Unit-5

Environmental Issues &

Challenges in Disaster Management

Challenges in disaster
management
Challenges
● Education on disaster, research and policy implementation
● Public awareness creation
● Public Health System
● Charting a hazard map
● Weak compliance of policies
● Systemic inefficiencies influencing the process
● Fragile institutions
● cultural issue
● Environmental degradation
● Tackling socio psychological needs in mass emergency
● Community and individual empowerment, Strengthening the capacity of
stakeholders
● Communication and commitment
● Ethical issues
● Adoption of innovative technologies

1. Education on disaster, research and policy implementation

● For any DM plans to be successful it is essential to educate people about

effective mitigation, response and recovery. People can be educated by
formal means, vocational course or professional courses.
● Govt of INDIA has introduced DM course in school curriculum. The
students are required not only to learn theoretical lessons, but to do some
projects also. In the process it is not only the students who are learning about
the disaster management, but their families are also becoming aware of
disaster management and preparing for disaster management.
Research..
• With an increase in the perception towards spreading a culture of prevention in
the disaster management scenario, considerable emphasis is being placed on
research and development activities.

• In India, a number of research institutes are conducting active research in the

field of disaster management.
Eg; National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Indian Remote Sensing Organization, Indian Space Research
Organization, and Indian Meteorological Organization to name a few.

• Valuable inputs in technical, social, economic as well as management areas of

the field are being investigated. Research activities are being coordinated by
different ministries depending on the type and level of research. An important role
is played by the universities .

2. Public awareness creation..

● Public awareness is the process of transmitting information to the general

population to increase their levels of understanding Disaster risk.
● Campaigns in communities, schools, colleges can be conducted.
● Campaigns through electronic media, print media.
● Celebration of disaster safety day in a year, drills, demonstrations, DM
training to public, organizing workshops in vulnerable areas are to be taken
up.
● Awareness programs can be customized to meet the needs of local
people.

eg: cyclone prone area needs different awareness compared to avalanche prone
area.
3. Public Health System (PHS)

● The main aim of PHS is to ensure health and well being of people at large.
● Public health agencies should recognize, prioritize, and deal with health
problems of a community. They must work towards prevention and
transmission of communicable diseases during and after a disaster.
● Imparting health education, vaccinating, addressing environmental issues such
as improper drainage, bad housing, contaminated water, garbage, etc effectively
through coordination with other agencies.
● Triage is a term used for a process of deciding the priority of patients treatment
on the basis of severity of their condition. It deals with sorting patients for
medical aid based on the degree of injury or illness and chances of survival.
Triage process helps to select and prioritize the emergency treatment and
transport arrangement to be made for a patient. It is a continuous process.
TRIAGE helps in evacuation and transport of victims.

4. Charting a hazard map

● All vulnerable areas in a region must have hazard map. This is a challenge to
the DM and needs coordination from the community and agencies.
● Hazard map is a visual aid used to point out safe escape routes in event of a
disaster. They help people to save their lives and take refuge in safe zones.
● Hazard mapping is a community based activity which maps risk areas and
safe areas.

Eg; flood hazard mapping.

In a village with a river, hydrology and topography is studied. Data from history is
collected. Flood prone area is demarcated on either banks of river. Any new
construction or development in flood prone area is not permitted. It is updated
from time to time.
6. Weak compliance of policies

● National policy envisages a paradigm shift from a relief centric approach to a

wholistic approach with focus on preparedness and mitigation as well. Several
guidelines have been prepared by the NDMA with consultation with experts.

● However, these guidelines need to be followed up to ensure preparation of

plans to enhance the preparedness, prevention and mitigation, emergency
response and recovery actions
● The proposals and guidelines from NDMA have to be reviewed by the
stakeholders to ensure that the envisaged paradigm shift does not remain as
an aspiration

Systemic inefficiencies influencing the process

● Systemic inefficiencies influencing the process

● It is required to streamline the process of mainstreaming disaster risk
reduction in development planning
● It is required to do the follow up to make sure that the proposals are
implemented on a time bound manner
 Fragile institutions

● As per the Mandate of Disaster management Act 2005, various institutions

like NDMA, SDMA, DDMA etc are set up. These institutions can be
more-proactive in the disaster management front.
● Transparency and accountability of the public functionaries is essential.
● Administrative machinery has to explore ways of ensuring efficiency and
effectiveness in the delivery of services, minimising inordinate delays, red
tape and extraneous pressures of excluding real victims and accommodating
false claimants
● Community Based Organisations and NonGovernmental Organisations can
play the role of watchdogs

http://www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/challenges-in-disaster-management.pdf

5. cultural issue

Culture is defined as acquired knowledge that people use to interpret past

experiences of the community and includes their general social behavior.

