Climate Emergency: Developed Countries too facing heat of Global Warming

Though G 20 countries are not abiding by their emission targets of the Paris Agreement, scientific studies show none of them is beyond the reach of global warming and changing weather conditions.

The climate change is not just a problem of small developing countries that have been declared highly vulnerable but it's impact are now visible in developed countries as well. A number of studies released in a fortnight before and during the ensuing COP 25 in Madrid provide enough evidences about adverse impacts of climate change in developing as well as developed nations throughout the world.

In the latest report of Global Climate Index 2019, Japan, Philippines and Germany are on the top among the countries worst hit by climate change in 2018 closely followed by Madagascar and India. According to the index, hundreds of people died and US$35 billion was lost in damages in 2018 due to extreme weather conditions in Japan. Similarly, a strong category 5 Typhoon Manghut caused displacement of about a quarter of million people in Philippines in September while Germany and India faced heatwaves and droughts in 2018.

The rainfall pattern across the globe is also changing due to rapid warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, reports a study led by Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. In a study published in the journal Nature, the researchers report a twofold expansion of the Indo-Pacific warm pool - the largest expanse of the warmest ocean temperatures on Earth. They find that the expansion of this warm pool has altered the most dominant mode of weather fluctuation originating in the tropics termed as the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO).

After studying the effect of global warming on movement of rain clouds, the scientists concluded that the changes in the MJO behaviour have increased the rainfall over northern Australia, west Pacific, Amazon basin, southwest Africa and southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea). At the same time these changes have brought a decline in rainfall over central Pacific, along the west and east coast of United States (California), north India, east Africa, and the Yangtze basin in China, North India, the impact is reduction of rainfall during the winter-spring season (November–April).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also issued warnings from the perspective of health related risks. In a report of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health of WHO it was found that besides causing lung and heart diseases the global warming is a major factor behind expansion of dengue, malaria, cholera and other diseases spread by mosquito and water contamination.

Climate Strategies only in Files

The maximum countries have strategies, plans and policies but only in bulky files. Implementation is the biggest problem throughout the world. This is evident from the fact that out of the 100 nations surveyed in the above WHO report, 50 percent had policy, strategy or plan to fight climate change but only about 10 percent had allocated funds for implementation. Despite efforts of the UN agencies through various international forums, the G 20 countries which account for about 80 percent of greenhouse emissions, are so focussed on multilateral trade competitions that they do not care the warnings of UNCCC to achieve emission targets.

The United States of America (USA) has already given a notice to formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement and its various forums entrusted to implement the decisions such UNCCC and Conference of Parties (COP). While China and European Union (EU) have locked horns on their trade interest in the EU market. The Australia has denied any impact of 'bush fires' in New South Wales on climate change while China has again started investments in coal based thermal plants. There are increasing number of developed countries that are either working against the spirit of the Paris Agreement or indifferent on reducing their carbon emission targets to fulfil their trade interests.

Most recently, the G 20 countries passed a resolution to support the UN programs on climate action. Though such statements are not new, the UN Chief Antonio Guterres did not had much scope rather to welcome with a reminder on the first day of COP 25 - these agreements by the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies, which also contribute the largest share of global green-house gas emissions, can help rally the international community to make sure that climate change is a race we can win. Indeed, it is a race we must win.

In the ensuing COP 25 in Madrid, we can only hope for some implementable action plan from developed countries to cut down emission targets at the time of climate emergency. The time is running for 1.5 degree Celsius target by 2030.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)