Transcript Climate Change and Development

Dr Mahfuzul Haque
Points for Discussion
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Weather and Climate
Noticeable Changes: Global and Local
Meaning of Climate Change
Sources of GHGs
Contribution of GHGs
Meaning of Development
How Climate change is affecting Development and
vice-versa
 Sustainable Development
 Way Out?
Weather and Climate
Difference between Weather and Climate
 Weather is day to day forecast on temperature,
rainfall, snowfall, wind direction, humidity,
atmospheric movement etc.
 Climate is 30-year average of weather pattern in an
area
 What changes are taking place in the Climate globally
and locally in Bangladesh?
Noticeable Changes (Global)
 In last one decade, we noticed increased presence of
natural disaster both in terms of intensity and
frequency
 2003 heat wave in Europe killed 35,000 people in
France, Portugal, Italy and Netherlands
 We had the ten hottest years in last 14 years. 2010 has
been the hottest year ever recorded with Pakistan
logging 53.7 degree Celsius
 2010 summer temperature in Russia exceeded by 7.8
degrees Celsius causing fire in the wheat fields forcing
a ban on grain export
Noticeable Changes (Global)
 Two-thirds of US from Oklahoma to Chicago went
under the grip of snow-storm and blizzards with 2-feet
snow in January 2011
 Of late, a number of hurricanes and tornados visited
the globe
 Most catastrophic were Hurricane Jeanne in Florida
(2004), Ivan also in Florida(2004), Catrina in New
Orleans, (August 2005), Emily in Caribbean (2005),
first ever hurricane in South Atlantic in 2004 and the
list goes on (ref: An Inconvenient Truth)
 In 2004 alone, ten typhoons visited Japan
Noticeable Changes (Global)
 Unusual floods in Central Europe in Switzerland and
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Austria in August 2005
2010 unusual floods in Pakistan submerged 1/5th of the
country claiming 2000 lives
Unusual floods in Queensland, Australia in December
2010, never heard of in last 40 years
Ocean water is getting warmer too causing cyclonic storms
as well as the glacier continues to melt
Ice caps of many mountains are fast disappearing: Mt
Kilimanjaro in Kenya; Columbia glacier in Alaska; Melting
Himalayan glacier in Nepal etc are some examples
Noticeable Changes (Bangladesh)
 We are known to be a disaster-prone country: floods,
cyclone, drought, tornado, tidal surges, earthquakes,
landslides, river erosion and so on
 Recently, we saw them with increased ferocity and
frequency
 We had bad floods in 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007
considering their severity and damages of human lives and
properties
 1998 flood was unprecedented as it continued to inundate
2/3rd of Bangladesh for 2 months
Noticeable Changes (Bangladesh)
 Flash floods in the north-eastern Haors in March
2010 destroyed their lone crops. Flash floods are
regularly visiting the haors for last few years
 12 April 1970 cyclone and associated tidal bore
killed 500,000 people
 29 April 1991 cyclone and associated water surges
killed 140,000 people
 Two cyclonic storms Sidr in November 2007 and
Aila in May 2009 in the coastal areas of Bangladesh
were devastating
All these noticeable changes
globally and locally convey a
message that something is
wrong somewhere
Climate Change: Meaning
 According to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992,
“Climate Change means a change of climate which is
attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that
alters the composition of the global atmosphere
…….”(Article: 1)
 Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s
latest report (2009) says Green House Gases (GHGs)
are continuously increasing
Climate Change: Meaning
 What are the GHGs?
 GHGs are Carbon Dioxide-CO2, Methane-CH4
Nitrous oxide-N2O, SO2 in the atmosphere
 What do they do?
 Presence of GHGs in the atmosphere trap sun rays and
heat that cause global warming
What happens?
 Frequency and intensity of natural disaster (floods,
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cyclone, tornado, drought) to increase
Sea level rise to take place, permanently inundating
the low-lying areas in the coast
In temperate zone, winter will be shorter and warmer;
in Summer zone, it would be longer and hotter
Rainfall to be irregular, evaporation to increase
causing floods and drought
Spread of many vector-borne diseases
Sources of GHGs
 Carbon Dioxide (CO2), is produced by combustion of fossil
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fuels (coal, petrol, diesel, natural gas), land-use changes
and deforestation
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and NOx are also produced due to
fossil fuel burning
Methane (CH4) is produced also from burning of fossil
fuels, rice agriculture, biomass burning, landfills and from
fermentation process by ruminant cattle
Chloroflurocarbon (CFCs) used in refrigerators and air
conditioners are released to atmosphere during repair
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is produced due to microbial activity
in the soil by chemical fertilizers containing nitrogen
Contribution of GHGs to GW
(ref: Shine et al., 1990)
4%
9.5%
10.5%
CO2
15%
CH4
61%
CFCs
N2O
others
Message for us
 IPCC Report 2007 says that the damages to world’s
ecology by global warming will be irreversible if CO2
emission is not reduced within next 10 years
 16th Conference of Parties (COP-16) of UNFCCC held
in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010 urged cuts of
CO2 emission so that global temperature will not rise
over 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial level
 We are to curb CO2 to an admissible level in order to
make this only habitable planet a livable one
 Meaning minimize use of fossil fuels and go for
adaptation measures
Let us now discuss
what do we mean by
“Development”
Meaning of Development
 Development is intended to bring a positive change for
human being and its surroundings
 Development is understood as a process aiming at
poverty alleviation, improved standards of living and
greater capacity for self-reliance and empowerment
 Development is followed by urbanization, fast
communication, modernization, industrialization,
changes in lifestyle and so on
 Development improves living standards and the
quality of life
Meaning of Development
 Development also brings with it miseries, diseases,
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sickness and sadness
Development brings with various social vices: greed,
corruption and unethical competition
Development breeds tension and frustration
Development causes disaster, destruction, war and
famine
Families are broken and family bondage loosened with
the Development
How Development is affecting
the Climate? and
How Climate Changes are
affecting our Development?
