Weather and climate can affect people in a number of ways. If weather permits good water flow into rivers, people can cultivate the fields and eke out their living through agricultural produce. Various human activities follow this primary pattern of production and consumption. But when the weather and climate of a given region change, it could adversely affect people's lives.
Effects of Climate Change on People
Weather and climate affect human lives in many aspects including social,
economical, physical and ecological spheres. For the last few decades, the Earth's climate has deteriorated because of the gradual rise in global temperature. As a result, sea levels are rising and there is a reduced snow cover in upper elevations. Scientists have asserted that the temperature is likely to increase more because of the greenhouse gas concentrations in upcoming years.
Farming and Climate
Farming is directly linked to weather and climate. Dry, warm and sunnier weather of East England allows growing of arable crops whereas in the west people depend on pastoral farming methods. When there is a change in the climate it will impact agriculture and food production around the world. The norm will be then
severe weather conditions, precipitation, frequent disasters, modifications in agricultural patterns and low yields of crops.
Climate and People's Health
A shift in weather and atmospheric conditions will also result in changes of food, air and water qualities as well as ecosystems. So it will have a devastating effect on people in the long run. Changes in weather and climate would distort the
distribution of allergenic pollen species, resulting in infectious diseases spreading among populations and people dying from increased heat wave conditions. Climate change will lead to malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory diseases, especially in urban settlements.
Climate and Water Resources
A climate change would influence arid and semi arid regions across the globe such as the Mediterranean basin, South Africa and northeast Brazil. These places can face further decline in water resources. Other Impacts of Climate on People
People will be affected through drought, shortage of water, coastal or river floods which may lead to relocation of populations.
Our climate is changing, both naturally and due to human exploitation. There is already undeniable evidence that animals, birds and plants are being affected by climate change and global warming in both their distribution and behavior. Unless greenhouse gas emissions are severely reduced, climate change could cause a quarter of land animals, birdlife and plants to become extinct.
Climate variability and change affects birdlife and animals in a number of ways; birds lay eggs earlier in the year than usual, plants bloom earlier and mammals are come out of hibernation sooner. Distribution of animals is also affected; with many species moving closer to the poles as a response to the rise in global temperatures. Birds are migrating and arriving at their nesting grounds earlier, and the nesting grounds that they are moving to are not as far away as they used to be and in some countries the birds don’t even leave anymore, as the climate is suitable all year round.
A sea level rise of only 50cm could cause sea turtles to lose their nesting beaches - over 30% of Caribbean beaches are used by turtles during the nesting season and would be affected. The already endangered Mediterranean Monk Seals need beaches upon which to raise their pups and a rise in sea level could there could damage shallow coastal areas used annually by whales and dolphins which need shallow, gentle waters in order to rear there small calves.
Humans have already destroyed many of the natural migrations of animals.
The migratory journeys of Wildebeest in several African countries are stopped by fences. Changing rainfall patterns are causing dams to be erected in some areas of our planet, not taking into account the migratory fish and mammals that annually migrate up river to breed and spawn and water birds which rely on wetland sites for migration are at threat from rising sea levels caused by human effects. On the other side of the coin, the atmosphere is sucking moisture from the land at a
greater rate than ever before causing severe droughts in many countries which are now facing reduced crop production and major drinking water shortages.
Although it is thought that no species has yet become extinct exclusively because of climate change, many migratory and non-migratory species are expected to become extinct in the near future.
