Climate Change

What is Climate Change?

• Climate change is a change in weather patterns & related
changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over
time scales of decades or longer. Usually at least 30 years.

• It is measured using the statistical properties of the climate

system including averages, variability and extremes.

• The ‘climate system’ refers to the oceans, land surfaces, ice

sheets & the atmosphere.
• The Freeze in Chicago
How is climate change measured over time?
• Thermometers, rain gauges and other simple instruments have been
used to measure climate variables, starting in the mid-19th century.
• Since the 1970s, sophisticated sensors on earth-orbiting satellites
have provided near global coverage of many climate variables
• Earth-orbiting satellites, remote meteorological stations, and ocean
buoys are used to monitor present-day weather and climate
• but it’s paleoclimatology data from natural sources like ice cores, tree
rings, corals, and ocean and lake sediments can detect long-term
changes in the earth’s atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and
cryosphere (frozen water systems)
 What are the Factors involved?
Biggest Factor HUMAN ACTIVITY

• Increased Atmospheric CO2, methane and nitrous oxide

• Increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
• Changes to Land Cover (Thick Forests into Croplands & Pastures)
• Increase in Aerosols (Tiny Particles in the Atmosphere)
What are the Factors involved?
Natural Factors: Human Factors:
• Ozone Depletion
• Solar Fluctuations • Deforestation
• Changes in land cover (replacement of darker forests
• Meteorite impacts with paler croplands and grasslands)
• Plate tectonics
• Changes in the Earth’s orbit, • Mass Erosion
axial tilt and precession • Fossil Fuel Combustion
• Greenhouse Effect Trap Infrared Radiation in the Earth’s
• Volcanic Eruptions Atmosphere Water Vapor, Carbon Dioxide & Methane
• Quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
• Ocean currents and carbon • Aerosols
dioxide content • Methane, nitrous oxide, halocarbon gases and black-
carbon aerosols also have warming effects
Diagrammatic Representation of Factors
Climate Change vs Global Warming
Effects of Climate change
What are the effects of climate change?
● Rising sea level & Flooding
● Droughts
● Ice Caps
● Forest Fires
● Air pollution
● Health risks
● Water scarcity
● Loss of biodiversity
Melting Ice Caps

North and south poles play a crucial role

in maintaining earth’s climate. Global
warming can easily affect the ice caps and
cause major consequences.

How ice controls global climate?

The ice helps to keep the Earth cool by

reflecting the sun’s light and heat back
into the space.
Therefore losing sea ice means more
sunlight and heat being absorbed than
the usual parameter and the result
Rising sea level

“Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record Sea level rises mainly due to
keeping began in 1880. It is projected to rise another 1 to 8 feet by
2100. “
- Ice sheets melting from
north & south extremities
- Thermal expansion of the
water due to the rising
temperature
- Coastal lands submerging
(man-made)
Due to climate change the
temperature is exceeding
annually. Hence ice sheet melting
and thermal expansion will keep
accelerating, while land
submerging can be stabilised.
Flooding

● Flooding is one of the major

consequences of rising sea level.
● Other factors such as storm surges
and high tides could combine with
sea level rise and land sinking to
further increase flooding in many
regions.
● Flooding mainly causes the
freshwater to be contaminated that
increases health risk and destroys
habitat.
● It also threaten coastal ecosystems
and low-lying areas. (island nations)
Water scarcity
Climate change affects the social and
environmental determinants of health and
one of them is Water.

● Increasingly variable rainfall patterns are

likely to affect the supply of fresh water.

● Raising frequency of temperature rise

and drought.

● Rapidly melting ice caps that traditionally

are the source of freshwater.

