Climate Change: Impacts and

Adaptation
Potential Impact of Climate Change on Key
Economy Sectors
Week 3
Environment and Climate Change
Management Masters Program
1 11/10/23
Session outline
Introduction
Impacts of Climate Change: Agriculture and food
security
Climate change impact on water resources
Climate change impact on Energy
Impacts of Climate Change: Infrastructure
Climate change impact on Tourism
Climate change impact on Health
Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Introduction
Climate change is a phenomenon due to emissions of
greenhouse gases from fuel combustion, deforestation,
urbanization and industrialization resulting variations
in solar energy, temperature and precipitation
Climate change is already imposed noticeable effects
in the globe: a rise in average temperatures in most
regions, changes in precipitation amounts and seasonal
patterns in many regions, changes in the intensity and
pattern of extreme weather events, and sea level rise.
Some of these effects have clear implications for
various sectors productivity.
Impacts of Climate Change: Agriculture
and food security
Increase in extreme events: The type, frequency and
intensity of extreme events, such as tropical cyclones,
floods, droughts and heavy precipitation events, are
expected to rise (erosion, land degradation);
Changes in rainfall pattern are likely to lead to severe water
shortages and/or flooding. Decreased precipitation in an
already spring/summer moisture deficit region.
Rising temperatures are likely to cause shifts in crop
growing seasons
Introduction of new insects and diseases with a warmer
climate and some insecticides become less effective as
temperature rises.
Droughts affect rain-fed agricultural production
Expected decrease in water availability for irrigation
Expected shorter growing seasons
Expected lower yields
Expected increase in damage to Agriculture due to
increasing disasters
Expected decrease in Agriculture and livestock
production (increase in commodity prices)
Expected decrease in agriculture exports (indirect effect
on trade balance, balance of payments, exchange rate)
Expected increase in the number of people at risk of
hunger
 Crop Yields
Yield loss in some areas.
Yield gain in other areas with good soil moisture.
Increased variability in world production due to
changing climate leading to increased variability in
prices and income.
Increased production of crops currently grown in small
quantities such as winter wheat, sunflowers and corn.
 Livestock Production
Increased heat stress in summer.
Reduce availability of fodder and water thereby affect
the productivity of livestock
Climate change impact on water resources
Hydrology and Water Resources
Trends in temperature or precipitation.
Changes in surface and groundwater system.
Groundwater flow in shallow aquifers affected by climate
variability and change through recharge processes.
Water quality
Climate-related warming of lakes and rivers has been
observed over recent decades. , freshwater ecosystems
changes in species composition, organism abundance,
productivity and phenological shifts.
Warming, many lakes have exhibited prolonged
stratification with decreases in surface layer nutrient
concentration and prolonged depletion of oxygen in deeper
layers.
 Flood
Flood processes, resulting in river floods, flash floods, urban
floods, sewer floods, glacial lake outburst flood
Include intense and/or long-lasting precipitation, snowmelt, dam
break reduced conveyance due to ice jams or landslides, or by storm.
Floods depend on precipitation intensity, volume, timing, phase
(rain or snow), and their drainage basins .
Droughts
Meteorological drought (precipitation well below average),
hydrological drought (low river flows and low water levels in rivers,
lakes and groundwater), agricultural drought (low soil moisture),
and environmental drought (a combination of the above).
Droughts affect water supply for domestic, industrial and
agricultural purposes.
Climate change impact on Energy
Climate change affects both energy demand and supply.
Changes in precipitation changes in the intensity and
pattern of extreme weather events, and sea level rise.
Warming can be expected to increase energy requirements
for cooling and reduce energy requirements for warming.
Changes in precipitation in mountain and hill affect
micro hydro power.
Increase in number of cloudy days and changes in
precipitation adversely affect solar power potential in
mountain.
Climate change could affect water supplies for
hydropower.
Impacts of Climate Change: Infrastructure
 Increase in extreme events: The type, frequency and
intensity of extreme events (tropical cyclones, floods,
droughts and heavy precipitation) are expected to rise

Expected increased in damage caused to infrastructure

(houses, roads, schools, harbours, water infrastructures,
hydropower, businesses, etc.)

