Social consequences of climate change

Recently, the word “Climate Refugee” has been in the news more and more. These are people fleeing the effects of climate change. The UN refugee agency UNHCR warns of the serious consequences of climate change for people in vulnerable areas. As you saw in the NOS video, more and more people are leaving their homes because of drought, flooding or rising sea levels. It will come as no surprise to you that this is causing conflict in areas where the refugees are moving. Mary Robinson was Ireland’s first female president from 1990 to 1997. She then served as High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2002. She explains how the role of head of government has changed in recent decades and why climate change is a threat to human rights. Mary Robinson: “As president, what I didn’t have to do was buy land in mainland Europe so that Irish citizens could move there should our island be flooded. What I didn’t have to think about, either as president or as a constitutional lawyer, was the impact on territory sovereignty because of the effects of climate change. But that is what President Tong of the Republic of Kiribati has to wake up to every morning. He bought land in Fiji as an insurance policy. He calls it “migration with dignity” because his people may have to leave their islands. When I heard President Tong describe the situation, I felt that no leader should have to face this.” Not only humans suffer from the consequences of climate change, animals also suffer. Sea turtles, for example, lay their eggs in holes on the beach. When the sea level rises, their breeding beaches are endangered. Polar bears have a harder time getting food because the ice floes are melting. This makes it a lot more difficult to catch seals. Corals are also having a hard time. Coral is built by coral animals, which are very sensitive to water depth and temperature. If the water is too warm or the sea level is too high, they will die. And with them, the coral reef and everything that lives there dies. Worst Case Scenario: If we do nothing, a third of all plant and animal species may become extinct this century. It’s not a ‘far from your bed show’ anymore! Your children can experience this. That is why it is extremely important that you help to prepare the children of today for the water problems of the future.

Changes in weather systems can immediately lead to flooding or drought. In both cases crops fail and it takes years for a country to recover from the damage. We can provide short-term relief to an area affected by persistent drought. Think of sending food, offering medical assistance and providing temporary accommodation with tent camps in a region where conditions are better. Organizations such as the Red Cross and Plan Nederland play an important role in this. But these actions do nothing about the cause and are therefore not a long-term solution. When there is no rain for a long time, people will move to other areas in search of work and a better life. This happened, for example, in Libya: traditionally a dry country where nomads had adapted to the conditions and traveled around the Sahel with their cattle. In recent decades, however, it has become increasingly drier in Libya. Due to the lack of rain, the nomads were forced to leave the Sahel and move towards the major cities. There was a lack of both work and living space and many people ended up on the outskirts of the city. Lack of work, housing and food easily leads to conflicts. An additional effect is that people with money leave the country and seek their happiness in richer countries. In case of floods, help is also offered from the rest of the world for the immediate first aid of people. But after that, help is needed for reconstruction and for taking measures to minimize the consequences of a subsequent flood. In Mozambique, the Limpopo floods regularly. This river originates in the north of South Africa and flows to the sea via Mozambique. During floods, the population along the river is ravaged by crocodiles, and because of the heat, diseases such as Cholera can break out. The most severe flooding in Mozambique occurred in 2013. Mozambique lacked the money and knowledge to take measures itself. Fortunately, international engineering firms have been working with Mozambique since 2013 to take measures. Mozambique is one of the countries where the knowledge from the Delta Program is used to help people elsewhere in the world. In lesson 1 you have already become acquainted with Cape Town, where in the winter of 2017/2018 there was the worst drought ever. In December 2017, during the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, ‘Day Zero’ was calculated on April 16, 2018: on that day no more water would come out of the tap. Fortunately, it rained briefly in January, so that ‘Day Zero’ has been moved up a month. At the same time, the government, together with the business community and the university, has done everything possible to reduce the use of drinking water and at the same time develop smart techniques for recycling water. This effort has led to Day Zero being postponed to July 2018. A good practical example of collaboration between government, education and business. We will discuss this further in Lesson 8.