Dear Friends/Co-sailors,
For the “today's pick” section in my blog, I paste below an
article that lists out ten countries where climate change kills the most
people. India stands at number five in
this list that has been prepared by siliconindia website based on an India TV
report.
I am not sure about the authenticity of the ranking as there
seem to be many gaps in the information.
Nevertheless, the information is important to be shared.
This is also important because governments as well as civil
society organisations, including those who are at forefront of advocacy in the
global climate change related negotiations, get often swayed by the ‘death’
figures in disasters.
Interestingly, this website does not feature Philippines
among the top ten countries where ‘climate change kills most people’. But, the Yolanda typhoon that affected the
country just at the time the CoP 19 was to begin, remained in centre of
discussion – both by government and civil society - during the Warsaw
negotiations.
Ironically, the news of PHAILIN that affected the Bay of
Bengal just about a month ago, subsided. PHAILIN did no less devastation. Our memories are too short, this confirmed. It also proved that civil society has started
to think in the same line as governments.
Attention goes to a disaster where more people are killed?
Or is it simply a knee jerk response as an ‘advocacy
strategy’? If I believe this then one
would have expected ‘calls of support’, ‘calls of solidarity’ etc. for both the
recent disasters. However, experience
has proven otherwise.
At least my own experience being in some global networks
gives me a different learning. While a
lot of efforts seem to have happened by the leadership of these networks to
raise support and solidarity for Yoganda victims, I have not seen even one for
PHAILIN victims. Well, there have been
mails in solidarity, but not any effort by such groups to work for victims of
other disasters than those of the recent one.
Even in lobbying with International Financial Institutions(IFIs) or Multilateral Development Banks(MDBs) against conditions of loans for
reconstruction, they chose to talk about Yoganda alone!
I may be wrong. I
sincerely want to be. However, these are
points to be reflected upon by international advocacy and civil society groups
who claim to be working for the globe and/or particular regions.
Their behaviour cannot be like the governments; their
memories cannot be too short; and their perspective of disasters should not
just be limited to ‘human death tolls’.
Looking forward to your comments/feedback.
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan
============
10 Countries Where Climate Change Kills The Most People
Bangalore: It seems that the world is slowly moving towards
destruction, mainly due to climate changes. Man-made wars are no longer the
only threat to the masses but natural disasters are uncontrollably taking away
the lives of millions. Here are the 10 nations where climate change is
affecting the lives of the masses, as listed by India TV-
1. Bangladesh:
The geographic location makes Bangladesh vulnerable to
natural disasters like floods, drought and cyclones. To a large extent,
communities have adapted and developed resilience to changes caused by normal
floods. According to National Geographic, this country tops the list of the
nation with the most vulnerable impacts by the climate change.
However, severe floods of high magnitude have been creating
an adverse impact on the economy and even loss of life. Major floods had
occurred in Bangladesh in 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012. During each
flood, hundreds of people were killed and many crops were damaged. In 2012, at
least 100 people were killed and 250,000 people were left stranded by flash
floods and landslides in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
2. Sudan:
Sudan, a North African nation is one of the most disaster
prone countries. In this country, temperatures are increasing and rainfall is
decreasing. Arid and semi-arid areas are expanding as more water is lost
because of the climate change. As such, the land quality is reduced where more
of it turns into a desert, and crop yields to fall. As water becomes scarcer,
people can no longer be self-sufficient in crop cultivation and livestock
husbandry. So, it is an emergency operation for Sudan to responds to the
continuing complex humanitarian and food security situation, characterized by
localized conflicts, extended displacement and a deteriorating economy. The
main effect of climate change is a reduction in rainfall, which also means a
reduction in food security and clean water resources.
3. Caribbean:
Caribbean, the island nations, is today at risk for their
freshwater supplies, thanks to the frequent climate change. Changing rainfall
patterns not only replenish the countries’ underground water reservoirs but
also contaminating fresh water supplies with salt water. As per some experts,
rising sea and changing climate patterns could result in less rain supply to
reservoirs in the coming decades. Not just this, the island nation has also
come across a Hurricane Katrina that swept through New Orleans in 2005, taking
away the lives of 1,600 people, which further caused an estimated $40 billion
of damages. On top of this, many Caribbean nations rely mainly on underground
water for their needs, a vulnerable source that would be hit hard by climate
change effects.
