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2018 | Book

The Impact of the Climate Change Discussion on Society, Science, Culture, and Politics: From The Limits to Growth via the Paris Agreement to a Binding Global Policy? Read chapter Read first chapter

The Impact of Climate Change on Our Life

The Questions of Sustainability

Editors: Prof. Dr. Abdelnaser Omran, Dr. Odile Schwarz-Herion

Publisher: Springer Singapore

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book introduces the highly topical issue from many different angles, sensitizing readers to the various challenges to human life posed by climate change, identifying possible intentional and inadvertent anthropogenic factors and consequences, and seeking socially and environmentally viable solutions. The book begins by examining the impact of the climate change discussion on science, politics, economy and culture – from its historical origin in the first Club of Rome Report and its inclusion in the UN's SDGs to the Paris Agreement and beyond. Comprising 12 chapters, it analyses the factors which caused the catastrophic 2014 Kelantan flood in Malaysia, focusing on the Kuala Krai district and discusses mud architecture in Wadi Hadramout, Yemen and mitigating the expected effects of climate change on this unique architecture and cultural heritage. It also examines the economic costs of climate change on health and the increased burden on individual expenditures and national health systems. The role of climate change in the water-energy nexus and efforts to increase efficiency in energy and water end-use to increase Queensland’s agricultural sector’s resilience in Australia is addressed, as is water security and climate change issues in developing countries and the potential of partnership procurement strategies for managing sustainable urban water supply in Nigerian cities.