There are various ways in which culture can affect DM.

● In some societies, community leaders make all important decisions. In others,

all actively participate in decision making.
● Local people are aware of damage done by previous disasters. Certain
members of a community command respectable position and whatever
they say, entire group follows. Such people must be made a part of DM
program.
● Training in their local or native language is more effective.
● Challenge: Proper training and awareness programmes must be planned and
conduct accordingly to suit the culture of the community.
 6. Environmental degradation

● Most of the Natural disasters are the results of human action.

Eg: droughts, floods etc.
● Urbanization, industrialization has led to depletion of natural resources,
environmental degradation and imbalance in ecology, consequently leading to
disasters.
● Pollution of water bodies, pollution of air, improper solid waste management,
deforestation, killing of animals and birds have led to imbalance and loss of
flora, fauna, thus affecting ecology.
● The environment and disaster are intrinsically linked.
● Challenges include taking up activities for pollution prevention, addressing
environment degradation in all the phases of DM cycle.
● Identifying environmentally sensitive areas and implementing strict
development regulations in that area.

7. Tackling socio psychological needs in mass

emergency
● People of disaster affected area will be in shock and trauma after the incident.
Fear, anxiousness, behavior changes are observed in children and survivors.
Some may suffer from depression, post traumatic stress disorder.
● The immediate need of the affected population must be addressed empathetically.
● Strategies have to be made according to specific needs of specific group of
beneficiaries.
Eg; women who have lost their family members, apart from money, comfort, food,
shelter, they need security also. Elderly need comfort, health care. They would have
lost properties and money. Children need education services, health care, counseling,
security.
Challenge :
● Needs of people have to be properly planned and managed. Timely action must
be taken. Providing mental and emotional support to the affected people is
the most important challenge and task for recovery and rehabilitation team.
8. Community and individual empowerment

Individual and community empowerment is essential for effective response during

a disaster.

● Proper training leads to build confidence and deal with day to day problems.
● The community becomes disaster resilient and individuals can function well
under distress.
● Empowered community will be able to adopt to the changed situation, self
reliant and capable.
● They are capable of anticipating disasters, protect themselves, their property
and livelihoods.
● They work towards minimizing physical, social and economic losses and have
self organizing capabilities and confidence.

Strengthening the capacity of stakeholders

● Training, public awareness, research and education in disaster management

must reach out to communities for strengthening disaster preparedness,
prevention, mitigation, emergency response, disaster resilient reconstruction
and recovery at local levels
● Ensure that all mass housing schemes like Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana
must comply with disaster resilience features so that we are not
reconstructing risk in disaster-prone areas
● Shifting the emphasis to strengthening disaster preparedness, prevention and
mitigation
● The greatest challenge India faces in disaster management is the challenge
of removal of poverty, illiteracy, apathy, and corruption. Poverty is a
herculean task for disaster management.
For example, even if a fisherman receives a warning and understands it properly,
he may still take risk and venture in the sea in order to have means to feed his
family in the evening.
9. Communication and commitment

● Communication can control potential damage from disaster. It must be

internal and external ie, COMMUNICATION with different DM agencies and
with public.
● Mass media is important way to reach disaster victims. Liaison officer must be
appointed to update latest incidents to public and DM team.
● Effective and truthful communication gives proper information can save lives
and property.
● Challenge is to train workers and managers for effective proper
communication. Media also play an important role during disaster. Hence they
must act professionally.

10. Ethical issues

● The concept of ethics spans for all phases of DM cycle (Response/ recovery/
reduction/ readiness)
● There are written and unwritten codes of conduct for DM. Many organizations
all over the world who are involved in DM have their on code of conduct.

