Read the boxes that correspond with the colored regions on the map to explore how each region is affected by climate change and how they are responding to it.
World Map: climate change geography
Africa as a region is perhaps among the least contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. However, they are in position to suffer the worst of the consequences of climate change. Deforestation is a historic problem for the region, as it experienced significant loss of its canopy coverage in the last two decades. The economic situations in most African countries are not ideal, as many are poor and have little money to invest in preventing and protecting against climate change. There are a variety of groups, such as scientists and NGO workers, who are working to ensure that social conditions in African countries improve, but not at the expense of sacrificing the environment.
Asia, a continent with many populous cities in developing countries without resources for cleaner energy, must burn fossil fuels in order to become more developed and industrialized. In fact, Asia has the highest annual global emissions rate. These emissions not only contribute to the greenhouse effect, they also endanger the health of many people. For instance, in China, there has been a steady increase in CO2 emissions across all classes. One specific solution to this is to encourage cleaner cooking practices, as opposed to open fires or other techniques that are a source of emissions. In addition, Asia is feeling the effects of the overall global rise in temperature and sea levels. Rising sea levels result in flooding of low areas, such as the Republic of the Maldives, which is at great risk of disappearing. Besides flooding, there is an increased risk of tsunamis and other storms. Freshwater sources are also contaminated as saltwater invades the land, making it too salty for agriculture, and resulting in both economic and food insecurity. In addition, the higher ocean temperatures have had an adverse effect on the fishing industry. For example, in Japan, the warmer waters have attracted large amounts of jellyfish that kill fish, break fishing nets, and weigh down fishing boats. Thus, the effects of climate change on countries in Asia pose major economic and health threats.
Australia has experienced rises in temperature both on land and at sea, as well as rising sea levels. Heatwaves on land have become increasingly more intense, prolonged, and frequent. Hotter temperatures are difficult for those who live in the rangelands (including ranchers and Aboriginal groups), and a decrease in rainfall does more damage to an already dry area. Thus, the country suffers from drought that is hard on the inhabitants, and makes many areas susceptible to bushfires. The rise in sea level will contribute to extreme sea events along the coast. The Great Barrier Reef, a major part of Australia’s ecosystem, is at risk because of the warmer ocean temperatures. Warmer waters facilitate coral bleaching, and rising levels of carbon dioxide result in ocean acidification, preventing coral from receiving proper nutrients. Australia’s high rate of emissions and coal industry area also contributors to global warming. Currently, there are efforts in both Australia and New Zealand working to reduce emissions and increase the use of clean energy sources.
The European Region is unique in terms of impact on climate change. It is historically one of the top global contributors to global warming. The Industrial Revolution that took place in the 19th century arguably started the modern era problem of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, it is also a strong force in investment in the renewable energy sector. In 2006, the European Union committed to cutting its emission by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels. Europe also has a thriving scene in climate change science. The United Nations Climate Change Conference took place in Copenhagen in 2009, and in Paris in 2015. The governments also habitually support the renewable energy industry, as most countries adopted feed-in tariffs to encourage use of energy from renewable and/or alternative energy sources. The European Union also established the Emission Trading Scheme. It is the world’s first and largest multi-national system for dealing with heat trap emissions. Phase I was criticized to be largely ineffective and essentially a trial period. Phase II was arguably more successful at implementing the Kyoto Protocol and cutting back emissions.
The North American region includes the United States and Canada, and is one of the regions which contributes the most to climate change. The US ranks 2nd and Canada ranks 7th globally in carbon emissions. The region has begun to see the effects of climate change already, and weather patterns have become more extreme. There has been an increase in and intensification of wildfire and insect outbreaks. Since the snowfields are diminishing due to global warming, the availability of water has become a big issue. Two of the Great Lakes have lower water levels than ever recorded, raising concerns about the future of freshwater reserves. If the sea level continues to rise, damaging shoreline erosion will occur and affect people living in coastal areas. Urban areas have seen an increase in air and water pollution.
The very existence of the many small islands in the Pacific is threatened by climate change, due to the rising sea levels. Like coastal areas along mainland countries, this makes small islands susceptible to flooding, tsunamis, and other natural disasters that erode the coastlines. Floods, cyclones, and tsunamis damage infrastructure, and contaminate water supplies and farmland. Tourism income will also suffer. But most importantly, a limited amount of space means rising sea levels will displace many people, leaving them without a home. This creates a global dilemma because if these countries disappear, their inhabitants must find new places to live. These countries are very small and collectively do not emit as much as larger countries; many have banded together to encouraged larger countries to curtail practices that contribute to global warming and threaten their land. Although 195 countries have made a unanimous decision to reduce global emissions at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, some of these small nations feel that the change has come too late to reverse the damage done to their lives.
The Latin American region reaches from Mexico to Chile and Argentina, and includes their adjacent seas. Its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions globally is low, at around 4%. However, mass deforestation in the region exacerbates climate change globally: 27% of the world’s forest coverage exists in Latin America, and these forests have a massive impact on the climate and rainfall, and absorb emitted CO2. The region’s extensive natural ecosystems serve as the basis for most Latin American production activities. Climate change poses a huge threat to water availability in his region, and it’s estimated that the number of people experiencing water stress will increase by at least 7 million. This lack of water availability has been and will continue to negatively impact agricultural, livestock, and dairy productivity. Coastal areas in Latin America are threatened by rising sea levels, which impact tourism, infrastructure, and livelihood related to mangrove ecosystems.