change on Earth refers to alterations in the climate system.

Climate change on Earth is defined as the changes in the climate system, which includes the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, both currently and in the future, due to natural and anthropogenic causes over a specific time period.

Climate change causes significant harmful effects on the composition, resilience, or reproduction of natural ecosystems—whether managed or unmanaged—as well as impacts on the functioning of socio-economic systems and on human health and welfare.

Causes of Climate Change

Factors that can lead to climate change include variations in atmospheric radiation, including processes such as solar radiation changes, Earth’s orbital shifts, mountain-building processes, continental drift, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Various environmental responses to climate change can either amplify or mitigate the initial changes. Some components of the climate system, such as oceans and ice caps, respond slowly to changes in solar radiation due to their large mass. Therefore, the climate system can take centuries or longer to fully respond to external changes.

The primary cause of climate change on Earth is the increase in activities that produce greenhouse gas emissions, along with the over-exploitation of natural sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases such as biomass, forests, marine ecosystems, coastal areas, and other terrestrial environments.

The phenomenon of acid rain.

Indicators of Climate Change on Earth

Warming of the atmosphere and the Earth as a whole.
Changes in the composition and quality of the atmosphere that are harmful to human habitats and other living organisms on Earth.
Rising sea levels due to melting ice leading to flooding of low-lying areas and small islands.
Shifting climate zones that have existed for thousands of years across different regions of the Earth, threatening the survival of species, ecosystems, and human activities.
Changes in the intensity of atmospheric circulation processes, the natural water cycle, and other biogeochemical cycles.
Changes in biological productivity of ecosystems, along with the quality and composition of hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.

Some Impacts of Climate Change

Rising Sea Levels

Increasing temperatures on Earth are causing sea levels to rise gradually. Higher temperatures lead to the melting of glaciers, sea ice, and continental ice, which increases the amount of water flowing into seas and oceans.

Glaciers and ice caps are shrinking. Vast tundras that were once covered by thick layers of permanent ice are now being overtaken by vegetation. For instance, glaciers in the Himalayas, which provide fresh water to the Ganges River—drinking and irrigation sources for around 500 million people—are receding at a rate of about 37 meters per year.

Coastal areas are disappearing. Beaches in Miami are among many areas worldwide threatened by rising sea levels.

Scientists have observed and measured a significant loss of ice in Greenland, directly affecting island nations and coastal countries. Estimates suggest that if melting continues, sea levels could rise by at least 6 more meters by 2100. At this level, much of Indonesia’s islands and many other coastal cities would completely vanish.

Ecosystem Destruction

Changes in climate conditions and rapidly increasing carbon dioxide levels have severely impacted ecosystems, freshwater supplies, air quality, clean energy, food sources, and health.

Under the influence of rising temperatures, air, and melting ice, coral reefs are increasingly declining in number. This indicates that both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are suffering from the impacts of floods, droughts, wildfires, and ocean acidification.

Loss of Biodiversity

The current increase in Earth’s temperatures is causing species to disappear or face extinction. Approximately 50% of plant and animal species could face extinction by 2050 if global temperatures rise by an additional 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius. This loss is due to habitat destruction from land degradation, deforestation, and warming seas. Biologists have noted that some animal species are migrating to polar regions in search of suitable living conditions. For example, the red fox, once common in North America, has now moved to the Arctic.

Humans are also affected. Land degradation and rising sea levels threaten our habitats. The loss of plant and animal life also means the loss of our food sources, fuel, and income.

War and Conflict

As food and freshwater become increasingly scarce and land continues to disappear while populations keep growing, these factors contribute to conflict and war between nations and territories.

The warming of the Earth and adverse climate change are gradually depleting natural resources. A notable conflict driven by climate change occurred in Darfur. Violence erupted during an extended drought period, where for 20 years the region received minimal rainfall, and even experienced several years with no rain, exacerbating the temperature increase.

Experts analyze that countries that frequently suffer from water shortages and crop failures are often very insecure.

The conflict in Darfur (Sudan) is partly due to tensions arising from climate change.

Disease Outbreaks

Increasing temperatures, coupled with floods and droughts, pose a threat to global public health. These conditions create ideal habitats for mosquitoes, parasites, rodents, and many other disease-carrying organisms to thrive.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that dangerous diseases are spreading more than ever across the globe. Regions that were previously cold are now experiencing tropical diseases.

Each year, approximately 150,000 people die from climate-related diseases, ranging from heat-related heart conditions to respiratory issues and diarrhea.

Drought

Drought depletes water sources for drinking and irrigation, significantly affecting agriculture in many countries. (illustrative image).

While some areas of the world are submerged in continuous floods, others are enduring prolonged and severe droughts. Droughts deplete drinking and irrigation water sources, seriously affecting agriculture in many countries. As a result, food production and supply are threatened, leaving a large portion of the global population in hunger.

Currently, regions such as India, Pakistan, and parts of Africa are experiencing droughts, with rainfall in these areas decreasing, a trend that is expected to continue for decades. It is estimated that by 2020, around 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will lack access to drinking and farming water, leading to a projected 50% drop in agricultural output across the continent.

Severe heatwaves are occurring approximately four times more frequently than before, and predictions suggest that within the next 40 years, their frequency will increase by 100 times compared to now.

The consequences of these heatwaves include increased wildfire risks, diseases caused by high temperatures, and, of course, contributions to rising average global temperatures.

Flooding and Hurricanes

Statistics show that in the past 30 years, the number of strong hurricanes classified as Category 4 and Category 5 has doubled.

Warm water regions have increased the strength of these storms. The high temperatures in the oceans and atmosphere have pushed storm speeds to terrifying levels.

The rising water temperatures in seas and oceans are a contributing factor that fuels these hurricanes. Violent storms are becoming increasingly frequent. In just the past 30 years, the number of severe storms has nearly doubled.

Economic Damage

The economic losses caused by climate change are increasing in tandem with the rising temperatures of the Earth. Major storms devastate crops, costing billions of dollars; furthermore, controlling the spread of diseases after each flood also requires a substantial amount of money. The increasingly harsh climate exacerbates economic deficits.

Economic losses impact all aspects of life. People face rising prices for food and fuel; governments must contend with significant declines in profits from tourism and industry, while the demand for food and clean water becomes urgent after each storm. The enormous costs of clearing debris following floods and tensions at borders further compound the issue.