IFRC : International Federation of Red cross, codes:

● right of affected population to receive assistance without discrimination

● crucial role played by women in disaster prone communities
● protecting and preserving the dignity of beneficiaries.
● need to ensure rapid access to disaster victims.
● Timely delivery of appropriate assistance.
● respect culture and custom
 IFRC : International Federation of Red cross, codes:

1. The humanitarian imperative comes first

2. Aid is given without any adverse distinction of any kind. It is prioritized only
based on needs
3. Aid will not be used to any particular political or religious standpoint
4. We shall endeavour not to act as instruments of government foreign policy
5. We shall respect culture and custom
6. We shall attempt to build disaster response on local capacities
7. Ways shall be found to involve programme beneficiaries in the management of
relief aids
8. Relief aid must stive to reduce further vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meet
basic needs
9. We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from
whom we accept resources
10. In our information, publicity and advertising activities, we shall recognise
disaster victims as dignified human beings, not hopeless objects

11. Adoption of innovative technologies

Applications of ICT need to be explored more

● Extensive use of Information Technology in all phases of disaster
management
● Information and Communication Technology (ICT), mobile communication for
dissemination of early warning and alert messages,
● Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP)
● Geographical information Systems, Global Positioning System (GPS),
● General Pocket Radio Service (GPRS),
● Remote Sensing, Doppler radars
● Digital elevation Models and bathymetry for tsunami inundation modeling, and
early warning systems
● Scenario Analysis and Modelling,
● Biometrics for family reunification in disasters and complex humanitarian
emergencies
ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION

Environmental degradation

● Environmental degradation is both a driver and consequence of disasters,

reducing the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological needs.
● The reduction of the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological
objectives and needs is described as environmental degradation.
● Changes to the environment can influence the frequency and intensity of
hazards, as well as our exposure and vulnerability to these hazards. For
instance, deforestation of slopes often leads to an increase in landslide hazard
and removal of mangroves can increase the damage caused by storm surges.
● Up to 40% of the planet's land is degraded, directly affecting half of humanity,
threatening roughly half of global GDP (USD 44 trillion).(UNCCD, 2022)
https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/risk-drivers/enviromental-degradation
Environment degradation…

● At the local level, reducing environmental degradation and ecosystem decline

requires acknowledgement of the links between unsustainable development
and poverty.
○ Communities are often driven to degrade their natural environment as short-term
coping mechanism for dealing with immediate problems; for instance, surviving a
failed harvest by selling wood. Strategies for reducing poverty by investing in
environment-sensitive development should therefore support efforts to reduce
disaster risk and enhance resilience.
● Mindless consumerism and economic growth have started to demonstrate
pernicious effects on Mother Nature. In spite of this, the pace and desire for
economic development have never ceased. It is economics that has dictated
environmental policy. The concept of green/clean development is a result of
an understanding that is primarily driven by economic objectives
● It occurs when the earth’s natural resources are depleted, and the
environment is compromised in the form of extinction of species, pollution in
the air, water and soil, and rapid growth in population.

Scale of the problem

Since the atmosphere is common for all regions, any local adverse issue
can spread to a regional, national or global scale issue.

Air pollution

Local: Emission Regional: Large Global: Global

from local number of National level warming, ozone
industries etc. emitting units depletion etc.
Environment

Major environmental problems

● Pollution
● Depletion of resources
● Global warming
● Ozone depletion
● Loss of bio-diversity
● Desertification and land degradation
● Unsustainable use of forests
● Marine resource degradation
Categories of environmental problems

Type- I: Problems arising out of lack of development such as deforestation due to

fuel wood extraction, unhygienic conditions along the low income housings, lack of
sanitation and polluted water sources
Type-II: Caused by the lack of environment safeguards in the development
projects. Includes air and water pollution, hazardous waste disposal, water
logging, pesticide pollution
Type-III : Global environmental problems such as global warming, ozone
depletion, marine pollution, loss of genetic diversity etc.

Environmental degradation

Disturbance to certain extent are Environmental degradation leads to

absorbed by the nature
● Land degradation
Disturbance beyond the critical level is ● Deforestation
unable to sustain through the nature’s ● Extensive pollution of waterbodies
capacity for self stabilisation : ● Depletion of groundwater levels and
Environment degradation quality
● Atmospheric pollution
● Extinction of many species of plants
and animals
● Rapid depletion of the natural
resources
● Climate change, global warming
● Acid rain
● Rise in sea water level
● smog
Reasons for man made environmental degradation ?