● Flooding is vastly related to water

Droughts Drought can also affect people’s health and safety.
Examples of drought impacts on society include –
A drought is a prolonged period with less-than-average amounts of
rain or snow in a particular region. The severity of the drought
• anxiety or depression about economic losses,
depends on the amount of time that a region receives below-
• conflicts when there is not enough water,
average precipitation.
• reduced incomes,
• fewer recreational activities,
• higher incidents of heat stroke,
• and even loss of human life.
• Droughts affect livestock and crops, including cornerstone commodities like
corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Drought conditions can also provide a substantial increase in wildfire risk. As

plants and trees wither and die from a lack of precipitation, increased insect
infestations, and diseases—all of which are associated with drought—they
become fuel for wildfires.

The increase in drought is caused by many factors all of which have Long periods of
drought can
been driven at least in part by climate change :
equate to more
wildfires and more
• shortfalls in precipitation; intense wildfires,
• earlier snow melt; which affect the
• a shift away from light and moderate rains towards short, heavy economy, the
precipitation events; environment, and
society in many
• increased evaporation from soil and vegetation due to higher ways such as by
atmospheric temperatures destroying
neighborhoods,
Increased heating leads to greater evaporation of moisture from land, crops, and
thereby increasing the intensity and duration of drought. habitats.
Forest Fires
Forest fires have been increasing dramatically, as global
warming is leading to longer, harsher droughts and more
extreme weather events.

The smoke and carbon released into the atmosphere from

these fires also acts to accelerate further warming and
temperature rise.

The growing number of people in wild lands is increasing the

risk to life, property and public health. Smoke reduces air
quality and can cause eye and respiratory illness, especially
among children and the elderly.

Wildfires can also hasten ecosystem changes and release

large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere—
contributing to further climate change.

• Climate change has been a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of
wildfires in the world. Increasing heat, changing rain and snow patterns, shifts in
• Wildfire risk depends on a number of factors, including temperature, soil plant communities, and other climate-related changes have
moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs, and other potential fuel. vastly increased the likelihood that fires will start more often
• All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and burn more intensely and widely than they have in the
and climate change. Climate change causes forest fuels (the organic past.
matter that burns and spreads wildfire) to be more dry.
Air Pollution • Air pollutants include more than just greenhouse gases—
principally carbon dioxide but also methane, nitrous oxide
and others—but there’s a big overlap: the two often interact
• Air pollution and climate change are inextricably linked, with each other.
with one exacerbating the other.
• When the earth’s temperatures rise, not only does our air • For instance, air pollution in the form of particulate matter
gets dirtier—with smog and soot levels going up—but from diesel engines is circulated around the globe, ending
there are also more allergenic air pollutants such as up in the most remote places, including the polar regions.
circulating mold) and pollen (due to longer, stronger pollen When it lands on ice and snow it darkens them slightly,
seasons). leading to less sunlight being reflected back into space, and
contributing to global warming.

• The slightly warmer temperatures encourage plants in the

sub-Artic region to grow a tiny bit bigger, and as they grow
through the snow they cast a shadow, which, when
multiplied over millions of small plants, also has the effect
of darkening the Earth’s surface, leading to further warming.

Immediate changes to air pollution levels also have immediate

effects. Quick action on reducing highly potent, short-lived
climate pollutants - methane, tropospheric ozone,
hydrofluorocarbons and black carbon—can significantly
decrease the chances of triggering dangerous climate tipping
points, like the irreversible release of carbon dioxide and
methane from thawing Arctic permafrost.
 The adverse health effects of climate change
Health risks- Indirect consequences
• Vector-borne diseases,

