The climate of the earth has significantly altered over time. There have been seven phases of ice expansion and withdrawal in the last 650,000 years. The majority of these shifts are due to minor changes in the earth’s orbit, which alter the quantity of renewable radiation the planet gets. From the perspective of Green Theory and “Green Realists,” the only possible approach to mitigating the risks is to combine efforts, and emphasizing universal values is a priority. Climate change’s effects are global in nature and unparalleled in scale, ranging from new weather patterns that imperil food supply to sea level rise that raises the risk of devastating floods. This work was written to study the problem of global warming and the countries that are most affected by this problem.
Upcoming warming is determined by the intensity of climatic feedback and carbon emissions. Climate models built by numerous scientific institutes are frequently used to estimate the former. A computer model is a simulation of the physical, biochemical, and ecological aspects that shape the planet’s climate helping “detect past changes and assess future ones” (Frölicher et al., 2018, p. 361). These frameworks mimic and forecast ocean circulation, the yearly cycle of climates, and carbon exchanges between the ground, earth, and the surrounding. Some researchers “use satellite observations and a suite of Earth system model simulations” for examinations (Frölicher et al., 2018, p. 360). Models predict varying future temperature increases for particular carbon dioxide emissions; they do not entirely agree on the strength of the material’s feedback on temperature increase and the extent of the temperature system’s persistence.
Climate change has far-reaching environmental consequences, affecting seas, ice, and weather. Changes can happen slowly or quickly. The study of previous global warming provides evidence for these impacts. Droughts and increased temperatures have arisen with increasing regularity since the 1950s. According to Al‐Ghussain (2019), “global warming is one of the major consequences of the human activities where the overuse of fossil fuels as energy resources caused the increase in the concentration of the greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as CO2, CH4, N2O, and water vapor, in the atmosphere causing the increase in the average surface temperature of the earth”. Exceptionally wet or dry occurrences have become more common in India and East Asia during the monsoon season, even though other regions also suffer from “record-breaking droughts and heatwaves” (Xu et al., 2018). The severity and frequency of extreme weather events are expected to rise. Climate change has had little impact on the frequency of tropical storms.
Many grassland and aquatic organisms have been pushed higher latitudes and upward in the atmosphere as a result of current warming. Increased Co2 levels in the atmosphere and a longer growing season have culminated in worldwide greening. On the other hand, heat waves and drought have lowered ecological production in certain areas. It is unknown how these competing impacts will be balanced in the future since “deadly heat extremes” is a phenomenon that has drastic consequences for all spheres of human life (Xu et al., 2018). Climatic change has aided the spread of drier climatic regions, such as the spread of dunes in the subtropics. Because of the magnitude and pace of climate change, sudden changes in ecosystems are becoming more likely. According to Koutroulis (2019), “dryland areas are highly sensitive to climatic changes, and substantial impacts are foreseen under a warming climate” (p. 482). Many organisms are anticipated to become extinct due to climate change.
Although the waters have warmed more gradually than the terrestrial, animals and plants have moved to the frigid poles quicker than terrestrial species. Extreme weather events in the water, like on land, are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, causing harm to a variety of creatures, including corals, kelp, and shorebirds. According to Frölicher et al. (2018), “Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are periods of extreme warm sea surface temperature that persist for days to months and can extend up to thousands of kilometers” (p. 360). Warmer temperatures have destroyed coral reefs, making it more difficult for mussels, barnacles, and corals to create shells and skeletons. Algal blooms, exacerbated by climate change and nutrient enrichment, reduce oxygen content, destabilize the food chain, and result in considerable loss of aquatic life. Coastal environments and, in particular, “the western tropical Pacific and Arctic oceans” are vulnerable to the threat (Frölicher et al., 2018, p. 360). Climate change and other human-caused changes have resulted in the disappearance of about half of the world’s wetlands.
