Climate Change and Environmental Hazards

B-Test

Hazard: A natural or human-made event that can cause harm (e.g., earthquake, floods).
Risk: The probability of a hazard causing harm.
Vulnerability: How susceptible a community is to harm from a hazard.
Disaster: The aftermath when a hazard significantly impacts people, causing loss of life or damage.

Regional: Affects several communities (e.g., monsoon floods in South Asia).
National: Can damage national infrastructure or economy (e.g., wildfires in California).
Global: Can impact global systems (e.g., climate change).

Bangladesh experiences annual monsoon flooding from June to September due to heavy rainfall and snowmelt from the Himalayas.
In the 2007 floods:
- Ground 14 million people were affected.
- Over 1,000 people died.
- Around 2 million tonnes of rice were lost.
- Over 10,000 schools were damaged.
Poor infrastructure and high population increase vulnerability.
Response: The government and NGOs distributed emergency supplies, built raised flood shelters, and implemented early warning systems.

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to irrigate cotton fields, leading to the loss of the Aral Sea.
The Aral Sea shrunk over 90% of its original volume.
The sea had changed from 68 species of fish to blanch to 6. Resultantly over 60,000 fishing jobs were lost.
The exposed seabed released salt and pesticide-laced dust, causing high rates of respiratory illness in nearby communities.
Response: Kazakhstan built the Kok-Aral Dam in 2005, restoring part of the North Aral Sea, where water levels rose and fish stocks began to recover.

Anthropogenic:
- Burning fossil fuels (increases CO_2).
- Deforestation (increases CO_2).
- Agriculture (methane from livestock increases methane).
Natural:
- Volcanic eruptions.
- Ocean activity.
- Ocean currents (El Niño, La Niña).

Very cold, dry climate.
Winter average temperature: -30°C.
Permafrost and ice dominate the landscape.
Warming nearly 4x faster than the global average due to climate change.
Impacts: Melting ice caps, rising sea levels leading to habitat loss for example polar bears; indigenous populations and ecosystems in danger.

Hot and wet all year, average temperature: 27°C.
High rainfall.
Example: Central Africa.
Impacts: Increased flooding, droughts, loss of biodiversity.
Deforestation contributes to CO_2 emissions and climate change.
Both the Arctic and the Tropics show how climate change affects different environments differently.

Aims to limit global warming to below 2°C, with an optimal limit of 1.5°C.
Signed by nearly every country.
Not legally binding.
Large countries must report progress.
Promotes global cooperation, renewable energy, and climate finance for poorer nations.

Electric vehicles.
Renewable energy (solar).
Carbon trading: Each company gets an emission limit; if they emit less than allowed, they can sell credits to others, encouraging active participation and funding for emission reduction.

Wildfires in LA, including the Palisades and Calabasas Fires, were driven by drought, dry vegetation, and strong winds.
Caused 29 deaths and 20,000 evacuations, destroying thousands of buildings and polluting the air.
A malfunctioning alert system caused widespread confusion.
Response: Officials began upgrading alert systems and renewed evacuation protocols to prevent future errors.
The Fires show how climate change and poor land management worsen wildfire risk.