SDG 13: Climate change

What is climate change? It is the global modification of the climate over a long period of time.

Factors

1. Human activities (eg. Transportation, industrialising) that are releasing and accumulating green house gases

• Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) - 64%

• Methane (CH4 )- 17%

• Nitrous oxide (N2O)- 6%

• Fluorinated gases

2. Rising emission

• Burning coal, oil and gas

• Deforestation

• Increasing livestock farming

• Fertilisers containing nitrogen

• Fluorinated gases

How the gases can cause climate change?

These gases absorb infrared radiation and this absorption slows the natural heat flow into space, warming the lower atmosphere. Some of the heat from the lower atmosphere is transferred to the ocean and raises its temperature as well. This retention of heat in the atmosphere is a natural phenomenon that has made earth habitat for its million of species. However, the atmosphere and ocean may continue to warm and the overall global temperature may rise due to human activities.

Impacts

• Sea level rise

• Reduced crop yields

• Greater diseases among forest species and biodiversity loss

• Erosion of shorelines

• Increased flood intensities

• Coral reef bleaching

• Increased incidences of disease

• Tidal inundation of coastal areas

• Decreased water availability

• Loss of biodiversity

• More droughts, among other things

Preventions

• Implement renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts

• Sustainable transportation

• Sustainable forest management

• Air pollution prevention

• Sustainable waste management via recycling and effluent treatment

• Green technologies

• Develop climate-resilient and low carbon economy

Current Situation

• Loss of sea ice

• Accelerated sea level rise and longer

• More intense heat waves

Future Effect

• Temperatures will rise up to 1.5 °C by 2050

• Changes in precipitation patterns

• Sea level will rise 15-95cm by 2100

• Arctic likely to become ice-free

• More rainfall extremes (more floods, longer drought)

• Threatening the increasing urban population in our coastal areas

• More dangerous weather phenomenon, eg heat waves, droughts, heavy rains and intense cyclonic storms