It also includes a chapter offering a new approach to waste management, exploring to what extent waste can complicate our daily actions and influence environmental decay, and recommending that renewable materials be sorted and separated from other types of materials to avoid cross-contamination, to increase the value of the materials, and to ease the process of manufacturing. Subsequent chapters identify factors sustaining the municipal solid waste management and practices in Ajdabiya city in Libya, and look at accounting disclosure remedies by exploring areas in which sustainability reporting could expand beyond corporate environmental reporting to additional disclosures, curbing recklessness in pursuing merely economic goals. The book shows – from the perspective of agriculture – how human activities can increase the negative impacts of climate change on lifestyle in Malaysia, suggesting alternative lifestyles and encouraging international cooperative efforts. The last chapters evaluate the impacts of various environmental factors on the local tourism sector in Pakistan, and discuss strategies to tackle climate change, focusing on the opportunities and risks of climate engineering. Since these risks encompass inadvertent negative effects and targeted abuse for covert weather warfare and terrorism that violate the UN’s ENMOD convention, the author recommends viable alternatives to deal with climate change.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. The Impact of the Climate Change Discussion on Society, Science, Culture, and Politics: From The Limits to Growth via the Paris Agreement to a Binding Global Policy?
Abstract
The origin of the Climate Change-by-CO 2 -hypothesis can be traced back to a study cited in the first Club of Rome (COR) report The Limits to Growth from 1972. The potential long-term impact of this report and subsequent reports to the Club of Rome (COR) in the 1970s marked the beginning of a series of Climate Change Conferences – from the First World Climate Conference in Geneva back in 1979 via the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro and the Rio+ conferences up to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, followed by the Paris Agreement and the recent COP22 in Marrakech. Since the Millennium, the Climate Change discussion, especially the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has sparked controversies among scientists and scholars of various disciplines as shown, inter alia, by the so-called “ClimateGate”-scandal. Warlike Climate Change scenarios in weather disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow, Hell, and Snowpiercer suggest that humans should act before it is too late, having a dramatic impact on the collective feeling that humankind is steering toward a climate catastrophe and the world is about to collapse. This fear might be exploited by those who strive for a binding global policy and the establishment of a global authority.
Odile Schwarz-Herion
Chapter 2. Factors Contributing to the Catastrophic Flood in Malaysia
Abstract
In 2014, a flood hit a Kelantan state located in the East Coast part of Malaysia, causing a massive destruction which left this state paralyzed. The National Security Council (NSC) confirmed that the massive flood that hit Kelantan was the worst in the history of the state. Most of the divisions of that state were flooded with water with high content of mud. Thus, this study was conducted to look at the factors that cause a catastrophic flood in Kelantan state, and it was particularly focused on one of the districts in the State, named Kuala Krai district. In conclusion, it was found that equally natural and human factors contributed the catastrophic flood in Kelantan state. This study led to several useful recommendations; one of these is to provide an awareness program for the residents in Malaysia on such disasters. This program can provide sufficient knowledge and awareness to the residents about the important steps or actions that can be taken in case of a flood in order to stay safe. The potential impact of weather modification technology, especially cloud seeding, on the Kelantan flood is shortly addressed, although further details of this risky technology would go beyond the scope of this chapter.
Abdelnaser Omran, Odile Schwarz-Herion, Arpah Abu Bakar
Chapter 3. The Effects of Climate Change Risks on the Mud Architecture in Wadi Hadhramaut, Yemen
Abstract
This study aims at studying the effects of climate change risks on the mud architecture in Wadi Hadramout, Yemen. The intention of this study was to contribute to mud architecture in Wadi Hadhramaut by identifying and addressing the effect of expected climate changes on mud architecture building to maintain this unique architecture and human heritage toward sustainable development. This study has concluded that climate change scenarios in Yemen, especially in Wadi Hadhramaut, indicate that a significant increase in the rated temperature in that region will appear in the fifth decade of this century. The scenarios also confirm on the expected increase in precipitation, which increases the probability of exposure to the mud architecture in the region to multiple risks and disasters that could reach the threat of the disappearance of villages and cities in Wadi Hadhramaut which contain more than 90% of the components of buildings currently made from mud architecture.
Mazen Ibrahim Al-Masawa, Norlida Abdul Manab, Abdelnaser Omran
Chapter 4. On the Economics of Climate Change and Health: An Overview
Abstract
The World Health Organization acknowledges several key directions in which climate change impacts on health. Extreme heat is responsible for many deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and contributes significantly to spreading allergens. The prevalence of malnutrition and undernutrition increases with the floods and heavy rainfalls, while the pattern of infections is also influenced, and the incidence of cancers is on the rise. In the same time, the research community admits that isolating and measuring the effects of climate change on health is a very difficult task. A lot of work has been carried recently for this purpose, revealing many promising directions for further exploration. The aim of this chapter is twofold. On one side, it intends to review the existing literature in the area of health and climate change, with a focus on the methods and methodologies used until now. On the other side, we provide a discussion on the specificities of the Central and Eastern European case, emphasizing the particular role of perception and subjective beliefs on the topic of climate change and global warming in this region. The main findings show that climate change has a negative impact on human health, in two main directions: air pollution and increasing temperatures. Pollution affects negatively human health; the results of the experimental sections demonstrating that there is a high correlation between the levels of CO2 emissions, as an indicator of pollution, and the incidence of cancer show the health status. Increasing temperatures negatively affect human health, the most affected areas in Europe being Central and Eastern European countries. In this region, an increase of 0–5 °C of the average temperatures, due to climate change, leads to illnesses caused by microorganisms, which survive and multiply in a warmer environment.