● The economic and population growth has put greater pressure on

consumption of water, energy and biological resources
● Ignoring the long term consequences of development activities,
and not adopting the appropriate technologies for the proper
sustainable development
● Failure to recognise that our economic system, our health and life
styles depends on the continued functioning of the ecosystem

Global warming &

Climate change
Background

34

Climate change

Warming since the 1950s has already contributed to a

significant increase in weather and climate extremes globally

Global average temperature has risen by around 1oC since

pre-industrial time

35
 Is the climate changing?
● There have been at least 5 major ice
ages in the earth’s history
● (The Huronian, Cryogenian,
Andean-Saharan, Karoo Ice age and
the Quaternary Glaciation)
● Outside these ages, the Earth seems
to have been ice-free even in High
Latitudes

● Once the entire Earth was warm

● Dinosaurs lived north of the Arctic Circle
in Alaska!

36

Climate Vs Weather

Weather Climate
●Time scale : Hours-Days Time scale: Months-Years and
beyond
●Spatial scale: Regional
Spatial scale: Regional-Global
●Main component:
Atmosphere Main component: Atmosphere,
Ocean, Land, Human beings

Climate is weather
averaged over long time
37
 38

Milankovitch
Hypothesis :
The cooling and
warming during the ice
ages and interglacial
periods, was far
greater than would be
expected from the tiny
changes in solar
energy reaching the
Earth 39
Temperature is controlled, to a large extent by
the atmosphere
Most of the gases ( 99%) in the earth’s
atmosphere do not absorb or emit
radiation
Earth’s climate controlled by trace
gases!

40

Is Warming only a Natural Process?

41
 Climate in the 20th
Century

44

Global average temperature anomaly

45
http://berkeleyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2019_Projection.png
 Projection for the Future

47

Climate change projections

48
Future projection

49
https://www.carbonbrief.org/cmip6-the-next-generation-of-climate-models-explained

Climate projections

The projections of future climate patterns are largely based on computer-based

models of the climate system that incorporate the important factors and processes
of the atmosphere and the oceans, including the expected growth in greenhouse
gases from socio-economic scenarios for the coming decades.

These models are called General Circulation Models (GCMs)

Climate change
projections
Changes in the Himalayas
Tropical Cyclones Changes in Rainfall

The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH)

There has been a significant The summer monsoon
experienced a temperature rise of about
reduction in the annual precipitation (June to
1.3°C during 1951–2014. Several areas
frequency of tropical cyclones September) over India has
of HKH have experienced a declining
over the NIO basin since the declined by around 6% from
trend in snowfall and also retreat of
middle of the twentieth century 1951 to 2015, with notable
glaciers in recent decades
(1951–2018). In contrast, the decreases over the
frequency of very severe Indo-Gangetic Plains and the
cyclonic storms (VSCSs) during Western Ghats.
the post-monsoon season has
increased significantly (+1 event
per decade) during the last two
decades (2000–2018).

Source: COUNCIL ON ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

Impact of climate change

Water: Heavier than normal precipitation events are likely to increase the
frequency of floods. Drought-affected areas will likely become widely distributed

Food: Areas in the lower latitude, especially in seasonally dry and tropical regions
are likely to face negative impact on crop production. This would increase the
number of people at risk from hunger and increased levels of displacement and
migration

Industry, settlement and society: The most vulnerable industries, settlements

and societies are generally those located in coastal areas and river flood plains,
and those whose economies are closely linked with climate sensitive resources.
This applies particularly to locations already prone to extreme weather events, and
especially areas undergoing rapid urbanization

Health: The projected changes in climate are likely to alter the health status of
millions of people, through increased deaths, disease and injury due to heat
waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts. Increased malnutrition, diarrhoeal
disease and malaria in some areas will increase vulnerability to extreme public
health

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/the-sinking-island-of-kerala/article25802177.ece
Impact of climate change on disaster risk

Climate change will affect disaster risk

1. Through the likely increase in weather and climate hazards

2. Through increase in the vulnerability of communities to natural hazards,
particularly through ecosystem degradation, reduction in water and food
availability and changes to livelihood
3. Climate change will add another stress to those of environmental degradation
and rapid unplanned growth, further reducing communitie’s abilities to cope
with even the existing levels of weather hazard

Mitigation and adaptation

The first task is to address the root cause by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
from human activity

Mitigation is defined by the IPCC as “an anthropogenic intervention to reduce the

anthropogenic forcing of the climate system; it includes strategies to reduce
greenhouse gas sources and emissions and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks”.