4. Australia:
Australia’s climate varies extensively because of its large
geographical area, but by far, a large part of the country is desert or
semi-arid. Due to this, it has always been a hot-spot for natural disasters
like forest fires. In Australia, the record high temperatures are increasingly
damaging greenery and causing a fall in the water levels in agricultural
basins. These are equally hazardous to plants and human life as a whole. An
average of 1,100 people loses their lives in Australia due to its varying
climatic conditions and this number is expected to increase in the near future.
5. India:
India ranks fifth in the list and the country is undergoing
severe drought conditions, having a significant impact on agricultural outputs.
Other than drought, the country is prone to natural hazards like earthquakes,
floods and landslides. For instance, there were more than 2,00, 000 people whom
lost their lives in the earthquake that took place in 2001. The earthquake reached a magnitude of 7.7 and
nearly 40,000 homes were destroyed.
India was also hit by deadly flood in 2009. It had affected
various states in India and the most affected were Karnataka, North-Eastern
states, Orissa and Gujarat. In 2012, the worst monsoon floods had hit the
region of northeast India, which had killed more than 80 people and had forced
around 2 million to leave their homes. Even the wildlife was also not spared.
Many animals and endangered species were washed away in the floods in Kaziranga
National Park, Assam. The most recent disaster that struck the temple town of
Uttarakhand too is one of the major effects of climate change.
6. Siberia:
Siberian environment are transforming at a fast pace mainly
due to global warming. Evidence shows that carbon cycles are displaying rapid
change, with potentially grave consequences for the region’s flora and fauna.
Descriptions of energy and water cycles, changes in surface reflectance due to
snow, and vegetation coverage are some of the key aspects that indicate the
regions’ susceptibility to climatic change. The area is subject to abnormal
variations in temperature and precipitation due to the effects of climate
change like global warming.
7. Tuvalu:
In Tuvalu, a Polynesian island nation where climate change
is of major concern, since the average height of the island is less than 2
meters (6.6 ft) above sea level. , It could be one of the first nations to
experience the effects of sea level rise. The sea level varies as a consequence
of a wide range of atmospheric and oceanographic influences. Studies show that
the influence of global warming could be a major factor in heightening the
present climate systems.
8. Great Barrier Reef:
The Great Barrier Reef which is located in the Coral Sea,
off the coast of Queensland, Australia is the world's largest coral reef
system. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny
organisms, known as coral polyps. According to the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority, the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef is the fast changing
climatic change that caused ocean warming and that ultimately increases coral
bleaching. Due to elevated ocean temperatures, mass coral bleaching events
occurred especially during summer and it is expected to become an annual
occurrence. This will eventually lead to increased disease susceptibility,
which causes harmful ecological effects for reef communities. Climate change
has also implications for other forms of reef life.
9. Alps:
The Alps are an iconic symbol of Europe and one of the
continent's prime tourist destination. Of late, the Alps are facing the
challenge of change in the climate where its temperatures have risen by just
under 2°C over the last 120 years, almost twice as much as the global average.
This provides a clear picture of the changes brought by global warming. In the
recent decades many Alpine glaciers have shrunk to half their earlier size, and
by the end of the century all the glaciers of the Alps, with a few exceptions,
may well have melted away. The consequences are rock falls, landslides and more
mudslides.
10. Myanmar:
In Myanmar, the problem of environmental changes is
compounded by the fact that the polity has been caught up in turmoil and this
has resulted in environmental hazards. Climatic changes from the cold to warmer
seasons led to the rise in temperature and caused the spread of water borne
diseases. The change in weather leads to the growth of parasites in the water
which impairs the natural process in marine conditions. Fish seem to be dying
due to a lack of oxygen and the proliferation of parasitic organisms.
-
By SiliconIndia
| Tuesday, 19 November 2013
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