Climate Change

Climate Change: Potential
Impact in the Environment
Krizia Choi
What is climate change?

Is a significant time variation
in weather patterns occurring over
periods ranging from decades to millions
of years.
Climate change may refer to a change in
average weather conditions, or in the
time variation of weather around longerterm average conditions (i.e., more or
fewer extreme weather events).
Climate change is caused by factors
such as biotic processes, variations in
solar radiation received by Earth, plate
tectonics, and volcanic eruptions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
What is climate change?

Certain human activities have also
been identified as significant causes of
recent climate change, often referred
to as "global warming"
This cause impacts on health,
agriculture, forest, water resources,
coastal areas, and species and natural
areas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
Climate change
Over the last 50 years, human activities
particularly the burning of fossil fuels
have released sufficient quantities of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases to trap additional heat in the lower
atmosphere and affect the global
climate.
In the last 100 years, the world has
warmed by approximately 0.75oC. Each
of the last 3 decades has been
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/
successively warmer than any preceding
Climate change
Sea levels are rising, glaciers are
melting and precipitation patterns are
changing. Extreme weather events are
becoming more intense and frequent.
Climate change affects the social and
environmental determinants of health
clean air, safe drinking water,
sufficient food and secure shelter.
Climate change
Climate change has brought about
severe and possibly permanent
alterations to our planets geological,
biological and ecological systems
The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) contended in
2003 that there is new and stronger
evidence that most of the warming
observed over the last 50 years is
attributable to human activities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_climate_change_on_huma
Climate change
These changes have led to the

emergence of large-scale environmental
hazards to human health, such as
extreme weather, ozone depletion, loss
of biodiversity, stresses to foodproducing systems and the global spread
of infectious
The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that 160,000 deaths, since
1950, are directly attributable to climate
change. Many believe this to be a
conservative estimate
Climate change
The majority of the adverse effects of

climate change are experienced by
poor and low-income communities
around the world, who have much
higher levels of vulnerability to
environmental determinants of health,
wealth and other factors, and much
lower levels of capacity available for
coping with environmental change.
Climate change
A report on the global human impact

of climate change published by the
Global Humanitarian Forum in 2009,
estimated more than 300,000 deaths
and about $125 billion in economic
losses each year, and indicating that
most climate change induced mortality
is due to worsening floods and
droughts in developing countries
Health impact
Climate change poses a wide range of

risks to population health - risks that
will increase in future decades, often
to critical levels, if global climate
change continues on its current
trajectory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_climate_change_on_hum
Health impact
The three main categories of health risks

include:
(i) direct-acting effects (e.g. due to heat
waves, amplified air pollution, and physical
weather disasters),
(ii) impacts mediated via climate-related
changes in ecological systems and
relationships (e.g. crop yields,
mosquito ecology, marine productivity), and
(iii) the more diffuse (indirect) consequences
relating to impoverishment, displacement,
resource conflicts (e.g. water), and postdisaster mental health problems.
Health impact
A warmer and more variable climate
leads to higher levels of some air
pollutants and more frequent extreme
weather events.
It increases the rates and ranges of
transmission of infectious diseases
through unclean water and contaminated
food, and by affecting vector organisms
(such as mosquitoes) and intermediate
or reservoir host species that harbor the
infectious agent (such as
cattle, bats and rodents).
Health impact
Changes in temperature, rainfall and

seasonality compromise agricultural
production in many regions, including
some of the least developed countries,
thus jeopardizing child health and growth
and the overall health and functional
capacity of adults.
As warming proceeds, the severity (and
perhaps frequency) of weather-related
disasters will increase - and appears to
have done so in a number of regions of
the world over the past several decades
Health impact
Therefore, in summary, global