Popescu George Cristian, Ion Andreea Raluca
Chapter 5. The Energy-Water-Climate Nexus and Its Impact on Queensland’s Intensive Farming Sector
Abstract
Energy and water are inextricably connected in agricultural systems. This chapter discusses the role of climate change on the energy-water nexus and how efforts to increase efficiency in both energy and water end uses can increase Queensland’s agricultural sector’s resilience. Climate change is continuing to affect water availability and put new stresses on energy systems (particularly in constrained areas), but the degree of future impacts is uncertain, particularly given the changing climate patterns moving towards increasing frequency and the duration of drought conditions, coupled with extreme weather events. Whilst there are a range of technological solutions to improve efficiencies and ultimately productivity, further government and policy support is needed, and this support needs to be coordinated to avoid unintended consequences which have arisen from previous government programmes. This chapter also discusses how efficiency in energy and water end uses can reduce the sector exposure to acute and chronic stressors, including high utility bills which, with climate change, are negatively impacting agricultural productivity. Queensland’s intensive agricultural sector stands to gain significantly from an energy-water productivity agenda which acknowledges climate change.
Georgina Davis
Chapter 6. Climate Change and Water Security Issues in Africa: Introducing Partnership Procurement for Sustainable Water Projects in Nigeria
Abstract
In Nigeria, like in most African countries, the effects of climate change are posing a challenge to the sustainability of water security. Africa experiences more severe effects of climate change; scientific and statistical prediction shows that Africa is likely to experience an increase in temperature, rises in sea level, and changes in rainfall pattern. Nigeria as the most populous country in Africa is also highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The impact of climate changes affects the characteristics of freshwater resources in Nigeria, and some rivers and lakes were observed with a reduction in flow rate and networks due to a decrease in rainfall and higher evaporation. These posed a unique challenge to the water security sector in Nigeria, and a more innovative urban water management strategies and policies are urgently needed to safeguard people’s life and enhance economic condition in African countries, especially in Nigeria. As a projected remedy, the study proposes a conceptual framework which outlines the potentials of partnership procurement approach for the development and management of water supply in Nigeria. It is a more adaptive project strategy that is all-inclusive and innovative which appropriately guides procurement professional against risk and uncertainties especially those caused by unpredictable climate change.
Abdullahi Nafiu Zadawa, Abdelnaser Omran
Chapter 7. Waste Management and the Need for a Better Approach on Global Sustainability
Abstract
Waste represents in European countries as one of the biggest issues regarding environmental protection. The population consumes immense quantities of natural resources, renewable and depleted, and also tries to value environmental factors that if consumed they will damage the environment on the long run. Managing waste represents and targets all activities needed to value, eliminate, transport, use, and collect waste. To create optimal waste management, we must target reducing consumption of natural resources. With population growth, we also have a new measure targeted, especially because there are limited natural resources that are consumed more than supported to restock. The main objectives of managing waste are environmental protection and healthcare status and also keeping natural resources and their extractive environment intact. Our chapter offers a new approach on waste and the issues it develops, how waste will complicate our daily actions and influence the decay of the environment. To increase the value and ease the process of manufacturing, we need renewable materials to be sorted and separated from other types of products; this way they cannot cross-contaminate each other. Deposits of urban and industrial waste have a huge impact on the environment because they pollute the air, the soil, and all types of waters, and they modify on the spot, but for the long run, the soil’s fertility, the environmental long-term output, and the aesthetics of the environment. We should emphasize the fact that having the necessary information and realizing the dissemination to the population about the importance of an optimal waste management will help future projects on managing waste, and it will give a push to ignite solutions for environmental issues, protecting green areas and eliminating the risks for human health, especially because we also need to protect the communitarian sentiment at all costs.
Florina Bran, Carmen Rădulescu, Alexandru Bodislav
Chapter 8. Municipal Solid Waste Management Practices in the Central Part of Libya
Abstract
A solid waste management (SWM) system includes the generation of waste, storage, collection, transportation, processing, and final disposal. It is a basic public necessity, and this service is provided by respective local bodies (LBs) in Libya. This chapter aims to examine the current status of municipal solid waste management practices in Ajdabiya city located in the central part of Libya. In fact, all Libyan cities are still struggling to achieve the elements of all MSW such as generation, collection, disposal, recycling, etc. Survey data are gathered from a random sample of Ajdabiya city. Descriptive statistical analyses are conducted using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software program. Findings have shown that majority of the residents were dissatisfied with the current existing solid waste management program in the city. This study also found that the current SWM services are inefficient. It was also found that improper solid waste management caused environmental pollution and significantly impacts the quality of life of nations as well as deteriorated public health in these cities.
