Comenius

Time scale of changes

These changes have varying time scales and so adaptation will be both short and long term – examples include

Short term – events like hurricanes in the Caribbean or Cyclone Idai which devastated the northern parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March 2019 causing extensive flooding and left a legacy of stagnant pools in which mosquitos could lay their larvae; extreme heat waves in India and Middle East.

Medium term – shifts in rainfall patterns like in the Sahel region of Africa resulting in crop failure and people having to migrate.

Long term – increasing rates of glacier melting in Himalayan Alps which lead ultimately to water shortages in the six major rivers which originate in this region on which 1 billion people depend.

Agriculture – is already being impacted by extreme weather conditions and these impacts will increase as their frequency of occurrence increases. Such changes will influence not only where crops can be grown but also how food can be distributed more widely.

Activity
Each community will have to develop their own plan to adapt to a changing climate. The sooner this process is started the more time there will be to undertake the necessary adaptation measures.

What impact do you think a changing climate will have on your community?

What actions can be started now to limit climatic changes in future years?