Lagos is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change; this is particularly disturbing given that its demographic is fast-growing, and it is seen as a vital economic engine for the area. The city is also a major transportation center, with many ports and a significant multinational airport, as well as a regional high-tech center. Global warming may endanger the city’s infrastructure and promote the “distribution of infectious diseases” (Rossati, 2017, p. 1). According to Rossati (2017), “a warmer climate presents more favorable conditions for the survival and the completion of the life cycle of the vector, going as far as to speed it up as in the case of mosquitoes” (p. 7). Because of its location on the Gulf of Guinea, the city is particularly vulnerable. As sea levels rise, they are more likely to trigger shoreline flooding and pollute drinking water. This might impair agricultural production in the area and the country’s marine sector, which could be disastrous in a developing country.
The country of Haiti is situated in the Atlantic Hurricane Zone, making it susceptible to cyclones. Researchers are less convinced about the relationship between global warming and hurricane severity and frequency when compared to other estimates on climate change, but research has revealed that storms are likely becoming wetter and more powerful as a result of global warming. Because Haiti is a developing nation, rebuilding from catastrophic events and planning for future hurricanes is particularly difficult. The environment is also extensively deforested and hilly, making it more prone to disasters, whereas it is necessary to “protect homes from floods and fires and help people to manage heat stress” (Xu et al., 2018). According to Xu et al. (2018), “The Pacific Ocean seems to be warming up, in accord with a slow climate cycle known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.” Haiti will also face difficulties since its people are heavily dependent on agriculture, and increasing ocean temperatures mean seawater may pollute freshwater.
The Philippines is vulnerable to natural calamities such as volcanoes, storm surges, flooding, and, most notably, cyclones. Manila is heavily inhabited, making it more difficult to flee, necessitating more welfare care, and making it much harder to recover after a catastrophe. Poor facilities have been criticized for the number of flooding casualties, whereas the predictions of “the solar natural variability and the volcanic emissions” remain alarming (Al-Ghussain, 2018, p. 15). The Philippines established a Climate Change Commission for implementing initiatives “relevant to mitigation and adaptation climate policies” (Koutroulis, 2019, p. 497). One of them is the National Climate Change Action Plan for food production, water adequacy, ecosphere, good thermal stability, social protection, weather intelligent businesses and assistance, alternative fuels, understanding, and capability building.
Sea level rise threatens to entirely erase Kiribati from the map. If they need to migrate, the islanders have even acquired acres of property in Fiji. Hence, “as mean global temperature increases, in the Mediterranean region, precipitation will decrease at a rate around − 20 mm/K or − 4%/K, and temperature will warm 20% more than the global average” (Lionello & Scarascia, 2017, p. 1481). Because the islands are barely six feet above the water and rest on a network of atolls and reefs lets, these processes pose a threat to the nation’s survival. This susceptibility has also prompted Kiribati to pursue drastic climate-change mitigation measures to minimize “risks for societies and environment” (Lionello & Scarascia, 2017, p. 1481). Kiribati has joined forces with other fragile island nations to campaign for combating climate change and has taken additional steps such as growing native vegetation and erecting sea barriers.
To summarize, the repercussions of climate change are global in character and unprecedented in size, ranging from changing weather patterns that jeopardize food supply to sea level rise that increases the likelihood of severe floods. Lagos is extremely sensitive to this threat, which is especially concerning considering its population is rapidly expanding, and it is seen as a critical economic engine for the region. Haiti is located in the Atlantic Hurricane Zone, rendering it vulnerable to cyclones. Volcanoes, storm surges, floods, and, most significantly, cyclones are all-natural disasters that threaten the Philippines. In the coming decades, sea-level rise threatens to entirely erase Kiribati from the map. If they have to relocate, the islands have purchased acres of farmland in Fiji.
References
Al‐Ghussain, L. 2019. Global warming: review on driving forces and mitigation. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 38(1), 13-21.
Frölicher, T. L., Fischer, E. M., & Gruber, N. 2018. Marine heatwaves under global warming. Nature, 560(7718), 360-364.
Koutroulis, A. G. 2019. Dryland changes under different levels of global warming. Science of the Total Environment, 655, 482-511.
Lionello, P., & Scarascia, L. 2018. The relation between climate change in the Mediterranean region and global warming. Regional Environmental Change, 18(5), 1481-1493.
Rossati, A. 2017. Global warming and its health impact. The international journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 8(1), 7.
Xu, Y., Ramanathan, V., & Victor, D. G. 2018. Global warming will happen faster than we think.