Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation PDF

# LESSON IN Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation ## Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Enhance ability to gain knowledge on the interaction between science and technology throughout history. ## Introduction ### Solar Radiation and Climate Clima...

# LESSON IN Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation ## Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Enhance ability to gain knowledge on the interaction between science and technology throughout history. ## Introduction ### Solar Radiation and Climate Climate is the average or typical state of the weather at a particular location and time of year. Its description includes the average of such variables as temperature, humidity, windiness, cloudiness, precipitation, visibility, etc. while weather on the other hand refers to the conditions of the atmosphere, its temperature, pressure, and humidity of a place for a short period of time. It includes, too, rainfall, wind direction and strength, cloud cover and sunshine. In the broadest sense however, climate is the state of the Earth's habitable environment consisting of the following components and the interactions between them: - The atmosphere, the fast responding medium which surrounds us and immediately affects our condition. - The hydrosphere, including the oceans and all other reservoirs of water in liquid form, which are the main source of moisture for precipitation and which exchange gases, such as $CO_2$, and particles, such as salt, with the atmosphere. - The land masses, which affect the flow of atmosphere and oceans through their morphology (i.e. topography, vegetation cover and roughness), the hydrological cycle (i.e. their ability to store water) and their radiative properties as matter (solids, liquids, and gases) blown by the winds or ejected from earth's interior in volcanic eruptions. - The cryosphere, or the ice component of the climate system, whether on land or at the ocean's surface, that plays a special role in the Earth radiation balance and in determining the properties of the deep ocean. - The **biota** - all forms of life - that through respiration and other chemical interactions affects the composition and physical properties air and water. In our generation climate is receiving unprecedented attention due to the possibility that human activity on Earth during the past couple hundred years will lead to significantly large and rapid changes in environmental conditions. These changes could well affect our health, comfort levels, and ability to grow and distribute food. ## Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a transparent medium and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through that medium. The trapping of the long wavelength radiation leads to more heating and a higher resultant temperature. Besides the heating of an automobile by sunlight through the windshield and the namesake example of heating the greenhouse by sunlight passing through sealed, transparent windows, the greenhouse effect has been widely used to describe the trapping of excess heat by the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide strongly absorbs infrared and does not allow as much of it to escape into space. A major part of the efficiency of the heating of an actual greenhouse is the trapping of the air so that the energy is not lost by convection. Keeping the hot air from escaping out the top is part of the practical "greenhouse effect", but it is common usage to refer to the infrared trapping as the "greenhouse effect" in atmospheric applications where the air trapping is not applicable.  ## Greenhouse Effect Example Bright sunlight will effectively warm your car on a cold, clear day by the greenhouse effect. The longer infrared wavelengths radiated by sun-warmed objects do not pass readily through the glass. The entrapment of this energy warms the interior of the vehicle. The trapping of the hot air so that it cannot rise and lose the energy by convection also plays a major role. ## Increase in Greenhouse Gases The increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, one of the three major atmospheric contributors to the greenhouse effect has been carefully documented at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The 1990 rate of increase was about 0.4% per year. The interesting cyclic variations represent the reduction in carbon dioxide by photosynthesis during the growing season in the northern hemisphere. Current analysis suggests that the combustion of fossil fuels is a major contributor to the increase in the carbon dioxide concentration, such contributions being 2 to 5 times the effect of deforestation (Kraushaar & Ristinen). ## Contributors to Greenhouse Effect Those gas molecules in the Earth's atmosphere with three or more atoms are called "greenhouse gases" because they can capture outgoing infrared energy from the Earth, thereby warming the planet. The greenhouse gases include water vapor with three atoms ($H_2O$), ozone ($O_3$), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$ ), and methane ($CH_4$). Also, trace quantities of chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC's) can have a disproportionately large effect. ## Global Warming Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth's climate. There is great debate among many people, and sometimes in the news, on whether global warming is real (some call it a hoax). But climate scientists looking at the data and facts agree the planet is warming. While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events. - We are the cause. We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat.  Global warming is already having significant and costly effects - and these consequences will only intensify as the planet's temperature continues to rise. ## The Impacts of Global Warming - More Frequent and Intense Heat Waves. Dangerously hot weather is already occurring more frequently than it did 60 years ago. - Costly and Growing Health Impacts. Climate change has significant implications for our health, including increased air pollution and a longer and more intense allergy season. - Heavier Precipitation and Flooding. As temperatures increase, more rain falls during the heaviest downpours, increasing the risk of flooding events. ## Important facts on global warming - The heat-trapping ability of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere is the scientific basis of increased levels of - Greenhouse gases causing the Earth to warm. - Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth's climate responds to changes in solar energy, the Earth's orbit, and to greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate have happened very quickly, in tens of years, not in millions or even thousands. - In some ways, a change in the sun's energy could cause global warming. Since 1750, the average amount of energy coming from the Sun either remained constant or increased slightly. If global warming was caused by a more active sun, scientist would then expect to record warmer temperatures in all layers of the atmosphere. Instead, observed is a cooling in the upper atmosphere, and a warming in the lower parts of the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. ## Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Climate change, according to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. In the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago. Most of these climate events are caused by very small variations in Earth's orbit that changed the amount of solar energy our planet receives. However, the current warming trend is of particular significance because most of this is very likely to be human-induced and moving at a rate never experienced in the last 1,300 years. Technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. Studying climate data collected over many years reveal the signals of a changing climate. | THE EVENT | THE FACTS | |---|---| | Global Temperature Rise | All three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that the Earth has warmed since 1880. Most of this warming has occurred since the 1970s, with the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years. Even though the 2 000s witnessed a solar output decline, surface temperatures continue to increase. | | Warming Oceans | The oceans have absorbed much of the increased heat within the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean, showing a warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. | | Sea Level Rise | Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade is nearly double that of the last century. | | Ocean Acidification | Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30%. