Sambhav-2025

Approach Define climate change and its global impact. Discuss the unequal impacts of climate change. Illustrate with examples. To conclude, suggest effective measures.

Introduction

Climate change is a global crisis, marked by rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. However, its impact is not uniform across the world. While all nations face challenges, developing countries are disproportionately affected due to their geographic location, economic dependency on climate-sensitive sectors, and limited adaptive capacity.

Body

Unequal Impacts of Climate Change:

• Geographic Exposure: Developing nations are often located in tropical and subtropical regions, where climate change manifests as severe droughts, floods, and storms.
  • Overall, Earth was about 2.45 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 1.36 degrees Celsius) warmer in 2023 than in the late 19th-century (1850-1900) pre-industrial average.
  • The Arctic region is warming at more than three times the global average, causing significant ice sheets and glacier melting.
  • Low-lying island nations like the Maldives and Tuvalu face existential threats from rising sea levels.
• Economic Vulnerability: Developing economies heavily rely on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, which are particularly sensitive to climate variability.
  • The World Bank estimates that climate change could push an additional 132 million people into poverty by 2030, primarily in developing nations.
• Food Security Risks: Extreme weather events and rising temperatures disrupt agricultural cycles, reducing food production and increasing malnutrition.
  • According to the World Resources Institute, estimates show that climate change might reduce global agriculture productivity by 17% by 2050.
  • In India, erratic monsoons and rising temperatures have resulted in declining crop yields, affecting 58% of the rural population dependent on agriculture.
• Health Impacts: Developing nations face higher health risks due to poor healthcare infrastructure and limited resources to combat climate-induced diseases.
  • Rising temperatures in African countries have increased the incidence of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.
• Social and Institutional Factors: Weak governance, lack of disaster management systems, and inadequate technological access exacerbate the impacts of climate change.
  • Cyclone Idai in Mozambique (2019) caused widespread devastation due to inadequate warning systems and emergency preparedness.
  • While Australia experiences severe bushfires due to rising temperatures, its strong disaster management systems and financial capacity enable quicker recovery.
• Resilience and Adaptation: Developed nations benefit from advanced technology, robust institutions, and financial resources that enhance their resilience to climate change.
  • The Netherlands employs sophisticated water management systems to counter rising sea levels, ensuring minimal disruption to its population.

Measures to Address the Vulnerability

• Global Cooperation:
  • Ensure the implementation of international frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Loss and Damage Fund to support vulnerable nations.
• Technology Transfer and Financial Support:
  • Facilitate the transfer of green technologies to developing nations to improve climate resilience.
    • The International Solar Alliance (ISA), led by India and France, works on facilitating solar technology transfer to solar-deficient regions, particularly in Africa and South Asia.
  • Mobilize funds through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund to aid adaptation efforts in vulnerable regions.
    • The New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) aims to increase climate finance for developing countries to USD 300 billion annually by 2035.
• Strengthening Local Capacities:
  • Invest in disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure in developing nations.
    • The Asia-Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiative has empowered vulnerable regions to design community-based risk reduction strategies.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture :
  • Promote sustainable farming practices and drought-resistant crops to enhance food security in climate-sensitive regions.
  • This includes the adoption of drought-resistant crop varieties, water-efficient irrigation practices, and soil conservation techniques to boost agricultural productivity even in changing climatic conditions.

Conclusion

Sustainable Development Goal 13 stresses the urgent need to combat climate change and its impacts, with a particular focus on providing financial support to help developing nations build resilience. By addressing the unequal impacts faced by these nations through global cooperation, financial aid, and technology transfer, we can create a resilient, climate-smart world for all.