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Climate Change and Older people Presented by Dr. Md. Hafiz Uddin Bhuiyan Associate Professor Institute of Social Welfare & Research University of Dhaka. Concept of Climate Change
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Climate Change and Older people Presented by Dr. Md. Hafiz UddinBhuiyan Associate Professor Institute of Social Welfare & Research University of Dhaka
Concept of Climate Change The term “climate change” is used by the media, funding agencies and in professional journals but without a clear and adequate definition as to what this term means. Climate change is identified as an average weather condition of an area characterized by its own internal dynamics and by changing in external factors that affect climate. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) defines climate change as the change resulting from long term direct and indirect activities that induces changes in the compared time which are much more than the natural change (Daily Star; 2013). On the other hand, the weather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its Article 1, defines “climate change” as: “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”. The UNFCCC thus makes a distinction between “climate change” attributable to human activities altering the atmospheric composition, and “climate variability” attributable to natural causes. (IPCC;2007). In this context, climate change is just one of a multitude of threats. Building a consensus among the diverse policy and political viewpoints will be easier that continuing to force a one-dimensional view of climate change (either as narrowly defined by the UNFCCC) or more broadly by the IPCC onto the policy and political communities.
Causes of Climate Change The earth's climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle. What the world is more worried about is that the changes that are occurring today have been speeded up because of man's activities. These changes are being studied by scientists all over the world who are finding evidence from tree rings, pollen samples, ice cores, and sea sediments. The cause of climate change can be divided into two categories – those that are due to natural causes and those that are created by man.
Natural Causes There are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of the more prominent ones are continental drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the earth's tilt, and comets and meteorites. Let's look at them in a little detail. Continental drift: The continents that we are familiar with today were formed when the landmass began gradually drifting apart, millions of years back. This drift also had an impact on the climate because it changed the physical features of the landmass, their position and the position of water bodies. The separation of the landmasses changed the flow of ocean currents and winds, which affected the climate. This drift of the continents continues even today.
Volcanoes: When a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapour, dust, and ash into the atmosphere. Millions of tonnes of sulphur dioxide gas can reach the upper levels of the atmosphere (called the stratosphere) from a major eruption. The gases and dust particles partially block the incoming rays of the sun, leading to cooling. Winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere, called the stratosphere, carry the aerosols rapidly around the globe in either an easterly or westerly direction. Movement of aerosols north and south is always much slower. This should give some idea of the ways by which cooling can be brought about for a few years after a major volcanic eruption. (Pender; 2008).
The earth’s tilts: The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year. It is tilted at an angle of 23.5° to the perpendicular plane of its orbital path. Changes is the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons- more tilt means warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means cooler summers and milder winters. Ocean currents: The oceans are a major component of the climate system. They cover about 71% of the Earth and absorb about twice as much of the sun's radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface. Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet - roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does. But the oceans are surrounded by the masses, so heat transport through the water is through channels.
Human Causes The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. These industries created jobs and over the years, people moved from rural areas to the cities. This trend is continuing even today. More and more land that was covered with vegetation has been cleared to make way for houses. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport, and consumption. All this has contributed to a rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to run vehicles generate electricity for industries, households, etc. The energy sector is responsible for about ¾ of the carbon dioxide emissions, 1/5 of the methane emissions and a large quantity of nitrous oxide. It also produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) which is not greenhouse gases but do have an influence on the chemical cycles in the atmosphere that produce or destroy greenhouse gases. (IPCC; 2007).
Greenhouse gases and their sources: Carbon dioxide is undoubtedly, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Change in land use pattern, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture and other activities have led to a rise in the emission of carbon dioxide. Methane is another important gas in the atmosphere. Methane is also emitted from landfills and other waste dumps. If the waste is put into an incinerator or burnt in the open, carbon dioxide is emitted. A large amount of nitrous oxide emission has been attributed to fertilizer application. This in turn depends on the type of fertilizer that is used, how and when it is used and the methods of tilling that are followed. Contributions are also made by leguminous plants, such as beans and pulses that add nitrogen to the soil. (Pender;2008).
Graphical representation of the greenhouse effect. • Source: CO2 Cooperative Research Centre.
How we all contribute everyday: All of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate. Give these points a good, serious thought; such as- a) Electricity is the main source of power in urban areas. All our gadgets run on electricity generated mainly from thermal power plants. These thermal power plants are run on fossil fuels (mostly coal) and are responsible for the emission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants; b) Cars, buses, and trucks are the principal ways by which goods and people are transported in most of our cities. These are run mainly on petrol or diesel both fossil fuels; c) We generate large quantities of waste in the form of plastics that remain in the environment for many years and cause damage;
d) We use a huge quantity of paper in our work at schools and in offices. As a result in a day we use a huge number of trees; e) Timber is used in large quantities for construction of houses, which means that large areas of forest have to be cut down; f) A growing population has meant more and more mouths to feed. Because the land area available for agriculture is limited (and in fact, is actually shrinking as a result of ecological degradation!), high-yielding varieties of crop are being grown to increase the agricultural output from a given area of land. However, such high-yielding varieties of crops require large quantities of fertilizers; and more fertilizer means more emissions of nitrous oxide, both from the field into which it is put and the fertilizer industry that makes it. Pollution also results from the run-off of fertilizer into water bodies.
Climate Change and Older People Climate change and ageing are two of the biggest issues facing humanity this century. But links between the two are rarely made. Older people are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but they are unjustly excluded from the climate change debate. They also have a unique role to play in sharing their knowledge and experience of coping with climate change. Their vulnerabilities are further heightened by increasing land pressures, climate change and environmental degradation. HAI works with governments, civil society and older people to make disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience building more age-inclusive.
Older people’s vulnerabilities • Older people are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, shocks and stresses and have specific needs. Because- • Older age brings- • reduced mobility and strength, • impaired sight and hearing, and • greater vulnerability to heat and cold. • Many older people are less able or less willing to flee from potential harm and can struggle to obtain food.
Walking sticks and frames, hearing aids and eye glasses can make a huge difference in being prepared for potential disasters, • reaching distribution points, preparing food or collecting firewood. • Older people also need undisrupted support to access healthcare for chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.
HAI responds to the specific vulnerabilities and strengths of older people in preparing for and responding to shocks and stresses through practical program work and policy influencing targeted at governments, donors and civil society.
Older People’s Knowledge Older people’s knowledge can be a great contributor to sustainability and resilience building. In understanding hazards, environmental degradation, climate change, older people have a lifetime of experience. Stories, traditions and practices are in danger of being lost due to their replacement with modern approaches. Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction initiatives strongly benefit from combining older people’s knowledge with science and technology. Our priority is to capture this knowledge and ensure older people’s contributions to local, national and international development.
HAI Strategy During Climate Change We build the resilience of older people and their families to the impact of natural disasters including climate change, environmental degradation and food price volatility. We do this by combining climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable livelihoods programs. We bring together different generations in disaster risk reduction (DRR) committees and promote preparedness and response interventions that take into account the vulnerabilities and capabilities of people of all ages.
HAI advocate for: • Stronger recognition and understanding of older people's unique vulnerabilities to disasters and longer term processes of environmental degradation and climate change. • Age-inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation policies. • Stronger recognition by governments and civil society of the importance of older people's knowledge.
Thank You Very Much
