Climate Risks
Why do climate risks vary across places?
1. Climate risks
a) is the interaction between climate-related hazards, and vulnerability and exposure of natural and human systems to these hazards
b) results in potential loss of human lives and damage to properties
2. Affected by climate-related hazards
a) shorter-term events including cyclones and floods
b) longer-term events including sea level rise and droughts
3. Affected by vulnerability and exposure
a) the extent to which a community’s access to water, food and health resources is vulnerable, and the likelihood that a natural system is subject to extreme weather and environmental degradation
b) exposure to hazard areas including proximity to coastal and dry environments
Climate risks result from the interaction between:
Climate-related hazards
Vulnerability of natural and human systems
Exposure of natural and human systems
Climate risks may cause loss of life, injury, livelihoods and property damage.
Climate risk is uneven across places due to a number of factors, operating at different scales
Climate-related hazards:
The occurrences of climate-related hazards such as extreme weather events (e.g heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones and wildfires) would increase the climate risk.
The nature or characteristics of these hazards such as the duration of the hazardous event (i.e. shorter-term or longer-term events) are also important in determining the climate risks.
How did the factors lead to uneven climate risks across places in New Orleans?
Climate-related hazards can be classified by their duration:
Shorter-term events include cyclones and floods.
Longer-term events include sea level rise and droughts.
‘Longer-term climate-related hazards have a greater impact than shorter-term climate-related hazards. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
As many as 20,000 people may have died in the floods that had devastated northern Libya after dams burst during storms in Sept 2023. The coastal city of Derna suffered the worst of the disaster. Many people were washed out to sea when the floods struck. Rescue teams have been digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the hope of finding survivors. At least 30,000 people are said to be homeless.
Vulnerability:
The conditions that increase the likelihood of a community and their properties being affected by hazards e.g.
A community’s access to water, food, and health resources.
A natural system’s likelihood to extreme weather and environmental degradation.
Developing countries are always more vulnerable to climate-related hazards than developing countries. How far do you agree with this statement? (Hint: Use the concept of place to help you answer this question. Also consider that in any country, access to resources would vary from place to place).
source: SLS
Top photo shows a neighbour with lower income working class residents.
What do you observe to be different in the two neighborhoods?
Why would the difference result in difference in adapting to the heatwave?
What else increase climate risks other than vunerability?
Exposure:
The extent to which people and properties are exposed to hazard areas, including the proximity of the community to a dry or coastal environment.
With rising sea levels, coastal towns may face rapid rates of coastal erosion, and are likely to be more exposed to climate-related hazards such as:
Storm surges brought about by tropical cyclones
Floods
Sea level rise
This increases the climate risks for coastal towns.
Towns located in arid or dry environments are more likely to be exposed to climate-related hazards such as droughts. This increases the city’s climate risks.
source: https://youtu.be/SDRxfuEvqGg
How does climate change affect nature and human?
What are the multiplier effects?
Who are more vulnerable to climate change?
Where are the areas most vulnerable to climate change?
How does adaptation measures reduce vulnerability?
This is the 2023 report
Refer to the same questions as above