By Denise
Chow
The landmark report released Monday by the United Nations paints a grim picture of the devastating effects of the climate emergency on humans and ecosystems in every corner of the planet.
The alarming assessment, produced by a global consortium of 270 scientists under the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is a comprehensive analysis of how extreme weather events, the rise of the seas and other effects of global warming are threatening communities and the environment, as well as future consequences if the world does not act quickly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the 3,600-plus-page report "an atlas of human suffering" and a "damning indictment of the failure of climate leadership."
"I know people everywhere are anxious and angry," he tweeted Monday.
"I am too.
It's time to turn anger into #ClimateAction."
These are the seven key points from the latest IPCC report.
The effects of the climate emergency are manifesting faster than humans and ecosystems can adapt
The assessment warned that global warming has already caused some irreversible changes, "as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt."
Extreme events such as droughts, heat waves and floods are expected to increase in a warming world, posing widespread threats to humans, infrastructure and natural environments around the world.
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"One of the most surprising conclusions of our report is that we are seeing that the adverse impacts are much more widespread and much more negative than expected," said Camille Parmesan, associate professor of geological sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. , who was one of the authors of the IPCC report.
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In some cases, global warming has already caused irreversible changes by altering the stability of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and driving species to extinction.
Even in a best-case scenario, in which warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), up to 14% of species will likely face a "very high risk of extinction," according to the report.
Food availability will be a big problem
Extreme events such as droughts and floods have already exposed millions of people around the world to severe food and water insecurity, especially in Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, the Arctic and small nations. islands, according to the report.
The climate emergency is also affecting fisheries, soil and crops, threatening to destabilize future food supplies.
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"The picture is bleak for food systems," said Rachel Bezner Kerr, professor of global development at Cornell University and one of the report's authors.
“There is no one who is not affected by climate change,” she added.
Global warming poses a great risk to human health
The climate emergency is already causing death and suffering around the world, according to the report.
Billions of people face the threat of severe heat waves and other extreme weather events, along with growing food and water insecurity.
A growing body of research has identified an increased risk of lung and heart disease in populations exposed to wildfire smoke.
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According to the report, rising temperatures and rainfall could also expose communities to dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases as the insects move to other areas.
For the first time, the IPCC report also links the climate emergency to mental health issues, looking at the ways in which extreme weather events and other climate-related threats to people's lives and livelihoods can affect the Mental Wellness.
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Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington and one of the report's authors, said more funding is needed to create stronger communities and health infrastructures around the world.
"People are suffering and dying right now from the climate emergency, and we're not seeing investment to try to make sure we're prepared for an even warmer future," he said.
Poor communities are the most vulnerable
The report notes that while no one is immune from the effects of the climate emergency, the people and places most affected are the least able to cope.
The poorest countries, which have contributed the least to the man-made climate emergency, are being disproportionately affected by global warming, with lower income populations, indigenous communities, women and children that bear the greatest load.
The climate emergency also exacerbates social inequalities within countries and is expected to widen the gap between rich and poor nations.
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According to the IPCC assessment, the most vulnerable regions of the world are sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, South America and parts of Asia.
Pacific Islanders and other small island nations also face significant risks from extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels.
Adaptation has limits
The report stresses that societies can adapt to a changing climate, but building resilient infrastructure and communities will require significant investment.
Cities, in particular, can be at the forefront of adaptation by financing renewable energy infrastructure, sustainable transport systems and greener housing alternatives, according to the assessment.
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Scientists warned, however, that some communities are "misadapting," or enacting measures that do more harm than good.
Some of these adaptation mistakes include building levees to further develop low-lying shorelines or investing in short-term, reactive ways to deal with extreme weather events, rather than more holistic and proactive approaches.
Time is running out
The report concludes that while some effects are already irreversible, the various threats of global warming - and their severity - are magnified with each rise in temperature.
Therefore, according to scientists, it is of the utmost importance to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow the pace of climate change.
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If urgent action is not taken, the consequences for human well-being and the health of the planet will be dire, said Hans-Otto Pörtner, a climatologist and co-chair of IPCC Working Group II, which produced the report.
"Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a short and swift window to secure a livable future," he said.
The situation is not totally hopeless
The latest IPCC assessment paints a bleak picture for a warming world, but all hope is not lost.
In addition to the adaptations discussed in this analysis, the IPCC will publish its Working Group III report on possible ways to mitigate climate change in April.
“I think the silver lining is that we can still do something about it,” said Stephanie Roe, senior global scientist for climate and energy at the World Wide Fund for Nature.
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Roe, who was not involved in the Working Group II report, said governments should do everything they can to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet annual emissions targets.
“It is very important that we do not lose sight of the objective.
We have to focus on what we can do to lessen these impacts and make sure we don't waste this opportunity,” he noted.