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Climate Change

Summary of Reading Materials

Submitted to:

Dr. Rashed Uz Zaman

Course ID: MDP 629

Course Title: Global Issues in Sustainable Development

Submitted by:

Md. Nadim RahmanStudent Id: 13169002

Date of Submission: 16 September, 2013

MDMP, FALL 2013

BRAC Development Institute

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The key point addressed in chapter 20 of the paperPerspectives on climate changeand sustainability (2007) is that vulnerability to specific impacts of climate change willturn most severe when it is measured along with stresses from other non-climaticsources like poverty, uneven access to resources, food security, environmentaldegradation, natural hazards etc. Climate change is the only direct driver whose

extent and importance to a series of regions, ecosystems and resources is likely tocontinue to grow over the next several decades. Coping with climate change impactsand promotion of sustainable development intersect in terms of their goals anddeterminants like equity in access and distribution of resources, availability of humanand social capital, access to risk-sharing mechanisms and abilities of decision-support mechanisms. Even some development initiatives are seen to worsenclimate-related vulnerabilities. Climate change adaptation is often overlooked indevelopment programmes because links between sustainable development andclimate change have historically been defined primarily in terms of mitigation.Specific policies and programmes, individual initiatives, participatory planningprocesses and other community approaches can reduce vulnerability to climate

change but vulnerability reduction efforts will not be sufficient to eliminate alldamages associated with climate change. Climate change has the potential to hinderprogress of nations and societies through the trails of sustainable development.Climate change will be a significant hindrance to meeting the MDGs over the longterm as stresses from climate change will grow over time. Combination of adaptationand mitigation measures might be effective for a certain period but not in the longrun. Future impacts of climate change are dependent not only on the rate of climatechange, but also on the future social, economic and technological state of the world.Priority should be given to - expanding understanding of the synergies in andobstacles to simultaneous progress in promoting enhanced adaptive capacity andsustainable development; integrating current development works and climate-changecommunities more closely; searching common ground between spatially explicitanalyses of vulnerability and aggregate integrated assessment models; developingnew decision-support mechanisms that can identify vigorous coping strategies evenin the face of uncertainties.

Pachauri (2008) emphasizes on the application of sustainability science in his paperon Climate change and sustainability science. He promotes that the IPCC model ofusing knowledge and science to shape public policy can be applied to address otherstresses besides climate change. The problem of climate change is only a small partof the problem of unsustainable development. The basic issue is that the world has

grown and developed in a manner that is not sustainable. Therefore it is necessaryto look at how development can be made sustainable. Indeed, climate changeprovides an opportunity for the practical application of sustainability science whichexamines scientific, engineering and social science aspects of a problem. It isimportant to have multidisciplinary themes that look at a particular subject in itsentirety and from different angles. Otherwise, the big picture might be missed.Problems which can make a difference both locally and globally must be solvedtogether. It is absolutely essential to see that developed countries take the lead insetting an example. The authors personal view is that it is the time to startquestioning fundamentals and ethics.

The IPCC synthesis report (2007) on climate change provides an integrated view ofclimate change. It discusses observed changes in climate and their effects on natural

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and human systems, causes of the observed changes, projections of future climatechange and related impacts under different scenario, adaptation and mitigationoptions and their interactions with sustainable development, and relationshipbetween adaptation and mitigation. Major findings of the report are as follows:

Warming of the climate system is explicit, as observed through increases in

global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow andice and rising global average sea level.

Observational evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that manynatural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularlytemperature increases.

Recent warming is strongly affecting terrestrial biological systems like earliertiming of spring events (such as leaf-unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying)and poleward and upward shifts in ranges in plant and animal species.

Changes in marine and freshwater biological systems are associated withrising water temperatures, as well as related changes in ice cover, salinity,oxygen levels and circulation.

Other effects of regional climate changes on natural and human environmentsare emerging, although many are difficult to discern due to adaptation andnon-climatic drivers.

Sea level rise and human development are together contributing to losses ofcoastal wetlands and mangroves and increasing damage from coastalflooding in many areas.

Apparent human influences extend beyond average temperature to otheraspects of climate, including temperature extremes and wind patterns.

Anthropogenic warming and sea level rise would continue for centuries due tothe time scales associated with climate processes and feedbacks, even if

GHG concentrations were to be stabilized. Anthropogenic warming could lead to some impacts that are abrupt or

irreversible, depending upon the rate and magnitude of the climate change.

Adaptive capacity is intimately connected to social and economicdevelopment, but it is not evenly distributed across and within societies.

Changes in lifestyle and behaviour patterns can contribute to climate changemitigation across all sectors. Management practices can also have a positiverole.

Policies that provide a real or implicit price of carbon could create incentivesfor producers and consumers to significantly invest in low-GHG products,technologies and processes.

Both synergies and trade-offs exist between adaptation and mitigationoptions.

Successful agreements for reductions of global GHG emissions at theinternational level through cooperation are environmentally effective, cost-effective, incorporate distributional considerations and equity, and areinstitutionally feasible.

Responding to climate change involves an iterative risk management processthat includes both mitigation and adaptation, taking into account actual andavoided climate change damages, co-benefits, sustainability, equity andattitudes to risk.

Neither adaptation nor mitigation alone can avoid all climate change impacts.Adaptation is necessary both in the short term and longer term to address

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impacts resulting from the warming that would occur even for the loweststabilization scenarios assessed. Adaptation and mitigation can complementeach other and together can significantly reduce the risks of climate change.

Efforts to mitigate GHG emissions to reduce the rate and magnitude ofclimate change need to account for inertia in the climate and socio-economic

systems. In order to stabilize the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere, emissions

would need to peak and decline thereafter. The lower the stabilization level,the more quickly this peak and decline would need to occur.

Mitigation efforts over the next two to three decades will have a large impacton opportunities to achieve lower stabilization levels

The macro-economic costs of mitigation generally rise with the stringency ofthe stabilization target and are relatively higher when derived from baselinescenarios characterized by high emission levels.

Impacts of climate change will vary regionally. Aggregated and discounted tothe present, they are very likely to impose net annual costs, which willincrease over time as global temperatures increase.

Many impacts can be avoided, reduced or delayed by mitigation.

Sustainable development can reduce vulnerability to climate change, andclimate change could impede nations abilities to achieve sustainabledevelopment pathways.

Making development more sustainable can enhance mitigative and adaptivecapacities, reduce emissions, and reduce vulnerability, but there may bebarriers to implementation.