warming, together with resultant
changes in food and water supplies,
can indirectly cause increases in a
range of adverse health outcomes,
including malnutrition, diarrhea,
injuries, cardiovascular and respiratory
diseases, and water-borne and insecttransmitted diseases.
Health impact
Extreme high air temperatures contribute directly
to deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory
disease, particularly among elderly people. In the
heat wave of summer 2003 in Europe for
example, more than 70 000 excess deaths were
recorded2.
High temperatures also raise the levels of ozone
and other pollutants in the air that exacerbate
cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
Pollen and other aeroallergen levels are also
higher in extreme heat. These can trigger
asthma, which affects around 300 million people.
Ongoing temperature increases are expected to
increase this burden.
Health impact
Globally, the number of reported weatherrelated natural disasters has more than
tripled since the 1960s. Every year, these
disasters result in over 60 000 deaths, mainly
in developing countries.
Rising sea levels and increasingly extreme
weather events will destroy homes, medical
facilities and other essential services. More
than half of the world's population lives within
60 km of the sea. People may be forced to
move, which in turn heightens the risk of a
range of health effects, from mental disorders
to communicable diseases.
Health impact
Increasingly variable rainfall patterns
are likely to affect the supply of fresh
water.
A lack of safe water can compromise
hygiene and increase the risk of
diarrheal disease, which kills almost
600 000 children aged under 5, every
year.
Health impact
In extreme cases, water scarcity leads

to drought and famine. By the 2090s,
climate change is likely to widen the
area affected by drought, double the
frequency of extreme droughts and
increase their average duration sixfold
Agricultural impact
Global warming is projected to have

significant impacts on conditions
affecting agriculture, including
temperature, carbon dioxide, glacial runoff, precipitation and the interaction of
these elements.
These conditions determine the carrying
capacity of the biosphere to produce
enough food for the human
population and domesticated animals.
The overall effect of climate change on
agriculture will depend on the balance of
these effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_and_agricult
Agricultural impact
At the same time, agriculture has been

shown to produce significant effects
on climate change, primarily through
the production and release
of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide,
but also by altering the Earth's land
cover, which can change its ability to
absorb or reflect heat and light, thus
contributing to radiative forcing.
Agricultural impact
Land use change such as

deforestation and desertification,
together with use of fossil fuels, are
the major anthropogenic sources of
carbon dioxide; agriculture itself is the
major contributor to increasing
methane and nitrous oxide
concentrations in Earth's atmosphere
Agricultural impact
Climatic change could affect agriculture in several

ways :
productivity, in terms of quantity and quality of crops
agricultural practices, through changes of water use
(irrigation) and agricultural inputs such
as herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers
environmental effects, in particular in relation of
frequency and intensity of soil drainage (leading to
nitrogen leaching), soil erosion, reduction of crop
diversity
rural space, through the loss and gain of cultivated
lands, land speculation, land renunciation, and hydraulic
amenities.
adaptation, organisms may become more or less
competitive, as well as humans may develop urgency to
develop more competitive organisms, such as flood
resistant or salt resistant varieties of rice.
Agricultural impact
So far, the effects of regional climate
change on agriculture have been
relatively limited. Changes in
crop phenology provide important
evidence of the response to recent
regional climate change.
Phenology is the study of natural
phenomena that recur periodically, and
how these phenomena relate to climate
and seasonal changes.
A significant advance in phenology has
been observed for agriculture and
forestry in large parts of the Northern
Hemisphere.
Agricultural impact
Droughts have been occurring more

frequently because of global warming
and they are expected to become more
frequent and intense in Africa, southern
Europe, the Middle East, most of the
Americas, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Their impacts are aggravated because of
increased water demand, population
growth, urban expansion, and
environmental protection efforts in many
areas.
Droughts result in crop failures and the
loss of pasture grazing land for livestock
Agricultural impact
climate change could make it more
difficult to grow crops, raise animals,
and catch fish in the same ways and
same places as we have done in the
past.
The effects of climate change also
need to be considered along with
other evolving factors that affect
agricultural production, such as
changes in farming practices and
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impactstechnology.
Agricultural impact
Warmer temperatures may make many
crops grow more quickly, but warmer
temperatures could also reduce yields.
Crops tend to grow faster in warmer
conditions.
However, for some crops (such as
grains), faster growth reduces the
amount of time that seeds have to grow
and mature.
This can reduce yields (i.e., the amount
of crop produced from a given amount of
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/agriculture.html
land).
Agricultural impact
For any particular crop, the effect of

