Does it matter if climate changes?
What are the impacts of changing climates on different parts of the world?
Are all people affected equally by climate change?
What are the impacts of changing climates on different parts of the world?
Impact of GW/CC affected by physical environment, economic robustness, availability and willingness to adapt to new technologies,
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Case study areas at risk
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Low lying areas, for example Maldives, inundation by sea water
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Desert fringes, for example Sudan, incr unreliability of rains ,desertification, water stress
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Lower courses of River valleys; flooding, for example London and Manhattan
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Cyclone areas - increasing frequency and severity of storms, for example SE USA and SE Asia
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Alpine glacier - melt, increase runoff and flood risk, for example Bangladesh
Are all people affected equally by climate change?
Those that are least able to adapt to impacts will be the most vulnerable. Global warming will exacerbate the effects of global inequalities.
Draw parallel with risk vulnerability in case of hazards- exposure to type of risk varies across the world. Risks can be loss of life, susceptibility to epidemics, water stress, loss of permanent home, increased forced mobility/migration through to loss of lifestyle and amenity choices, for example more expensive skiing holidays.
Links
Watch the Defra video on changing climate on YouTube.
What impacts are shown in the video? What messages are being communicated in it? Is it effective?
Remember a few lessons back you looked at the climate in different location?
In the same groups as last time, create a table to summarise the climate in each location using the predictions from the IPCC factsheet. Split the summary into categories: water, ecosystems, food, coasts, industry and health. You can use the table template if you wish.
The BBC website might give you some more information.
Which parts of the world may be most affected by a changing climate?
Are all the impacts negative?
What about the opportunities?