Impacts of climate change

Watch the following video about sea level rise

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKd_Pb2HUA

Qn to ponder:- How sea level rising can affect countries

Sea level rise

• Sea level rise is the increase in the mean height of the sea’s surface between high tide and low tide relative to land.

Sea level rise• High temperatures cause the melting of

glaciers that cause a rise in sea level.

• Higher temperatures in the atmosphere cause water in oceans and seas to expand. This increases the sea level.

Sea level rise

Example:

- 600 million people worldwide live in areas less than 10 metres above sea level.- Rising sea levels threaten low-lying areas and islands.- 33% of the world’s largest cities in coastal areas are also at risk due to rising sea levels.

The next video will also give you a short summary of various effects of climate change!

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuH-ThmNUjM

More extreme weather events

• A severe and rare weather phenomenon that results in significant economic losses and loss of lives.

• These include heatwaves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones.

More extreme weather events

• Increasing due to higher land and sea surface temperatures.

More frequent extreme weather events.

Example: UK• An extreme cold spell• In December 2010 much of the UK was under snow.

Arctic air caused the temperatures to drop significantly below the average. At night temperatures of -10°C were not uncommon.

• An extreme heat wave• In summer 2003 Europe suffered from an intense heat

wave. In the UK the temperature of 38.5°C was the highest ever to be recorded.

Spread of infectious diseases

• Climate change could result in increased temperatures and rainfall in various parts of the world.

• Insects thrive in these favourable conditions

• Heavy rainfall may allow mosquitoes to grow in numbers in aquatic habitats resulting in the spread of malaria and dengue fever.

Spread of infectious diseases

• The distribution of the occurrence of infectious insect – borne diseases is also changing. Regions with moderate temperatures such as Europe and North America are facing diseases once confined to the tropics

• For eg, dengue fever was reported in cool climate of Nepal and Bhutan for the first time in 2004.

How does climate change affect the growth of crops?? Is it all

negative? Or are there positive changes too?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW1Z_FIS9zY

Lengthening the growing season in certain regions

• In the Yunnan province, China, the production of fruits such as apples and cherries and nuts such as almonds and walnuts is reduced as these fruits and nuts require cool weather conditions.

Lengthening the growing season in certain regions

• An increase in the types of crops that can be grown in the United Kingdom.

• New crops such as blackberries and maize can be cultivated.

• The production of fruit, soyabeans, potatoes and wheat is projected to increase in Canada.