increased temperature will depend on
the crop's optimal temperature for
growth and reproduction. In some
areas, warming may benefit the types
of crops that are typically planted
there. However, if warming exceeds a
crop's optimum temperature, yields
can decline.
Agricultural impact
Higher CO2 levels can increase yields. The
yields for some crops, like wheat and
soybeans, could increase by 30% or more
under a doubling of CO2concentrations. The
yields for other crops, such as corn, exhibit a
much smaller response (less than 10%
increase).
However, some factors may counteract these
potential increases in yield. For example, if
temperature exceeds a crop's optimal level or
if sufficient water and nutrients are not
available, yield increases may be reduced or
reversed.
Agricultural impact
More extreme temperature and precipitation
can prevent crops from growing. Extreme
events, especially floods and droughts, can
harm crops and reduce yields. For example,
in 2008, the Mississippi River flooded just
before the harvest period for many crops,
causing an estimated loss of $8 billion for
farmers.
Dealing with drought could become a
challenge in areas where summer
temperatures are projected to increase and
precipitation is projected to decrease. As
water supplies are reduced, it may be more
difficult to meet water demands.
Agricultural impact
Many weeds, pests and fungi thrive
under warmer temperatures, wetter
climates, and increased CO2 levels.
Currently, farmers spend more than $11
billion per year to fight weeds in the
United States.
The ranges of weeds and pests are likely
to expand northward. This would cause
new problems for farmers' crops
previously unexposed to these species.
Moreover, increased use of pesticides
and fungicides may negatively
affect human health
Agricultural impact
The warmer atmospheric temperatures
observed over the past decades are
expected to lead to a more vigorous
hydrological cycle, including more extreme
rainfall events. Erosion and soil
degradation is more likely to occur.
Soil fertility would also be affected by global
warming. However, because the ratio of
carbon to nitrogen is a constant, a doubling of
carbon is likely to imply a higher storage
of nitrogen in soils as nitrates, thus providing
higher fertilizing elements for plants,
providing better yields. The average needs
for nitrogen could decrease, and give the
opportunity of changing often
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_and_agriculture
costly fertilization strategies.
Agricultural impact
Due to the extremes of climate that would
result, the increase in precipitations would
probably result in greater risks of erosion,
whilst at the same time providing soil with
better hydration, according to the intensity of
the rain.
The possible evolution of the organic
matter in the soil is a highly contested issue:
while the increase in the temperature would
induce a greater rate in the production
of minerals, lessening the soil organic matter
content, the atmospheric CO2 concentration
would tend to increase it
Agricultural impact
Climate change may increase the amount
of arable land in high-latitude region by
reduction of the amount of frozen lands.
A 2005 study reports that temperature in
Siberia has increased three degree Celsius in
average since 1960 (much more than the rest
of the world).
However, reports about the impact of global
warming on Russian agriculture indicate
conflicting probable effects : while they
expect a northward extension of farmable
lands, they also warn of possible productivity
losses and increased risk of drought.
Agricultural impact
Sea levels are expected to get up to one
meter higher by 2100, though this
projection is disputed. A rise in the sea
level would result in an agricultural land
loss, in particular in areas such as South
East Asia
Erosion, submergence of shorelines,
salinity of the water table due to the
increased sea levels, could mainly affect
agriculture through inundation of lowlying lands
Agricultural impact
Low lying areas such as Bangladesh,
India and Vietnam will experience major
loss of rice crop if sea levels rise as
expected by the end of the century.
Vietnam for example relies heavily on its
southern tip, where the Mekong Delta
lies, for rice planting.
Any rise in sea level of no more than a
meter will drown several km2 of rice
paddies, rendering Vietnam incapable of
producing its main staple and export of
Forest impact
Climate change is threatening the health of
forests around the world. As temperatures
rise, weather patterns and the availability
of water also change, altering the ability of
trees to survive.
Canada's forests cover almost half of the
country's landmass and make up 10 per cent
of the world's forest cover. Forests are a
crucial part of Canada's natural heritage,
wilderness areas and economy.
Although more carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere may encourage tree growth, the
negative impacts of climate change are
expected to far outweigh any benefits.
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/impacts/forest-
Forest impact
Although scientists predict an increase
in precipitation due to climate change,
it will likely not be sufficient to keep up
with increased evaporation from rising
summer temperatures.
This will lead to decreased soil
moisture, which will cause more
drought-resistant trees or grasslands
to displace existing forest ecosystems
Forest impact
As hotter, drier summers increase
evaporation they will also increase the
risk of forest fires across most of
Canada, and increase the severity of
those fires.
According to the government of
Canada, both fire frequency in
Canada's boreal forest and total area
burned have increased over the last
20 to 40 years.
Forest impact
Warmer temperatures are also expected to
expand the ranges and enhance the survival
rates of forest pests such as the spruce
budworm and the mountain pine beetle.
Infestations of the mountain pine beetle are
normally controlled by intense cold snaps in
the winter, but warmer winters have been one
factor enabling the infestation to grow into an
epidemic in British Columbia's Interior forests.
Over 50% of B.C.'s commercially valuable
pine timber has already been lost due to the
infestation of the mountain pine beetle.
Forest impact
Climate changes directly and indirectly
affect the growth and productivity of
forests: directly due to changes in
atmospheric carbon dioxide and
climate and indirectly through complex
interactions in forest ecosystems.
Climate also affects the frequency and
severity of many forest disturbances
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/forests.html
Water resources impact