Abdelnaser Omran, Abdelsalam O. Gebril
Chapter 9. Fixing Climate Change: Accounting Disclosure Remedies
Abstract
Many scholars attributed industrialization and rapid urbanization to economic development; however, they failed to consider the price of the said development that could be attributed to the negative impact on the environment via carbon emission. Emissions are documented to have devastating effect on climate condition. The carbon emission could also be a result of corporate entities’ role on industrialization and urbanization where their actions are seen as the contributing factor to global warming, hence, climate change. Thus, the issue of Kyoto Protocol arose to curtail carbon emission. While not all the countries agreed to the Kyoto agreement on reducing carbon emissions among others, enforcing sustainability reporting among firms across the globe could have a positive impact toward saving the earth. This piece explores areas in which sustainability reporting could be expanded beyond corporate environmental reporting to other necessary disclosures that will curve recklessness in the course of pursuing economic goal.
Ahmad Bello
Chapter 10. Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture in Malaysia
Abstract
Climatic change is a reality that faced by the world that seems to be failed understanding of the phenomena. Human being can reduce the impacts of climatic change. They can do so if they realize the need to work together. The authors of this chapter attempt to show how human activities can increase the negative impacts of climatic change by way of lifestyle. For example, human beings contribute to surface water runoff and flooding. Human beings can also increase the carbon dioxide content of the air from fuel burning. The options would be alternatives or greener fuel and reducing the number of cars on the road. In terms of the alternatives, we must increase the solar research and applications and manage the nitrogen and carbon cycle through understanding of the environment and the ecosystem. The alternatives and options are exposed in the book chapter. Moreover, this chapter also tries to reduce the unnecessary fear of the climatic impacts on human beings by suggesting steps and alternatives and possible international cooperative efforts.
Wen Chiat Lee, Amir Hussin Baharuddin
Chapter 11. Impact of Environmental Factors on Tourism Industry in Pakistan: A Study from the Last Three Decades
Abstract
From the context of Pakistan, current study works on the key purpose to evaluate the various environmental factors and their impacts on the local tourism sector in Pakistan. For this aim there are three major dimensions of the overall environment; economic and financial indicators, social development and macroclimate changes have been selected with their key indicators based on the data sets from world development indicator (WDI). Separate standardized regression equations for each of the three factors are developed by focusing on significant statistical tests and techniques. The findings of the study reveal the fact that economic and financial indicators have a significant influence on tourism earnings, while social development and macroclimate indicators have both positive and adverse impact on the tourism industry in Pakistan. All the models are statistically significant and have provided strong evidence for the key managers to develop strategic planning for tourism industry after consideration of stated factors of the study. Additionally, this study explores the association between the key environmental factors and tourism sector in such context in a very first time. However, findings are limited to the contextual framework of Pakistan only and cannot be generalized to other economies. Finally, by adding more factors from the local environment like terrorism, the cogent for the future studies can be boosted.
Hafiz Waqaz Kamran, Abdelnaser Omran
Chapter 12. Anthropogenic Climate Change and Countermeasures: Chances and Risks of Weather Modification Techniques and Climate Engineering (CE)
Abstract
There are different measures to tackle the challenge of Climate Change. This includes weather modification techniques and climate engineering (CE). Especially the application of CE is very controversial. In this connection, one has to differentiate between carbon dioxide removal (CDR) techniques and solar radiation management (SRM) techniques. According to climate experts, CDR techniques – except from the controversial CO2 sequestration and some other risky CDR techniques – interfere less aggressively into the natural environment than SRM techniques. Additionally, CDR puts on the causes of Climate Change, whereas SRM merely treats the symptoms. Apart from possible negative side effects, environmental modification techniques and CE might also be abused and have already been abused for covert weather warfare or terrorism by the deliberate aggravation or creation of extreme weather patterns and natural disasters like droughts, blizzards, floods, and storms with the intention to cause property damages, health problems, injuries, or even fatalities in certain areas or nations to harm the enemy. Although weather and climate modification for military or other hostile purposes are expressly prohibited by the UN’s 1977 ENMOD Convention, this UN convention is repeatedly circumvented. In fact – additionally to the inadvertent anthropogenic climate change – deliberate anthropogenic Climate Change seems to be feasible nowadays by the use of existing technology, allowing a range of possibilities for targeted large-scale anthropogenic modification and manipulation of the weather and possibly even the climate.
Odile Schwarz-Herion
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
The Impact of Climate Change on Our Life
Editors
Prof. Dr. Abdelnaser Omran
Dr. Odile Schwarz-Herion
Copyright Year
2018
Publisher
Springer Singapore
Electronic ISBN
978-981-10-7748-7
Print ISBN
978-981-10-7747-0
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7748-7