How Dev affecting Climate?
 For development, modernization, fast communication,
industrialization and rapid urbanization, fossil fuels
are used causing emission of GHGs. They are:
 Coal, diesel, furnace oil for electricity generation
 Coal, biomass for brick kilns
 Petrol, diesel, natural gas for running vehicles and
cooking
• Deforestation and land-use changes increase CO2
• Refrigerators, air conditioners emit CFCs
• Landfills emitting CH4
CC affecting Development
 We know by now that change in the climate increases
both intensity and frequency of natural disasters:
floods, cyclones, tidal surges, drought, heat wave, cold
wave, melting of glacier etc
 All development infrastructures: roads, highways,
towns and cities would be adversely affected by natural
disaster
 Climate change causes sea level to rise. Low lying
coastal areas will completely go under water creating
displacement of people. We may call them
“environmental refugees”
CC affecting Development
 Inundation will affect towns and cities, biodiversity
and wildlife. Some island nations would completely
disappear
 Melting of glaciers would give rise to not only sea level
but also cyclonic storms due to formation of low
pressure over heated water surface
 Climate change would give rise to many vector borne
and water borne diseases like malaria, diarrhea,
dengue, avian flue, birds flue, SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) etc
Question arises
Is Development
destructive?
What to Do?
 We badly need development to continue
 We are to ensure that food production is not
threatened; communication is made faster; quality
of human life is improved; employment is
generated through industrialization and creation
of new jobs; alleviation of poverty; and peoples’
increased access to health and hygiene etc
 We can not compromise with development
 We also need to minimize adverse impacts of
development on the climate
 How to strike a balance between the two?
Sustainable Development
 We go for “Sustainable Development”
 What does it mean?
 “Sustainable Development is the development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising with the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”. (ref: Our
Common Future, WCED, 1987)
 Meaning Development to be allowed to continue
in a sustainable manner
Way Out?
 Are we ready to go for some mitigation and adaptation
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measures for stabilizing GHGs?
Mitigation measures are:
Promotion of renewable energy (solar, hydro, biogas,
wind, wave etc)
Conversion of automobiles to CNG
Use of coal for brick kilns: improved model for kilns
Increased efficiency of fossil fuel burning
Introduction of Environmental Management System
(EMS) for domestic and industrial energy use
Way Out?
 Adaptation measures are:
 Agriculture : saline tolerant variety of crops; floating
gardens; rain water harvest; crop diversification; canal
re-excavation
 Habitat : Flood-proof homes; flood-proof drinking
water and sanitation; cyclone shelters
 Promote 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)
Way Out?
 We are to mainstream Climate Change into all sectoral
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Plans and Policies
Adopt long and short term policy measures
Develop a “Green Constituency” by making people
aware of environmental issues and concerns
An activated Local government will help ensure
“effective environmental governance”
A vibrant and active media (print and electronic) to
play the role of an watchdog in climate crisis
Probable Questions
 What is meant by Climate Change? What are the effects of
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climate change on the environment?
What do you mean by Green House Gases? What are their
sources? How do they cause global warming?
What do you mean by mitigation measures? What
mitigation measures are needed to be adopted in
Agriculture sector of Bangladesh?
Is “development” destructive? How to continue with
development programs without compromising with the
environment?
How to mainstream “climate change” in all sectoral policies
and plans? Name some major plans.
Further Reading
 Rana, S.V.S., Essentials of Ecology and Environmental Science. New
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Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India, 2005. (pages: 384-427)
The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our
Common Future, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.
Rahman. A., et al, Exploding the Population Myth, Consumption
Versus Population: Which is the Climate Bomb? Dhaka: BCAS, July
1993.
Text on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)1992. Internet: www.unfccc.int
Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Department of Environment, Global Climate Change: Bangladesh
Episode, 1997.
Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Bangladesh,
Climate Change Cell, Dhaka,2009.
THANKS