The destabilization of the climate has led to an increase in mortality and morbidity. For example, due to the expansion of the range of various insects, including ticks, the incidence of the diseases they carry has increased. Also, due to pollution from more frequent natural disasters, people are more likely to catch food- and water-borne diseases. In addition, higher temperatures, frequent rainfall, and flooding have contributed to the spread of diarrheal diseases, including cholera and other gastrointestinal infections. Mental health disorders have also increased, aided by natural disasters and their economic consequences.
Extreme hot days in cities have further polluted the air and disrupted urban infrastructure. This led to economic losses, disruptions in services, and worsened living conditions for city dwellers. Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, tourism, and, consequently, the people working in them, have also suffered from the climate crisis.
irtually half of the world’s population is now experiencing acute water shortages due to the heating of the planet and the pollution of water bodies. Increased extreme weather events have led to severe food shortages and reduced access to clean drinking water for millions of people. This has particularly affected people in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Arctic, and the islands.
Extreme climatic and weather conditions increasingly lead to forced migration in all regions. Since 2008, on average, more than 20 million people have migrated within their countries each year, most often because of hurricanes and floods. At the same time, people are no longer able to adapt to climate change.
However, vulnerability to climate destabilization varies greatly between and within regions. Factors such as low socio-economic development, unsustainable use of the ocean and land, inequality, marginalization of people, and colonialism increase vulnerability. Thus, societies with high levels of inequality are less resilient to climate change.
What happens to ecosystems because of the climate crisis
The impact of warming the planet on ecosystems has been worse than previously thought. Terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems are being severely damaged.
Hundreds of species have already become extinct due to extreme temperatures and the loss of algae. In addition, about half of the known species are constantly changing their habitats, moving toward the poles or to higher ground.
Poor environmental management, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and chemical pollution reduce the ability of ecosystems and the people who depend on them to adapt to climate change. In the long term, unsustainable human impacts on nature will greatly affect all inhabitants of the earth, especially those who depend directly on nature (e.g., eating self-grown food).
Ecosystems, like humanity, have already reached or even exceeded their adaptation limits. Warm-water coral reefs, some coastal wetlands, some rainforests, and polar and mountain ecosystems still exist in conditions to which they cannot adapt.
What happens to greenhouse gas emissions now
Despite increased action on the climate crisis, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. From 2010 to 2019, emissions grew more slowly than a decade earlier, yet they still broke all records in absolute terms. Thus, 54% more greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere now than in 1990.
In developed countries, the absolute amount of emissions has fallen slightly, but per capita emissions remain high. Developed countries (16 percent of the world’s population) have accounted for just under half of total CO2 emissions since 1850. The least developed countries (14% of the world’s population) produced only 3% of the emissions during that time.
Developed countries now account for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. Yet no country in the world is reducing emissions at the rate needed to keep warming within 1.5 °C.
The wealthiest households produce the most greenhouse gas emissions related to consumption. The top 10% of households with the highest incomes account for about 34-45% of emissions, while half of low-income households account for only 13-15%. Food production accounts for 23-42% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
However, experts note that there is some good news. For example, the cost of solar and wind energy is now equal or lower than the cost of energy from coal and gas. From 2010 to 2019, their costs fell by 85% and 55%, respectively.
However, the scale of low-carbon energy development is still insufficient. Thus, the combined market share of solar photovoltaic and wind technologies in electricity generation is still below 10%. Experts emphasize that it is possible to accelerate the spread of renewable energy by building its facilities on agricultural land.
What comes next
Since the previous assessment, climate risks are getting worse and harder to cope with. Experts predict that extreme weather events, rising sea levels and damage to ecosystems will increase with each successive degree of warming. In addition, due to the climate crisis, human health will deteriorate and the number of premature deaths will increase.
A warming of 1.2 °C is expected to put unique and threatened ecosystems at high risk. At 1.5 °C warming, up to 14% of terrestrial ecosystem species are likely to disappear. Accordingly, the more the temperature rises, the more living things will die.
Incredibly, a temperature increase from 1.5 °C to 3 °C could turn the Amazon rainforest into a savannah.
A 2 °C increase in temperature and a concomitant decrease in precipitation could increase the total area of deforested land by 35% due to wildfires.
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