The impacts of climate • Foodborne and waterborne illnesses,

change include warming
temperatures, changes in • Malnutrition,
precipitation, increases in
• Respiratory and allergic disorders,
the frequency or intensity
of some extreme weather
• Heat-related disorders,
events, and rising sea
levels. These impacts • Collective violence
threaten our health by
affecting the food we eat, • Mental health problems will all likely increase due to climate change.
the water we drink, the
air we breathe, and the
weather we experience. Poor, Minority groups,
Women, Children, and Older
people will face the greatest
challenges brought on by
• The severity of these health risks will depend on the ability of public health
climate-caused illness.
and safety systems to address or prepare for these changing threats, as
Between 2030 and 2050,
well as factors such as an individual's behavior, age, gender, and economic climate change is expected
status. to cause approximately 250
• Impacts will vary based on a where a person lives, how sensitive they are 000 additional deaths per
to health threats, how much they are exposed to climate change impacts, year, from malnutrition,
and how well they and their community are able to adapt to change. malaria, diarrhoea and heat
stress.
Loss of biodiversity
How does forest and ocean prevent climate change?

Forests and Oceans are vital ‘carbon

sinks’ that soak up carbon dioxide,
which is the main greenhouse gas
responsible for global warming.
Dying trees emit their stored carbon
dioxide to the
The forests and atmosphere.
oceans are habitats to countless plants & animals. Climate changes
affect their environment that can easily lead them to extinction.

Oceans are already experiencing large-scale changes at a warming of 1°C, with

critical thresholds expected to be reached at 1.5°C and above, which will largely
affect coral reefs.

Increasing pressure on wildlife to adapt to changing habitats.

What are some notable effects
caused by Climate Change?
Flash Flood in the Middle East
● Jeddah in Saudi Arabia has suffered almost
annual floods caused by sudden violent storms.

● In November 2018, a deadly storm swept across

the Arabian Peninsula, killing 30 people.

● Researchers added that the situation was worse

because the city’s rapid expansion in recent
years have covered the routes through which
water would pass by.

● Such unpredicted meteorological phenomena

happen due to climate change.
Forest Fire in Australia The most destructive fires are usually preceded by
Bushfires in Australia are a widespread and regular extreme high temperatures, low relative humidity and
strong winds, which combine to create ideal conditions for
occurrence that have contributed significantly to shaping
the rapid spread of fire.
the nature of the continent over millions of years. Five most deadly blazes were :
• Black Saturday 2009 in Victoria (173 people killed,
Eastern Australia is one of the most fire-prone regions of 2000 homes lost)
the world, and its predominant eucalyptus forests have • Ash Wednesday 1983 in Victoria and South Australia
evolved to thrive on the phenomenon of bushfire. (75 dead, nearly 1900 homes)
• Black Friday 1939 in Victoria (71 dead, 650 houses
destroyed)
However the fires can cause significant property damage • Black Tuesday 1967 in Tasmania (62 people and
and loss of both human and animal life. almost 1300 homes)
Bushfires have killed approximately 800 people in • the Gippsland fires and Black Sunday of 1926 in
Australia since 1851 and billions of animals. Victoria (60 people killed over a two-month period).

• It is estimated that the 2019–2020 bushfires led to the deaths

of at least 33 people and over 3 billion animals.

• Global warming boosted the risk of the hot, dry weather that's likely to cause
bushfires by at least 30%. But a study suggests the figure is likely to be much
greater.
• It says that if global temperatures rise by 2C, as seems likely, such conditions would
occur at least four times more often.
Indian Droughts

There have been 26 major droughts in

India from 1870-2018, out of which 18
were meteorological droughts and 16
were hydrological droughts.

All droughts were involving changes in

the temperature of waters in the central
and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean due to
climate change.

The impacts of the droughts impacted

food production, the economy and the
livelihoods of millions of farmers in India.
What are the effects of Climate Change in regards to Bangladesh?
•Excessive Rainfall
•Flooding
•Cyclones
•Flash Floods
The gradual rise of average air and oceanic temperatures will change the
•Mudslides rainfall and snowfall patterns, cause droughts and heat waves, intensify
tropical cyclones and floods, and increase sea levels. (also this)
•Droughts
•Loss of Migratory Birds
•Loss of Vegetation
•Reduced Nutrition
(Bangladesh is considered one of the countries most at risk to the effects of climate change and its coastal area is most vulnerable.- intro
te use koro)
Excessive Rainfall
Flooding
Bangladesh is exceptionally vulnerable to climate
change. Its low elevation, high population density
and inadequate infrastructure all put the nation in
harm’s way, along with an economy that is heavily
reliant on farming.