Climate change is creating major
consequences for water resources through its
impacts on the planets hydrology.
Hydrology, a physical science, encompasses
the distribution, movement, and quality of
water in the Earth system.
Water resources, a social science, covers the
use of water by humans through agricultural,
industrial, domestic, recreational, and other
activities. Hence, by altering waters
distribution, movement and quality, climate
change is causing humans to adjust the ways
they use water.
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog438w/node/240
Water resources are important to both

society and ecosystems. We depend
on a reliable, clean supply of drinking
water to sustain our health. We also
need water for agriculture, energy
production, navigation, recreation, and
manufacturing.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/water.html
Many of these uses put pressure on

water resources, stresses that are likely
to be exacerbated by climate change. In
many areas, climate change is likely to
increase water demand while
shrinking water supplies.
This shifting balance would challenge
water managers to simultaneously meet
the needs of growing communities,
sensitive ecosystems, farmers, ranchers,
energy producers, and manufacturers.
The water cycle is a delicate balance of

precipitation, evaporation, and all of the
steps in between.
Warmer temperatures increase the rate
of evaporation of water into the
atmosphere, in effect increasing the
atmosphere's capacity to "hold" water.
Increased evaporation may dry out some
areas and fall as excess precipitation on
other areas.

Changes in the amount of rain falling during
storms provide evidence that the water cycle
is already changing.
Over the past 50 years, the amount of rain
falling during the most intense 1% of storms
increased by almost 20%. Warming winter
temperatures cause more precipitation to fall
as rain rather than snow.
Furthermore, rising temperatures cause snow
to begin melting earlier in the year. This alters
the timing of stream flow in rivers that have
their sources in mountainous areas.

As temperatures rise, people and
animals need more water to maintain
their health and thrive. Many important
economic activities, like
producing energy at power plants,
raising livestock, and growing food
crops, also require water.
The amount of water available for
these activities may be reduced as
Earth warms

Many areas of the United States,
especially the West, currently face
water supply issues. The amount of
water available in these areas is
already limited, and demand will
continue to rise as population grows.
The West has experienced less rain
over the past 50 years, as well as
increases in the severity and length of
droughts; this has been especially of
concern in the Southwest

In the western part of the United
States, future projections for less total
annual rainfall, less snowpack in the
mountains, and earlier snowmelt
mean that less water will likely be
available during the summer months
when demand is highest.
This will make it more difficult for
water managers to satisfy water
demands throughout the course of the
year

Water quality could suffer in areas
experiencing increases in rainfall. For
example, in
the Northeast and Midwest increases in
heavy precipitation events could cause
problems for the water infrastructure, as
sewer systems and water treatment plants
are overwhelmed by the increased volumes
of water.
Heavy downpours can increase the amount
of runoff into rivers and lakes, washing
sediment, nutrients, pollutants, trash, animal
waste, and other materials into water
supplies, making them unusable, unsafe, or
Impact on coastal areas

Throughout the 20th century, the global
rise in sea level has contributed to
increased coastal inundation, erosion,
and ecosystem losses. Rising
temperatures have led to loss of sea ice,
thawing of permafrost and associated
coastal retreat, and more frequent coral
bleaching and mortality.
This has consequently led to an increase
in sea level, displacement of people, loss
of livelihoods, and submergence of lowlying areas.
http://know.climateofconcern.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=article&i

The coastline of the United States is
highly populated. Coastal and ocean
activities, such as marine
transportation of goods, offshore
energy drilling, resource extraction,
fish cultivation, recreation, and tourism
are integral to the nation's economy.
Coastal areas are also home to
species and habitats that provide
many benefits to society and natural
ecosystems.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/coasts.html

Climate change could affect coastal
areas in a variety of ways. Coasts are
sensitive to sea level rise, changes in the
frequency and intensity of storms,
increases in precipitation, and warmer
ocean temperatures.
In addition, rising atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2)
are causing the oceans to absorb more
of the gas and become more acidic. This
rising acidity could have significant
impacts on coastal and marine
ecosystems.

