|
Adapting to Climate Change: Reducing Vulnerability & Managing Risk
Definition of “Climate Adaptation”
Ad hoc measures cannot adequately deal with the social, economic, and environmental costs associated with these extreme events. In fact, the last 10 years have been the busiest on record for Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes. So, how do we adapt?
- The World Bank simplistically defines adaptation as: “efforts to protect against climate change impacts” (Cities, Seas, and Storms 2000: 1).
- The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines “Adaptation” as: “Adjustments in ecological, social or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli, and their effects and impacts ... (and) to changes in processes, practices and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change,” (Climate Change 2001).
Infrastructure & Adaptation
If a similar ice storm had hit Quebec and Ontario 100 years ago, people may not have been as affected, as homes did not rely on electricity for heat and water. To lower our vulnerability to anticipated climate change extremes in the future we might consider: strengthening key electrical transmission lines; and installing onsite heat sources (such as propane or woodstoves, solar heat, etc.), and electricity sources (gas generators or solar power cells).
Human Health & Adaptation
As physicians, we fear that global climate change carries with it significant health, environmental, economic and social risks and that preventive steps are justified (Canadian Physicians Statement on Climate Change)
All human health is ultimately dependent on the health of the biosphere. Scientists believe that climate change will have major, irreversible effects on the environment with secondary consequences for human health and well-being that could occur within a matter of decades.
These impacts include increased mortality and illness due to worsened air pollution; increased incidence of vector-borne infectious diseases; expanding populations of pest species, and impaired food production and nutrition. To better adapt, we need to have: anti-idling campaigns to reduce localized smog; natural pesticides such as marigolds, and essential oils such as citronella against certain vector carrying bugs; and, stocks of non-perishable foods during power outages.
Migration of Diseases
If the average global temperature increases, the potential range of diseases normally associated with warm climates may expand into regions which were formerly too cold. Some diseases with the potential to expand northward include mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever.
Tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, may extend north into Canada. Extremely heavy rainfall events are also correlated with increased incidence of waterborne diseases, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, where heavy rainfall causes sewage treatment plants to overflow into potable water supplies. To adapt, improved disease surveillance and prompt treatment; and community-based natural pesticide programs are required.
Heat Stress
An increased frequency and severity of heat waves may lead to increases in illness and death, particularly among the young, the elderly, and ill, especially in large urban areas such as HRM. Heat waves complicate already existing
medical problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. The occurrence of 726 heat-related deaths in Chicago in the summer of 1995 serves as an extreme example of the kind of event which could become more frequent with a global temperature increase. A comprehensive study found that if temperatures warm as expected under global warming (2xCO2) conditions, urbanized areas in south-eastern Ontario and southern Québec could be affected very negatively. An “average” summer in 2050 could result in a range of 240 to 1140 additional heat-related deaths in Montreal, 230 to 1220 in Toronto, and 80 to 500 in Ottawa, assuming they don’t adapt.
To better adapt to heat waves, we can: support adopt-a-neighbor programs; implement ‘open your window, drink-your-liquid’ campaigns; identify ‘cool’ community shelters; and introduce rehydration programs in schools, retirement and home care facilities; etc.
Other Adaptive Practices
Many of the steps which we could take now to reduce our vulnerability to future climate change will also help our society deal with existing climate extremes.
For example:
- Increasing organic matter on farms not only reduces the risk of soil erosion, floods, and water contamination during an 50-year extreme rainfall event, but also enables us to withstand an extreme rainfall event occurring next month or next year;
- Building farther away from areas where sea level rise and storm surge may cause erosion or flooding, helps reduce future losses and impacts due to rising seas. This is called “setbacks;”
- Reducing home energy needs through energy efficient appliances and lighting, and R2000 home insulation;
- Installing independent home power supplies (solar/wind electricity), and a back-up heat source such as a wood stove, or passive solar design, will help us get through those power outages.
Some Climate Change Will Happen
While reducing GHG emissions is critical to reducing the rate and eventual amount of global warming and climate change, emissions which have already entered into our atmosphere have, and will continue to cause some changes in the global climate for centuries to come.
Adaptation is only a partial answer. For many of the expected climate impacts, there are unfortunately no adaptation measures.
For example:
- Most wildlife species can’t evolve fast enough to adapt to changes in climate, as natural evolution normally takes centuries or longer for many species. They will unfortunately become extinct. There is little that humans can do to help many of these species, other than by slowing the rate of climate change through emissions reduction measures, and providing sanctuary for endangered species.
- While we can construct new buildings further from the shore, and we may be able to build sea walls (at very high cost) to protect some existing coastal communities, it will be cost prohibitive to protect most of the world’s ecosystems. This is particularly true of farmlands, forests, and wetlands.
|
