Climate Change and Risk Management Quiz

Environmental Management - Climate Change and Hazards

• ENV 214 is an Environmental Management course.
• Lecture 17-18 focuses on Climate Change and Hazards.
• Haniyum Maria Khan (Hmk1) is the Senior Lecturer for this course.

Case Study: Melting Ice in Greenland

• Greenland is the world's largest island.
• 80% of Greenland is covered by glaciers.
• Glaciers contain 10% of the world's fresh water.
• Glacial melting and movement are accelerating.
• If the melting continues, sea levels could rise by 1 meter by 2100.

Weather and Climate

• Weather is short-term changes in temperature, air pressure, precipitation, and wind.
• Climate is the average weather conditions over a long period of time, including temperature and precipitation.
• Fluctuations in weather and climate are normal.

How is the Earth's Climate Changing?

• Scientific evidence indicates that the Earth's atmosphere is warming rapidly, potentially causing significant climate disruption this century.
• In the past 100 years, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by approximately 1°C (1.8°F).
• About two-thirds of this increase has occurred in the last three decades.

Atmospheric Warming Trend

• Atmospheric warming has been trending upward since 1975.
• There was a slight slowing of this trend between 2002 and 2012.

Global Warming

• Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, and its projected continuation.
• The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is largely caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities (e.g., deforestation and burning fossil fuels).
• 50% of solar energy is reflected or absorbed by clouds, 45% absorbed by the surface and 5% reflected. Absorbed solar energy is released as infrared energy.

Global Warming: The Greenhouse Effect

• The greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower atmosphere and surface.
• Joseph Fourier proposed the concept in 1824, and Svante Arrhenius investigated it quantitatively in 1896.
• Sunlight warms both the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth.
• Certain atmospheric gases absorb and re-emit this infrared radiation, which warms the Earth further.

Major Greenhouse Gases

• Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include:
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Water vapor
  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Greenhouse Gases - Sources

• Burning fossil fuels and deforestation are major sources of increased carbon dioxide emissions.
• Livestock enteric fermentation, paddy rice farming, and landfill emissions lead to higher methane concentrations.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigerants and fire suppression systems also contribute.
• Agricultural activities, including fertilizer use, increase nitrous oxide concentrations.

CO2 Emissions (2018)

• Data presented in a pie chart shows the global distribution of CO2 emissions.

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

• Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of how much heat each greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere, relative to carbon dioxide.
• A relative ranking of the GWP for greenhouse gases is shown in a graph

Climate Change Impacts

• Climate Pattern Changes: A global rise in temperature impacts rainfall patterns, soil moisture, and agricultural productivity. More intense storms (cyclones, hurricanes) are predicted, along with more frequent droughts particularly in northern temperate latitudes. Arctic glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice will continue to retreat.
• Sea Level Rise: Rising sea levels pose serious threats, making coastal populations more vulnerable to flooding. Thermal expansion of warming ocean water and melting glaciers are the primary causes.
• Coastal Zone Impacts: Degradation of coastal estuaries, wetlands, and coral reefs is projected. Coastal fisheries will be disrupted, and flooding of low-lying areas and coastal regions will be more frequent and widespread. Freshwater aquifers are also at risk of contamination.
• Plant and Animal Distribution: Climate belts will shift toward the poles by 100-150 kilometers per every 1°C rise in global temperature. This shift could substantially alter the suitable locations for agriculture and could lead to the extinction of plant and animal species unable to migrate or adapt quickly enough. Impacts on parks, wildlife reserves, wetlands, and coral reefs are anticipated.
• Human Health: Rising temperatures increase death and illness, especially among vulnerable populations. The spread of tropical diseases (e.g., malaria, dengue fever) could expand into formerly colder regions.
• Cyclone SIDR (2007) and Cyclone AILA (2009): These cyclones caused substantial damage, loss of life, and disruption in Bangladesh, highlighting the country's vulnerability. Economic losses were also significant.

Bangladesh Response to Climate Change

• UNFCCC identified Bangladesh as one of the most vulnerable countries.
• Country's response focuses on adaptation, including projects and programs.
• The country participates in international negotiations.
• A national adaptation plan (NAPA) was prepared in 2005.
• Climate changes are integrated into the poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP).
• A Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP 2009) outlines possible approaches. Also, a Climate Change Trust Fund has been established using the country's own resources.

Hazards Bangladesh Faces

• Drought, Cyclone, Flood and Storm Surges and Tidal Bores, water logging, bank erosion are among the major hazards.

Hazard

• Hazard means a dangerous condition or event posing a risk of injury, damage to property or the environment.
• Hazards often involve stored energy that releases to cause damage.
• Hazards are classified as natural (meteorlogical, geological or biological) or man-made (industrial, etc).

Classification of Hazards

• Natural hazards include cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, droughts and wildfires.
• Manmade hazards include explosions, toxic waste leakage, dam failures, and industrial accidents.

Common Natural Disasters

• A list of common natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, sinkholes) is shown in an image.

Why Bangladesh is Hazard-Prone

• Bangladesh has a low-lying topography, a congested river network system, heavy rainfall, snowmelt from the Himalayas, river siltation and landslides, and areas at risk of drought and flooding.

Cyclone Affected Area

• The funnel-shaped coast of Bangladesh frequently makes it a target for cyclones.
• High-population density, poor housing, and a wide area subject to flooding and storm surges in cyclone-prone coastal regions increase the risk.

Impacts of Natural Disasters

• Natural disasters in Bangladesh are often catastrophic, impacting lives and livelihoods extensively, as well as destroying infrastructure such as housing and roads. The risk is greatly compounded by climate change impacts.
• Significant economic losses occur due to human suffering, infrastructure damage, agricultural losses, and flooding.
• Increased greenhouse effect, and damage from ozone depletion are compounding factors.

Seasonal Distribution of Hazards in Bangladesh

• A table lists the seasonal distribution of hazards in the country: pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter. These seasonal variations are connected to the different hazards and risks at play in Bangladesh, which include cyclones, floods, droughts, and other weather-related disasters.

Preventing and Protecting from Climate Change

• Preventive actions include measures to reduce emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change, and geoengineering.
• Adaptation involves strategies to live with the effects of climate change,
• Mitigation focuses on reducing the severity of the situation.
• Geoengineering aims to remove greenhouse gasses or reflect incoming solar radiation.
• Short-term protective measures include disaster assessment, warning systems, temporary protective measures, evacuation.
• Long-term measures include land use and risk management, making sites less likely to be flooded, and disaster-resistant design.
• Public information and education are key to effective adaptation.