Page 82 - The World About Us

Coral bleaching
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1.1.1
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What are the possible global impacts of climate change?

Climate change is already with us. Whatever the causes, temperatures is concentrated towards the Poles, we can expect
our climate looks set to experience significant changes over the to see some of the most significant impacts in regions such as
next few decades. While some regions may gain from the Alaska, northern Canada and Russia’s Siberia. The impact of
changes, many will not. The map in fig.219 gives flavour of methane released from the permafrost will have global
some of the changes we can expect to see over the coming significance, adding to greenhouse gases already in the
years, and in which loca ons. As the impact of rising atmosphere. This could become a climate crisis ‘ pping point’.

Fig.219 The global impacts of climate change.
Fresh water from
melting ice dilutes the Rising sea temperatures
salt of the North Atlantic reduce oxygen levels
disrupting the North Loss of sea ice threatens in ocean waters
Atlantic Conveyor and the long-term survival threatening biodiversity.
threatening to ‘switch of polar bears.
off’ the North Atlantic
Drift. Release of billions of tonnes of methane
from warming summer ‘thaw lakes.’

Forest fires threaten boreal
Disruption to fishing
industry as the forests of Western Siberia.
growth of Heat waves and
plankton is forest fires. Rapidly rising temperatures threaten
affected by biodiversity of Lake Baikal.
rising sea Threats to low-lying areas from sea level rise.
temperatures.
Changing patterns
Wine production of bird migration Giant jellyfish in the
in the Uyghur people of western Sea of Japan are a risk to
Bordeaux Forest China lose water supply boats and threaten the
region under fires as Tian Shan mountain fishing industry.
threat from glaciers disappear.
rising heat. Low rainfall affects Sea level rise threatens coastal
the Al Wahds dam cities such as Osaka.
risking Morocco’s Loss of farm More severe monsoon Increased salinity in Mekong Delta
water security. land in the flooding threatens water supply and
Nile Delta.
food production for Vietnam.
Increased risk of drought in the Sahel.
Increased pest Unseasonable Stronger typhoons in the
rainfall reduces
numbers reduce coffee production. Greater risk of South China Sea and Western Pacific.
Ethiopia’s coffee
Reduced rainfall in the harvest. flooding and more Coral bleaching across
Congo Basin threatens damaging cyclones the South Pacific.
many endemic species in the Bay of Bengal.
in Salonga Natioanal Park. Higher temperatures Coral bleaching and
ocean acidification
Stressed ecosystems reduce fish catches in threaten the Great
threaten national Lake Tanganyika Barrier Reef.
parks and the Intense dust storms.
survival of the
last wild rhinos. Increased river flooding.
Declining maize yields in
the High Veld region
The Cape region’s distinctive threatens food security. Reduced river flows across the
‘Finbos’ flora is at risk of Murray-Darling basin threaten
being lost altogether. water supplies and agriculture.
Higher temperatures help the
spread of invasive non-native species
which damage local ecosystems.
Melting glaciers and ice sheets could see sea levels rise Loss of sea ice reduces the breeding viability of Adélie
by over a metre, threatening low lying land and emperor penguins. They may be replaced by chinstrap penguins.
and coral atolls far away in the Tropics.

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Climate change has consequences.