Getting serious about climate change

Global warming, whether man-made or as a natural phenomenon, is a fact of life for our times. We cannot ignore it and continue with business as usual. The current weather patterns have caused much uncertainty with regard to traditional dry and wet seasons for farmers and other persons who depend on the seasonal conditions.

While it is necessary to remind that we need to play a part in reducing the present trend in global warming, there is an even greater need to advise that we adapt to this trend, since the consensus is that the phenomenon is already past the reversal stage and warming is now unavoidable. That means that we cannot expect to continue doing the same things as before without feeling the impact of climate change.

It has been noted that public health, coastal regions, forestry and agricultural sectors, energy, ecosystems and water resources are the major areas to be impacted by climate change, and are therefore the main systems that need adaptation planning in any country that takes climate change seriously.

Public health systems require financial and human resources to deal with emergency responses to natural disasters made more deadly by climate change, as well as increases in illnesses made worse by global warming. There is need to take into account the environmental impact of new developments in planning new cities and towns. In coastal regions, where rising sea levels are an issue to contend with, land-use planners need to bear in mind that wetlands and swamps are necessary to mitigate flooding. In addition, stricter regulations for building homes in low-lying or hurricane-prone regions are imperative.

In the agriculture sector, it becomes necessary for farmers to change age-old agrarian practices to adapt to new weather patterns, and grow plants and crops that are more tolerant to the changing climate and weather.

Energy systems are among the most important systems for most countries. Fossil fuels remain the most widely used forms of energy, and in turn, their uses contribute significantly to the climate change phenomenon. There is need for energy to be used more efficiently, and for users to practise conservation; and there is need for more investments to be made in alternative sources of fuel. As water wars loom on the horizon because of global climate change, countries should have strategies in place for more efficient water management, as well as new ways of recycling water, such as treated wastewater.

Vulnerable ecosystems need to be protected so that they, too, can adapt to climate change, and comprehensive attention should be paid to forestry practices and conservation initiatives. But according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “adaptation alone is not expected to cope with all the projected effects of climate change, and especially not over the long term, as most impacts increase in magnitude.” How much it is affected depends upon not only the vulnerability of the environment, but also on the environment’s ability to adapt. If there are insufficient funds to maintain sea defences in areas of little economic value, for example, then perhaps the strategy should be to retreat to areas that are less costly to maintain.

This adaptation to our environment is not a novel idea. Humans have been thus adapting since the dawn of their existence. What seem to make doing it harder now are the investment and geopolitical situations involved in adapting. Long ago, a village relocated up the hill at the first sign of flooding; further inland after a hurricane etc., abandoning simple homes and small farms. This situation does not obtain today.

As population growth expands at staggering percentages, more natural ecosystems are destroyed to make room for human habitats, and more natural resources are being exploited to feed, clothe and, in some instances, warm these populations — all leading to reduced forest cover, increased CO2 levels, and global climate change. How countries find satisfactory solutions for the populace is not an easy answer, but it is crucial that everyone understands that our planet’s climate is changing and we are at a stage where the bottom line is as clear-cut as the truism “adapt or perish”.