An Approach to Climate Change
Via CNN travel
As summer comes to a close and we embrace autumn, it’s essential to reflect on the unprecedented levels of global warming we witnessed this past summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported record-breaking temperatures each month, from June to August, and even in September. Human-induced climate change is intensifying flood threats and amplifying extreme weather events like droughts, wildfires, and floods.
This summer, we saw the devastating impact of floods in parts of America: Vermont and upstate New York, scorching temperatures in South Florida, and the pervasive smoke from massive Canadian wildfires affecting the Northeast and Midwest. It’s a clear indicator of what the future holds due to climate change, redefining our perception of summer.
The signs of global warming are evident not only in the United States but also across Asia, particularly in China, Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, where rapid urbanization in flood-prone areas has escalated flood risks.
In the case of South Korea, it has recently been reported that many have lost their lives and have been injured due to heavy rainfall and landslides. From September 14th to the afternoon of 15th, the death toll from the torrential rain was reported to be 24. The landslides not only brought tragedy to families but also inflicted extensive damage to people’s homes. Predictably, the relentless rain wreaked havoc, destroying almost everything in its way. Floods and landslides exerted immense pressure, resulting in damaged and submerged roads as well as homes. Particularly, the widely prevalent semi-basement homes in South Korea were inundated without any respite.
Although homes and buildings are rudimentarily built in safer areas, there have been issues where the building could not endure the climate problems.
Via BBC news Korea
In a recent study, researchers meticulously analyzed extensive satellite data spanning decades to observe the evolving urban landscapes across the globe from 1985 to 2015. They then compared this growth with precise flood exposure maps in the present.
The findings were striking. In 2015, humans had expanded their presence in flood-prone areas to about 56,000 square miles, a significant increase from the 26,000 square miles occupied three decades earlier. This surge surpassed the overall settlement expansion rate during that period. The researchers defined flood-prone areas as regions likely to be submerged by more than half a meter during flood events with a one percent probability of occurring in any given year.
The study emphasizes the importance of recognizing climate change as a local issue where local authorities, such as state, county, and city officials, play a pivotal role in approving new developments and enforcing zoning regulations. In addition, it underscores that the critical actions addressing exposure and vulnerability to climate change are indeed local.
As the year 2024 approaches, tackling climate change with collective effort will be necessary to reduce the impacts and secure a more sustainable future.