Examples of mitigation actions include

more efficient furnace systems, developing new low-energy technologies for

industry and transport, reducing consumption of energy-intensive products, and
switching to renewable forms of energy, such as solar and wind power. Natural
carbon sinks, such as forests, vegetation and soils, can be managed to absorb
carbon dioxide, and technologies are being developed to capture carbon dioxide
at industrial sources and to inject it into permanent storage deep underground.
The second task in responding to climate change is to manage its impacts :

Adaptation

Adaptation is defined by the IPCC as “the adjustment in natural or human

systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects,
which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities”.

Examples of adaptation include preparing risk assessments, protecting

ecosystems, improving agricultural methods, managing water resources, building
settlements in safe zones, developing early warning systems, instituting better
building designs, improving insurance coverage and developing social safety nets

they reduce the risk to lives and livelihoods and increase the resilience of
communities to all hazards

International Treaties to reduce the climate

change
UNFCCC

● United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

● The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity
tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change.
● A treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system
● The first agreement among countries resulted in the establishment of the
UNFCCC
● The Convention has near universal membership (198 Parties) and is the parent
treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
● General obligations on all parties to develop policies to mitigate and adapt to
climate change and to report on their emissions and policies
● UNFCCC established the basic system of governance for climate issues.
● The secretariat was established in 1992 when countries adopted the UNFCCC.

Kyoto protocol

● The second climate change agreement was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol,
● The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 11 December 1997. Owing to a complex ratification process, it entered
into force on 16 February 2005.
● Currently, there are 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
● Established an elaborate regulatory regime to limit emissions of Annex I parties
● Legally binding, economy-wide emissions limitation targets for Annex I countries.
● The Kyoto Protocol operationalizes UNFCC by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition
to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The
Convention itself only asks those countries to adopt policies and measures on mitigation and to report
periodically.
● The initial round of targets set forth in the Protocol applied to a five-year commitment period running from
2008-2012, with the expectation that new sets of targets would be adopted for subsequent commitment
periods.
● Several market mechanisms to allow Annex I parties to implement their emissions targets flexibly, including
emissions trading and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
● Detailed reporting requirements on Annex I parties.
● A compliance mechanism that included an “enforcement” branch.
● A bifurcated approach to differentiation that imposed legal limits on Annex I party emissions and no new
commitments on non-Annex I parties.
Kyoto protocol…..

It only binds developed countries, and places a heavier burden on them under the principle
of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”, because it
recognizes that they are largely responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in
the atmosphere.

In its Annex B, the Kyoto Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37
industrialized countries and economies in transition and the European Union.

Overall, these targets add up to an average 5 per cent emission reduction compared
to 1990 levels over the five year period 2008–2012 (the first commitment period).

Kyoto protocol…

Carbon trading
One important element of the Kyoto Protocol was the establishment of flexible market
mechanisms, which are based on the trade of emissions permits.
Under the Protocol, countries must meet their targets primarily through national
measures. However, the Protocol also offers them an additional means to meet their
targets by way of three market-based mechanisms:
● International Emissions Trading
● Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
● Joint implementation (JI)
Emissions trading, as set out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries that have
emission units to spare - emissions permitted them but not "used" - to sell this excess
capacity to countries that are over their targets.

Thus, a new commodity was created in the form of emission reductions or removals. Since
carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas, people speak simply of trading in carbon.
Carbon is now tracked and traded like any other commodity. This is known as the "carbon
market."
Doha Amendment & Paris Agreement

In Doha, Qatar, on 8 December 2012, the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol was
adopted for a second commitment period, starting in 2013 and lasting until 2020.

The amendment includes:

● New commitments for Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on
commitments in a second commitment period from 1 January 2013 to 31 December
2020;
● A revised list of GHG to be reported on by Parties in the second commitment period;
and
● Amendments to several articles of the Kyoto Protocol which specifically referenced
issues pertaining to the first commitment period and which needed to be updated for
the second commitment period.
During the first commitment period, 37 industrialized countries and economies in transition
and the European Community committed to reduce GHG emissions to an average of five
percent against 1990 levels. During the second commitment period, Parties committed to
reduce GHG emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990 levels in the eight-year period
from 2013 to 2020; however, the composition of Parties in the second commitment period is
different from the first.

