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A UAE newspaper has underlined the dire issues caused by climate changes and how cities, particularly in coastal areas, are witnessing the repercussions. In an editorial on Wednesday, the UAE newspaper cited the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released this week which revealed that one-third of the planet is vulnerable due to the impact of climate change.
"The 3,675-page report calls attention to the huge losses that would accrue to agriculture, dairy farming, meat industry by 2050 and 2100," Gulf Today said in its editorial.
The paper stated that the authors of the report have called for immediate measures to be taken by authorities globally to avoid any disaster. They have also highlighted the need for adaptive measures in a socially inclusive manner to resolve the crisis. The authors have also noted that the costs of adaptive measures will be very high.
In the reports, experts have underlined the urgency to invest necessary funds to help people from the impact of heatwaves and other extreme weather events that have been on the rise in recent years. According to the report, poor and marginalised people will be most affected by climate change, especially in South-East Asia, South Asia, and South America.
Staggered response to the challenges caused by climate change can result in severe economic consequences which can push about 183 million people in poor countries into poverty, the report added. It is one of the most concerning negative impacts of climate change on the global economy.
"Individual livelihoods have been affected through changes in agricultural productivity, impacts on human health and food security, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and loss of property and income, with adverse effects on gender and social equity. Rising temperatures would make agriculture labour less productive, and their shift away from farming and migration to cities will increase poverty levels and inequalities. And this, in turn, would decrease food production and increase food prices," the report stated.
The paper further commented that climate science has given us a broad picture of climate catastrophe, calling on governments and other relevant institutions to start detailed planning. It is also important for world governments to focus on sustainable solutions in their planning to avert the climate change crisis.
"But given the state of global economy at present and its dependence on fossil fuels, it does not help if the climate scientists continue to denounce fossil fuel as evil. It is a plain fact that keeping in mind the energy needs of the global economy; ways must be found to sustain its present levels while looking for alternate futures. Turning off the energy switches would be disastrous to avert climate change catastrophe," the Sharjah-based daily added in the editorial.
In conclusion, the newspaper called on climate scientists to identify more numbers related to climate change in the public domain and provide critical details related to effective ways to strengthen sectors of the economy while preventing climate change impact.
"It must be remembered that the critical condition of global climate is a consequence of the 150 years of industrialisation, and it cannot be undone," the editorial concluded.
SOURCE: WAM