• Bangladesh is prone to flooding due to being situated on the

Brahmaputra River Delta and the many distributaries flowing
into the Bay of Bengal.

• Due to being part of such a basin and being less than 5 metres
above mean sea level, Bangladesh faces the cumulative effects
of floods due to water flashing from nearby hills, the
accumulation of the inflow of water from upstream
catchments, and locally heavy rainfall enhanced by drainage Flooding normally occurs during the monsoon season from June to
congestion. September. The convectional rainfall of the monsoon is added to by
relief rainfall caused by the Himalayas. Meltwater from the Himalayas is
• Bangladesh faces this problem almost every year. Coastal also a significant input.
flooding, combined with the bursting of river banks is
common, and severely affects the landscape and society of
Bangladesh. Each year in Bangladesh about 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi)
(around 18% of the country) is flooded, killing over 5,000 people and
• 80% of Bangladesh is [floodplain], and it has an extensive sea destroying more than seven million homes
coastlinerendering the nation very much at risk of periodic
widespread damage.
Cyclones
The climatic conditions of Bangladesh are influenced by a
number of global and regional scale factors.

In recent years, Bangladesh was hit by two consecutive

cyclones Sidr in 2007 and Aila in 2009.

Heavy rain accompanying cyclones and tidal waves due to

wind effects caused extensive physical destruction.

In 2016 there were four cyclones – Roanu, Kyant, Nada and

Vardah – in the Bay of Bengal
Flash floods

Flash flood in 2017 was the most devastated in the recent past.

The flash flood which is recurrent during April and May is the
number one ranked hazard that affects agriculture in Sunamganj
severely.

Different researchers predicted that the rainfall during April/May will

increase here due to the impact of climate change in future.

Each year in Bangladesh about 26,000 square kilometres (around

18% of the country) is flooded, killing over 5,000 people and
destroying more than seven million homes along with agriculture.
• Droughts
• Drought is one of the main problems for many nations, and
the severity of such issue goes big when it comes as obstacle
to ensure an optimum agricultural production for a country
like Bangladesh.

• Drought is being considered as the main cause which

hampers the estimated agricultural production, here in
Bangladesh over the last few decades.

• Northwestern regions of Bangladesh are particularly

exposed to droughts.

• Every five years, Bangladesh is affected by the major country-wide

droughts.

• However, local droughts occur regularly and affect crop production.

The agricultural drought, linked to soil moisture scarcity, occurs at
different stages of crop growth, development and reproduction.

• Monsoon failure often brings famine to the affected regions and as

a result crop production reduces drastically. Between 1960 and 1991, drought events occurred 19 times in Bangladesh.
Very strong droughts hit the country in 1961, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989,
1994, and 2000.
• Apart from the agricultural loss, droughts have important effect on Past droughts have naturally affected about 53% of the population and 47% of
livestock population, land degradation, health and employment. the country.
 Landslides On 12 June 2017, heavy
monsoon rain triggered a
• Landslides are caused by a combination of natural factors (heavy series of landslides and
rainfall, cyclones, flooding), and man-made factors. floods in Rangamati,
Chittagong and Bandarban -
• In Bangladesh, landslides are mostly triggered by heavy rainfall,
three hilly districts of
usually during June. Bangladesh - and killed at
• However, the underlying causes of landslide include deforestation, least 152 people.
hill cutting, and unregulated development work. Moreover, The weather also caused
poverty and landlessness force poor people to live in risky hill- power cuts and
slopes. telecommunications
disruptions, making it
difficult for rescuers to
All of these factors not only cause landslides but also contribute to the reach affected
exacerbation of their impact. communities.

