Climate Change
Mannava V. K. SIVAKUMAR
Abstract
Over the last three decades, climate change has emerged as one of the most crucial issues for humankind, with serious implications for sustainable development. In recent decades, changes in climate have caused the impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans. Human ...
Read More
Over the last three decades, climate change has emerged as one of the most crucial issues for humankind, with serious implications for sustainable development. In recent decades, changes in climate have caused the impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans. Human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate. Climate change increases variability in the water cycle, inducing extreme weather events such as droughts and more erratic storms, reducing the predictability of water availability, affecting water quality and threatening sustainable development and biodiversity worldwide. Agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate change due to its high dependence on climate and weather. It is important to determine the impacts of climate change on water resources in order to develop possible adaptation strategies to improve water productivity. This paper discusses the observed climate change over the past few decades; the climate change-induced impacts, such as rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, increased droughts, and more erratic storms; the future climate change; the climate change impacts on water productivity; and the strategies to improve the water productivity such as improved policies, emphasis on sustainability, improving water resource management and use of appropriate models.
Climate Change
Bintul Huda Mir; M. A. Lone; Rohitashw Kumar; Somayeh Rahimi Khoshouei
Abstract
The Himalayas are one of the important and highest mountain ranges of the world spread over several countries. The region is rich in biodiversity and water resources. It is known as the third pole because of the largest glacier and ice reserve outside the two poles. This complex zone is highly critical ...
Read More
The Himalayas are one of the important and highest mountain ranges of the world spread over several countries. The region is rich in biodiversity and water resources. It is known as the third pole because of the largest glacier and ice reserve outside the two poles. This complex zone is highly critical and sensitive to the temperature fluctuations which is clearly visible in the changing dynamics of the glaciers present in the Himalayan region. Glaciers are an ideal sensor in this highly glaciated region to detect the causes and impacts of global warming. They form the backbone of this ecosystem especially the economy which makes the studies of the glaciers and climate change more important. This paper reviews the changing climatic scenario of the region with emphasis on the impacts on the glacier reserves. Various research findings have been put forth such as changing stream flows, decreased precipitation, increased frequency of extreme climate events, glacier shrinkage, expansion of glacier lakes and the glacier lake outburst floods. This detailed review of the previous studies will help in formulating the required strategies and management practices in the Himalayan region especially the water resources.
Climate Change
Samir A. Al-Gamal
Abstract
The water resources in Africa is very sensitive to climate changes and climate variability. Over 95 percent of Africa’s agriculture is rain-fed and rural populations depend on agriculture and other natural resources for their livelihoods, and their crops are sensitive to the small changes in temperature ...
Read More
The water resources in Africa is very sensitive to climate changes and climate variability. Over 95 percent of Africa’s agriculture is rain-fed and rural populations depend on agriculture and other natural resources for their livelihoods, and their crops are sensitive to the small changes in temperature and rainfall regimes. Climate change is expected to alter not only the hydrological cycle, temperature balance, and the rainfall patterns across Africa but also has the potential to add to existing pressure on basin biodiversity, basin biological and water productivity. Africa has experienced at least one major drought each decade over the past 30 years. Climatologists have underlined the high year-to-year inconstancy of precipitation sums and the related dry season time frames and warmth waves. It is expected that worldwide there will be a 40 percent increase in demand for water by 2030. Major concerns for the water sector in Africa include the limited access to water, including groundwater, and limited governance capacity. Excessive pumping of shallow aquifers in Africa may bring about saltwater intrusion only as contamination of groundwater, lakes, and decrease in hydropower vitality as an immediate outcome to climatic changes and may prompts genuine water disputes. Water management is a pressing challenge, which, if not improved now, could see its problems greatly exacerbated in a future, warmer climate.
Climate Change
Noureddine Gaaloul; Saeid Eslamian; Rim Katlance
Abstract
This study seeks to assess the effects of climate change on the agriculture sector across a number of Southern Mediterranean countries and evaluate relevant policy measures addressing these challenges for the region. Agriculture is dependent on land and water use, and key activity for rural populations ...
Read More
This study seeks to assess the effects of climate change on the agriculture sector across a number of Southern Mediterranean countries and evaluate relevant policy measures addressing these challenges for the region. Agriculture is dependent on land and water use, and key activity for rural populations over large areas in Southern Mediterranean Countries. Water resources are essential to a stable agricultural production, but also to the supply of growing cities. In this region, it is likely that the stress imposed by climate change to agriculture has contributed to the reduction water availability. Adaptation is a key factor that will shape the future severity of climate change impacts on food production. Food and nutrition security presents a significant challenge for these Southern Mediterranean countries. Agriculture, which accounts for 70 percent of all water uses, is increasingly required to ‘make its case’ for its share of water to enable food production and ensure food security. At the same time, the sustainability of agricultural water use is under increasing scrutiny. In recent decades, attempts to solve the growing water issues have focused on management issues without considering the governance dimension, and mostly on a sectoral basis. While successful in many ways, this approach seems to have reached its limits. This paper describes the first comprehensive assessments of climate change and its impacts in Eastern and Western Mediterranean Countries, covering different sectors, ranging from physical climate drivers as temperature and precipitation, to agriculture, forests, and from water resources to social impacts and policy evaluation. The evidence provided suggests the need for more effective adaptation measures for the agriculture sector across Eastern (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine) and Western (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) of south Mediterranean countries. Southern Mediterranean Countries are affected by climate change. This is associated with increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts and hot weather conditions. Since the region is diverse and extreme climate conditions are already common, the impacts are disproportional. The impacts of climate change on Southern Mediterranean Countries water resources are significant. Climate induced changes in precipitation and air temperature lead to earlier timing of peak flows, greater frequency of flooding, and more extreme drought conditions. Rainfall in these countries is even expected to increase in winter, while decreasing in spring and summer, with a substantial increase of the number of days without rainfall. Anticipated regional impacts of climate change include heat stress, associated with poor air quality in the urban environment, combined with increasing scarcity of fresh water and decreasing water productivity in arid regions.This study seeks to assess the effects of climate change on the agriculture sector across a number of southern Mediterranean countries and evaluate relevant policy measures addressing these challenges for the region.