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year. | | Shrinking Ice Sheets | The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost 150 to 250 cubic kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of ice per year between 2002 and 2006, while Antarctica lost about 152 cubic kilometers (36 cubic miles) of ice between 2002 and 2005. | | Declining Artic Sea Ice | Both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades. | | Glacial Retreat | Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world- including the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. | | Extreme Events | The number of record high temperature events in the United States have been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events have been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events. | ## Climate Change Mitigation Climate change mitigation should be thought of as human actions to reduce the intensity or severity of climate change. Actions are to result in the decrease of radiative forcing via decreasing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to reduce the effects of global warming. Most often this is done by reducing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, or by increasing sinks – a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores 'carbon' for an indefinite period of time. Examples of reducing a 'source' would include using fossil fuels more efficiently for industrial processes or electricity generation or switching to renewable energy such as solar energy or wind power. Replanting forest or creating new ones is a good example of increasing carbon sinks, i.e. sequester greater amounts of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$). ## UNFCCC and mitigation We can respond to climate change by reducing GHG emissions and enhancing $CO_2$ storage. The capacity to do so depends on socio-economic and environmental circumstances, and the availability of information and technology. There are a variety of policies and instruments available to governments to create incentives for mitigation actions. To meet the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) objective of stabilizing GHG concentrations, the Convention requires countries to take account of their responsibilities and capabilities, and to formulate and implement programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change by 1) periodically updating national inventories of GHG emissions, 2) cooperate in the development, application and diffusion of climate friendly technologies, and 3) adopt national policies and measures to limit GHG emissions and improve $CO_2$ storage. ## Climate Change Adaptation Climate change adaptation is understood as the things we do, planned or not planned (autonomous), that result in adjustments to climate induced hazards. Adaptations are considered as adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected effects of climate change. These adjustments are intended either to reduce the harm caused by these effects or to take advantage of opportunities that climate change may present, e.g. adaptation funding. Adaptation to climate change is a process of reducing vulnerability to the current and future impacts of climate change. Adaptation is focused on climate-related hazards such as droughts, floods, and cyclones which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Adaptation also addresses the impacts of changing conditions, for example changes in temperature and rainfall patterns. These slower, smaller changes do not qualify as hazard events, but they do have significant implications for livelihoods. Adaptation activities can be proactive (before the effects of climate change are felt) or reactive (after the effects). They can also be planned and implemented, by public and private actors, or happen autonomously. Adaptation most often will begin when a 'hazardous' condition is felt, or expected, i.e. the climate change impact. For communities, the impact is shaped by factors of exposure, sensitivity, and their adaptive capacity. Adaptation can involve reducing exposure, reducing sensitivity or increasing adaptive capacity: - **Reducing exposure:** Actions that minimize exposure to hazards - Example: planting mangroves to protect homes from cyclones - **Reducing sensitivity:** Actions that make people or livelihoods less sensitive to climate impacts. - Example: diversifying livelihoods to include strategies outside agriculture - **Increasing adaptive capacity:** Actions that increase capacity to manage negative impacts of climate change (and in some cases, to take advantage of opportunities) - Example: increasing access to seasonal forecasts to facilitate livelihoods planning. Important to note is that factors related to exposure and sensitivity are greatly influenced by the condition of the surrounding ecosystems, people's livelihood types, and the level of infrastructure within a given area. This is part of the 'enabling environment' for adaptation. ## What is effective adaptation? Effective adaptation responds to the different dimension of vulnerability to climate change. Vulnerability to climate change is determined by human, social, physical, natural, political and financial factors. Effective adaptation responds to these different dimension of vulnerability. This means that adaptation is not limited to actions that directly address climate hazards. ## Adaptation is: - Focused explicitly on reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. - A long term process that addresses current vulnerability while preparing for future climatic changes. - Planned based on both current and projected climate risks. - Planned using scientific climatic information as well as local knowledge. - Flexible to manage a dynamic context, as well as changing needs and priorities. To be sustainable, adaptation must also address the underlying causes of vulnerability including gender inequality inequitable access to resources and services and weak governance. Both climate change mitigation and adaptation are focused on lessening the impact of climate change; just from different points of view. Climate change mitigation focuses on addressing the root problem cause of global warming, i.e. decreasing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Climate change adaptation has a focus on actions to lessen the impact of global warming on human and natural systems despite climatic conditions and or atmosphere greenhouse gas concentrations. Addressing global warming via mitigation in reality has been slow and complicated by political and economic positioning. Inevitable, while mitigation solutions evolve, the earth's climate will change and impact the vulnerable. Thus, adaptation efforts are needed to aid in making adjustments to inevitably new climatic conditions. ## ADAPTATION AND DEVELOPMENT Integrating adaptation can make our development work more effective and more sustainable. Integrating adaptation into development achieves three important things. 1. It can reduce the risks that climate change poses to development activities, stakeholders and results. This increases the sustainability of development initiatives. 2. It can help us to ensure that we are maximizing the contribution our development activities make to people's adaptive capacity. This increases the effectiveness of development initiatives. 3. It minimizes the risk that development initiatives inadvertently increase vulnerability to climate change. We call this maladaptation. Avoiding maladaptation is important for both sustainability and effectiveness.