Paris Agreement

In 2005, the parties to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol decided to proceed on
two tracks: one track to negotiate a second commitment period under the Kyoto
Protocol, the other track to consider “long-term cooperative action” under the
UNFCCC. It quickly became apparent, however, that relatively few countries were
willing to accept further emissions reduction commitments under the Kyoto
Protocol. The long-term-cooperative-action track therefore became the focus of
efforts to broaden the regime to encompass a greater share of global emissions.

This track was initiated by the 2007 Bali Action Plan (Decision 1/CP.13) and led
first to the 2009 Copenhagen Accord (Decision 2/CP.15), then the 2010 Cancun
Agreements (Decision 1/CP.16), and eventually, in transmuted form, to the Paris
Agreement.

https://legal.un.org/avl/ha/pa/pa.htm
l
 Paris Agreement
● The long-term-cooperative-action track therefore became the focus of efforts to broaden the
regime to encompass a greater share of global emissions
● The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was
adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force
on 4 November 2016 (COP: Conference of the Parties)
● Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius,
compared to pre-industrial levels. countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse
gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.
● The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because,
for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to
undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.
● The Paris Agreement works on a 5- year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action
carried out by countries. By 2020, countries submit their plans for climate action known
as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
● In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their Greenhouse
Gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also
communicate in the NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the
impacts of rising temperatures.

Paris agreement…..

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104317

https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-08/India%20Updated%20First%20Nationally%20Determined%2
0Contrib.pdf
Swachh Bharat
Mission

PM Ujjwala
Yojana

PM Surya Ghar:
Bijli Muft Yojana
Greenhouse effect and climate change

Greenhouse gases from human activities are the most significant driver of
observed climate change since the mid-20th century.1
As greenhouse gas emissions from human activities increase, they build up in the
atmosphere and warm the climate
Worldwide, net emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased
by 43 percent from 1990 to 2015.
Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for about three-fourths of total
emissions, increased by 51 percent over this period
The most abundant GHG in increasing order of importance are: water vapor,
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxides (NxO) and ozone (O3)
(Kiehl and Trenberth, 1997).

Causes of climate change

● Some amount of climate change can be attributed to natural phenomena.

Over the course of Earth’s existence, volcanic eruptions, fluctuations in solar
radiation, tectonic shifts, and even small changes in our orbit have all had
observable effects on planetary warming and cooling patterns.
● Electricity production burning fossil fuels
● industries based on fossil fuels
● deforestation
● emission from vehicles
● The advent of modern, industrialized agriculture has significantly altered the
vital but delicate relationship between soil and the climate—so much so that
agriculture accounted for 11 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in
2020.
● buildings—both residential and commercial—emit a lot of greenhouse gases.
Heating, cooling, cooking, running appliances, and maintaining other
building-wide systems accounted for 13 percent of U.S. emissions overall in
2020
Ozone layer depletion

Ozone layer depletion

Factors causing

How to reduce

Mitigation, preparedness and response

 Ozone layer

Near the ground, ozone is

an air pollutant that causes
lung damage and asthma
attacks. But 10 to 30 miles
above the Earth’s surface
(16-48 km), ozone
molecules help shield our
planet from harmful solar
radiation.

The ozone layer, in the

stratosphere, is where
about 90% of the ozone in
the Earth system is found.
https://scied.ucar.edu/

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/atmosphere/ozone-layer

The most commonly used HCFC is nearly 2,000 times

more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its global
warming potential (GWP)
Health and Environmental Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion

● More exposure to UVB radiation at the Earth’s surface.

● UVB causes non-melanoma skin cancer and plays a major role in
malignant melanoma development.
● In addition, UVB has been linked to the development of cataracts, a
clouding of the eye’s lens.
● UVB radiation affects the physiological and developmental processes
of plants.
● VB radiation has been found to cause damage to early developmental
stages of fish, shrimp, crab, amphibians, and other marine animals.
● Increases in UVB radiation could affect terrestrial and aquatic
biogeochemical cycles, thus altering both sources and sinks of
greenhouse and chemically important trace gases
● Synthetic polymers, naturally occurring biopolymers, as well as some
other materials of commercial interest are adversely affected by UVB
radiation.

https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/health-and-environmental-effects-ozone-layer-depletion

Montreal Protocol, 1987

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en
https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/w
ho-we-are/about-montreal-protocol
Historical extent of the ozone hole — 28.4 million square kilometres , Sept. 2000 ( ~7*EU).
The 2023 ozone hole has been larger compared to 2022.