(ORDO NEWS) — Despite the fact that in the last year all the world‘s attention has been focused on the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, human civilization is threatened by a much more insidious enemy – climate change. The melting of Arctic ice in the near future may lead to the submersion of entire cities, such as Venice.
Moreover, residents of some regions are gradually beginning to feel the intense impacts of climate change, manifested in the form of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, flash floods and wildfires, which cover an increasing area every year. Climatologists predict that there is no doubt that climate change will affect all countries in the world, but its consequences will differ from country to country. In this article, you will learn
Climate change consequences
Climate change will also have a detrimental impact on the global economy, according to the Oxford Economics report. By 2050, our planet may warm up by 2 degrees Celsius, which will greatly reduce global GDP, and among the worst-affected countries will be the poorest countries in Africa and Asia. In the long term, if temperatures continue to warm and rise by 4 degrees Celsius by 2100, this could lead to a reduction in global production by up to 30%. This is likely to lead to an increase in climate change lawsuits against dirty industries such as the big coal, oil and gas companies. It is not as simple as pinning the blame on one company, however, but you can explore more about social justice in an era of climate change here.
From 1999 to 2018, severe weather has killed approximately 495,000 people worldwide.
The areas most affected by climate change were Puerto Rico, Myanmar and Haiti, according to Germanwatch (Organization for Environment and Development) estimates between 1999 and 2018.
This means that the impacts of extreme weather events have hit hardest (and will hit in the future – as estimated by climate models) in the poorest countries. In the same report, Germanwatch experts also detail which countries were most affected by extreme weather events in 2018, giving some insight into which regions of the planet may be most vulnerable to climate change in the future.
In 2018, Japan was hit by three exceptionally severe extreme weather events. Thus, the abnormal amount of precipitation in July led to torrential rains, flash floods and landslides, as a result of which more than 200 people died and more than 5,000 homes were damaged, as well as 2.3 million people were evacuated. Damage from storms amounted to more than $ 7 billion.
The abnormal heat did not pass the Land of the Rising Sun, as a result of which 138 people died, and more than 70,000 people needed hospitalization. Then, in September, Typhoon Zebi hit the country, becoming the most intense tropical cyclone Japan has seen in more than 25 years. Jebi has broken several historic records for sustained winds in Japan, causing more than $ 13 billion in economic damage. My colleague Ramis Ganiev spoke in more detail about this event.
One of the most surprising countries to make this list was Germany, which experienced abnormally high temperatures in 2018 – the hottest period from April to July ever recorded in the country.
The heat has killed more than 1,000 people. In addition, after heavy rainfall in January, only a fraction of the usual rainfall fell in summer, causing much of the country’s soil to be hit by a drought in October. About 8,000 farmers were forced to apply for federal emergency assistance worth about $ 1.18 billion to compensate for the losses.
Madagascar
In January 2018, Cyclone Ava hit the eastern part of the island of Madagascar, flooding cities and collapsing buildings, killing 51 people. Ava was followed in March by Cyclone Eliakim, which affected more than 15,000 people, including 17 dead and almost 6,300 temporarily missing. Together, the two cyclones caused a total of 70,000 people to seek refuge.
The annual monsoon season, which runs from June to September, had a big impact on India in 2018, especially Kerala state – 324 people died due to drowning or being buried in landslides caused by the worst flooding in a century. More than 220,000 people were displaced from their homes, while 20,000 homes and 80 dams were destroyed. The damage amounted to $ 2.8 billion. Thus, with wind speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, Cyclone Titley killed at least eight people and left about 450,000 people without electricity.
Sri Lanka
The island nation of Sri Lanka, located right off the coast of India, experienced heavy monsoon rains in May 2018, affecting 20 areas, especially the South and West coasts. The provinces of Galle and Kalutara were hit hardest, with over 6 inches of rainfall in 24 hours – the area typically receives an average of 11 inches of rainfall throughout May. At least 24 people have died, over 170,000 have been injured and nearly 6,000 have been displaced.
Kenya
Seasonal rains have affected both the African countries of Kenya and Rwanda, as well as other countries in East Africa. From March to July 2018, Kenya received almost twice as much rain as the normal rainy season. The country’s most important rivers in the Central Highlands overflowed, affecting 40 out of 47 counties and causing 183 deaths, 97 injuries and more than 300,000 displaced.
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