• Landslides are a regular geologic hazard in southeastern Bangladesh, notably

in Chittagong Division (Bandarban, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachhari, and
Rangamati Districts), the part of the country with the highest average slope
gradients.

• Rapid urbanization has driven hill-cutting activities, deforestation, and

construction in Chittagong Division, leading to an increasing number and
impact of landslides.

• Particularly, the influx of Rohingya taking refuge within camps in Cox’s Bazar is
contributing to deforestation and hill-cutting at an alarming rate. Though,
Cox’s Bazar previously had relatively low impact of landslides, the risk is
becoming increasingly higher since 2010.
Loss of Migratory Birds

Rising temperature and climatic

changes are not suitable for
most migratory birds anymore.

Destroying the habitats also

does not provide habitat for
such birds.

Fast squeezing of water bodies

like 'haors' and 'beels' is also
attributed to the birds'
diminishing preference for this
country as a whole.
Loss of Biodiversity and Vegetation

Climate is one of the major factors controlling biological

diversity.
Deforestation already destroyed the country’s carbon
sink. Hence steps are being taken to increase forest
production.
Global climate change causes extreme weather
conditions like rainfall, drought and natural disasters like
cyclone, etc.
Hence its tough to maintain biodiversity and vegetation
after it has been altered naturally or man-made
processes.
• Reduced Nutrition
• Nutrition is also likely to be affected by climate change through
related impacts on food security, dietary diversity, care practices
and health.

• It has been reported that drought will increase in some

areas of Bangladesh due to change in rainfall pattern as
results of climate change.

• The effects of drought on health include deaths, malnutrition

(under nutrition, protein-energy malnutrition and/or
micronutrient deficiencies), infectious diseases and respiratory
diseases.

• Drought diminishes dietary diversity and reduces overall food

consumption, and may therefore lead to under nutrition.

• A study in Bangladesh found that drought and lack of

food were associated with an increased risk of mortality
from diarrhoeal illness.

Climate change threatens to exacerbate existing threats to food security

and livelihoods due to a combination of factors that include the
increasing frequency and intensity of climate hazards, diminishing
agricultural yields and reduced production in vulnerable regions, rising
health and sanitation risks, increasing water scarcity.
• Reduced Nutrition

• Significant progress has been made in cereal production in

Bangladesh over the past decades. However, the rapid population
growth and resulting high and growing food requirements pose a
difficult challenge given the limited availability of cultivable land
in Bangladesh. Re-occurring disasters further complicate the
stability of food production.

• Recently the government of Bangladesh and interested

organisations have started to encourage non-cereal food
production and consumption along with food self-sufficiency.

• Greater attention is being given to supportive policies for

agriculture input, research on non-cereal crops, and commercial
and homestead promotion of poultry and fruits/vegetables are
receiving greater attention.

• There is a clear need to diversify food sources both in terms of

land/environmental sustainability, development of the rural
economy and increased consumption to achieve improvements in
the nutritional status of the people of Bangladesh.
What are the misconceptions regarding
Climate Change?
• https://
c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2017/03/misconceptions-realities-clima
te-science-06-2012.pdf
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-myths-what-science
-really-says
/
• http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~
geerts/cwx/notes/chap01/misconception.html
• https://
theconversation.com/five-climate-change-science-misconceptions-de
bunked-122570
How can we slow down Climate Change?
• Reduce Fossil Fuel Usage
• Bring Down Emissions
• Reduce
Can Climate Change be stopped completely?
• Never
• It’s a Cyclic process which has been going on for thousands of years
• We simply accelerated the process
As an individual, what can we do about
Climate Change
• 3Rs
• Awareness
• Lobbying
• Fund Raising
To Summarize:
• Main Cause Behind Climate Change is Human Activity
• The Effects have been far-reaching from Physical Devastation to
Health Deterioration
• We Can Mitigate The Effects by taking action NOW
Thank You