During the 20th century, global sea
level rose by roughly seven inches.
In a particular location, the change in
sea level that is observed will be
affected by the increase in global sea
level as well as land movement up or
down.

The motion of land can be caused by
melting ice or tectonic movement. The
terms "local" or "relative" sea level refer
to both the global change in sea level
and the effects of land motion.
Where the land mass is sinking, relative
sea level rise rate is larger than the
global rate. Some of the fastest rates of
relative sea level rise in the United
States are occurring in areas where the
land is sinking
Impact on species and natural

areas
Our planet is warming faster than at any
time in the past 10,000 years. With these
changes, species have to adapt to new
climate patterns
Because of global warming, many
consequences have resulted from
human emissions of greenhouse gases.
The consequences include habitat loss;
shifts in climatic conditions and in
habitats that surpass migrational
capabilities; altered competitive
relationships.
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/problems/climate_change/

areas
Evidence suggests that the warming of

the past century already has resulted in
marked ecological changes, including
changes in growing seasons, species
ranges, and patterns of seasonal
breeding.
The fate of many species in a rapidly
warming world will likely depend on their
ability to migrate away from increasingly
less favorable climatic conditions to new
areas that meet their physical, biological,
and climatic needs.

areas
World Wide Fund (WWF) scientists
have estimated that most species on this
planet (including plants) will have to
"move" faster than 1,000 meters per year
if they are to keep within the climate
zone which they need for survival.
Many species will not be able to
redistribute themselves fast enough to
keep up with the coming changes.
These species, as far as we know given
present knowledge, may well become
extinct.

areas
We are already seeing that Danish

nature is being affected by climate
change. This may be expected to
continue in step with changing climatic
patterns. Some of the changes in
ecosystem composition will be
irreversible.
http://en.klimatilpasning.dk/sectors/nature/climate-change-impact-on-

areas
Habitats, ecosystems and species are

affected differently by climate factors, and
we can generally foresee three types of
climate impacts likely to be the most
influential on Danish nature:
1) Increased biological production in some
ecosystems, as a result of higher temperatures and
longer growing seasons
2) Increased nutrient load and thus increased
overgrowth and oxygen depletion in Danish waters as
a result of increased precipitation and altered
precipitation patterns; and
3) Increased erosion and flooding of low-lying coasts,
tidal areas and river valleys as a result of sea-level
rise, increased precipitation and altered precipitation
patterns.
http://en.klimatilpasning.dk/sectors/nature/climate-change-impact-on-

areas
These effects will generally mean that a
number of habitat types will become
fragile and some species will be at
higher risk of disappearing, because they
have no possibility for moving to other
areas or time to adapt.
Ecosystems may become less resilient,
and thus more vulnerable, and
irreversible changes might occur. The
challenge of reaching established goals
for nature and water quality could
therefore grow even further and require
http://en.klimatilpasning.dk/sectors/nature/climate-change-impact-onadditional effort.

Climate Change

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Climate Change: Potential

Impact in the Environment

What is climate change?

What is climate change?

These changes have led to the

The majority of the adverse effects of

A report on the global human impact

Climate change poses a wide range of

The three main categories of health risks

Changes in temperature, rainfall and

Therefore, in summary, global

In extreme cases, water scarcity leads

Global warming is projected to have

At the same time, agriculture has been

Land use change such as

Climatic change could affect agriculture in several

Droughts have been occurring more

For any particular crop, the effect of

Water resources impact

Water resources impact

Water resources are important to both

Water resources impact

Many of these uses put pressure on

Water resources impact

The water cycle is a delicate balance of

Water resources impact

Water resources impact

Water resources impact

Water resources impact

Water resources impact

Impact on coastal areas

Impact on coastal areas

Impact on coastal areas

Impact on coastal areas

Impact on coastal areas

Impact on species and natural

Impact on species and natural

Evidence suggests that the warming of

Impact on species and natural

Impact on species and natural

We are already seeing that Danish

Impact on species and natural

Habitats, ecosystems and species are

Impact on species and natural

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