Indirect costs due to damaged infrastructure (Profits lost,

Transport of inputs and outputs, Electricity cuts,
alternative source of electricity, etc.)
 Impacts of Climate Change: Tourism
Likely to add stress to already threatened habitats,
ecosystems and species and is likely to trigger species
migration and lead to habitat reduction.
Temperature increases will potentially severely increase
rates of extinction for many habitats and species (up to
30 per cent World with a 2°C rise in temperature).
Up to 50% of Africa’s total biodiversity is at risk due to
reduced habitat and other human induced pressures
(Boko et al. 2007) (land-use conversion due to
agricultural expansion and subsequent destruction of
habitat; pollution; poaching; civil war; high rates of land
use change; population growth, etc.).
Expected potential impact on tourism (loss)
Impacts of Climate Change: Health
Increase in extreme events, changes in rainfall pattern and
rising temperatures are likely to lead to severe changes in
the distribution of disease vectors
Under climate change, rising temperatures are changing
the geographical distribution of disease vectors which are
migrating to new areas and higher altitudes (Example,
migration of the malaria mosquito to higher altitudes risk
for densely populated east African highlands (Boko et al.
2007).
Expected increase in number of people and animals at risk
from climate sensitive diseases (vector, water and air-
borne diseases) (Malaria, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis,
diarrhoea, etc.)
Expected increase of malnourishment cases
Expected increase in direct medical costs, health
protection costs and indirect costs (lost time at work,
etc.)
Future climate variability will also interact with other
stresses and vulnerabilities (HIV/AIDS, Conflicts)
resulting in increased susceptibility and risk to
infectious diseases (e.g. cholera and diahrrhoea) and
malnutrition for adults and children
Pathways for Climate to Affect Health
Climate Change and Health Linkage
Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity
 Climate change has had documented impacts on
ecological systems,
Ecosystems, biodiversity and services they support, are
basically dependent on climate
Impacts are expected to increase as climate change
continues and perhaps even accelerates
Species at risk: There is significant concern for species
at risk that are already threatened by small population
size, loss of unique habitats and low
reproduction/dispersal rates , climate change could
greatly increase the risk of extinction.
Aquatic habitat: In rainfall driven streams, extended
summer low flow periods are expected. This will
further increase water temperature, favoring warm
water species, and altering community structure and
functioning. Conversely, in snowmelt driven and
glacier fed streams, the magnitude and duration of
summer floods is expected to increase. In either case,
significant impacts on aquatic habitats should be
expected.
Wetlands: Wetlands are particularly vulnerable to
climate change. As physiographically limited systems
they are unable to migrate, and hence, vulnerable to
changes in hydrology, nutrient inputs, etc.
Alpine ecosystems: Given their restricted geographic area
and narrow elevation range, alpine ecosystems are
particularly vulnerable to climate change. Climate and
vegetation change rapidly with altitude over relatively
short distances in mountainous terrain. As a result, alpine
ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to encroachment by
lower elevation ecosystems
Forest and grassland ecosystems: Ongoing concerns are
the increased potential for major widespread wildfires, and
the subsequent potential for transformations in disturbed
ecosystems, such as colonization by invasive species and
resultant new species assemblages. Grassland ecosystems
may expand in range, yet face threats in terms of lost
species diversity.
Coastal ecosystems : The sea is rising. Coastal
ecosystems – including tidal zones, estuaries and coastal
wetlands – and the species that utilize them will all
experience impacts. Specific challenges to be faced
include: salt water intrusion causing changes in local soil
chemistry and subsequent extirpation of freshwater plants;
habitat loss for migrating shorebirds; the destructive force
of storm surges; and alteration of food-web dynamics for
seabirds and other animals.
Invasive species: Climate change may accelerate the
colonization of some areas by invasive species in both the
terrestrial and freshwater realms . These species may
outcompete or predate on native species.
Cost of impact of Climate Change
 Direct costs:
Human lives,
Agriculture losses,
Damaged infrastructures (houses, roads, schools,
Health centres, harbours, businesses, water systems,
energy infrastructure, etc)
 Indirect costs:
Decreased soil productivity due to soil erosion, etc
Lost profits for companies affected,(energy cuts,
damaged transport infrastructures, etc.)
Health-related costs due to increased diseases and
disasters (direct medical costs, health protection costs,
lost time at work, cost linked to undernourishment and
malnutrition, etc.)
Decrease in trade balance, balance of payment,
exchange rate
Decrease in households and businesses insured-
increase in insurance costs
Alternative source of electricity, etc. ,
Questions?