Impacts of climate change /challenges with responses

• Background info - Bangladesh

  • HDI 0.661
  • 60 % live in poverty
  • Low and flat lying
• Socio - economic / environmental impacts Bangladesh

  • 1/6 of land at risk of being submerged – exposure to storm surges and river flooding
  • 70% of country floods/year –abandoned homes / increased disease transfer
  • More intense cyclones – 60% of deaths in Bangladesh
  • Inadequate sanitation

  Total area of Mangrove Forest decreased 50% in recent decades

  • Provided protection against storm surges
  • Threatened by increase in sea levels - reduces agricultural activity / farming to meet increased population
• Mitigation strategies of Bangladesh

  • Emits 1.2 tonnes per capita/year compared to global average of 6
  • Regard mitigation and decrease of GHG emissions as a responsibility of the developed world
  • Plan to reduce emissions by 5% for 2030 by:

  Shift from road to rail transport

  More renewable energy use
• Adaptation strategies of Bangladesh

  organised under the BCCSAP

   

  • $2 billion flood embankments project improve 3500km of dykes providing protection against floods and erosion
  • 3800 cyclone flood shelters and warming systems in construction
  • Floating vegetable gardens – low cost solution to crop damage by flooding
  • Some houses raised above sea level on platforms
  • Fish farmers in Mangrove Forest supplied with development of pond fisheries and bowed cage aquaculture
  • Educate public about risks of diseases and sanitation
  • Research new diseases arising from climate change
• Challenges of adaptation in Bangladesh

  
  

  • includes investment in major community projects
  • lack of financial resources is an obstacle
  • BUT is improved by foreign funds and investment – equating to roughly $190 million
• UK HDI - 0.920
• Economic impacts UK

  Increased river flooding:

  • £2 billion damage on property and infrastructure
  • 240,000 homes
  • Slows businesses

  Coastal flooding

  • Increased sea level rise
  • 700 properties will be lost to coastal erosion in next 20 years
• Environmental impacts UK

  • 1200 ha of protected intertidal habitat will be lost to coastal squeeze in next 5 years
  • Less recharge of ground water – reducing water availability/ river water quality
  • Loss of agricultural land – submerged (economic)
• Health impacts UK

  • Ageing population vulnerable to hot weather/ increased heatwaves
  • Avg heat related mortality increased by 60% by 2020
  • Milder winters decreases cold-related deaths
  • Increase areas of stagnant water during droughts
  • increase spread of water-borne diseases through mosquitos
• Opportunities of climate change UK

  • Extended growing seasons and increased productivity in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
  • Solar energy can be exploited increase from 12MV (2006) 13,000 MV (2019)
  • 500MW project in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire planned:

  Produces 700,000 new jobs in green economy by 2030
• Mitigation in the UK:

  UKs climate change act (2008)

  Cut GHG emissions to achieve net zero by 2050 by:

  1. Carbon pricing

  • Requires uk power generators to pay minimum carbon price floor - capped at £18/tonne in 2021
  • Charges car owners fuel duty tax on road fuel
  • aim to bring end of sale to new petrol/diesel vehicles in 2030

  2. Increase renewables

  • Small scale household renewable power / heat provided with solar panels / heat pumps from national grid

  3. Energy efficiency

  • smart metres in households - raise awareness of costs and decrease individuals consumption of energy
• Adaptation in the UK:

  • Hard defences against costal and river flooding – sea walls/ defences and embankments (Thames barrier)
  • Sustainable drainage systems – reduce downstream flooding
  • Woodland/river trust: afforestation along river banks - reduces nutrient run off
  • green infrastructure: London iTree project: 8 mullion trees provide £140 million benefits/ year by storing carbon and reducing flooding