Climate Change and its Impacts Worldwide
The likely key global effects of these atmospheric changes as described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) include:
- Global warming of 1.8 to 4.0 OC by 2100 (average annual best estimate) is projected; higher values reflect the impact of higher emissions. However, over the coming 2 decades we are already committed to a 0.2 OC per decade warming regardless of emissions.
- Rising sea levels, decreased snowpacks, and glacial melting
- Increased heat waves and drought occurrences, especially in already “dry” areas
- Increased heavy precipitation events, tropical storm intensities, and flooding
- Approximately 20-30% of plant and animal species are likely to be at increased risk of extinction.
- Global food production is projected to decrease if local average annual warming exceeds the 1-3OC range.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific intergovernmental body set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). It was established to provide decision-makers and others interested in climate change with an objective source of information about climate change. The main activity of the IPCC is to provide assessment and other reports of the state of knowledge on climate change, its impacts, and appropriate actions. The most recent major report is Climate Change 2007, referred to as the “Fourth Assessment Report” and released in four distinct sections:
- The report of Working Group II (WGII), Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, provides a detailed synthesis of current scientific knowledge about climate change impacts, related vulnerabilities, and actions to respond and prepare for these impacts.
- The entire AR4, including the Working Group II report, is summarized and interpreted in the Synthesis Report (SYR).
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