Climate Change Impacts
Image credit: NOAA
Contents
Temperature Change
Sea-level Rise
Change to the Ocean Habitat
Changes to Wind and Precipitation Patterns
Heat Waves
Droughts
Wildfires
Floods
Hurricanes
Water Scarcity and Food Insecurity
Health Impacts
Economic impacts
Impacts on Animal and Plant Life
Changes to agriculture
Ecosystem Disruption and Devastation
Loss of biodiversity
Direct Impacts
The expected impacts of climate change are very broad far-reaching. Some of them result more directly from greenhouse gas emissions themselves. Others result indirectly from them. Let’s first focus on some of the more direct impacts and afterwards on their resultant effects. (Note: This is just intended to be an overview, not an exhaustive list.)
Click on the headings below to find out more.
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As we’ve discussed here, greenhouse gases absorb radiation causing the atmosphere to warm, causing the global mean temperature to increase. To date (2024), it has increased 1.1 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, with the current rate of increase of 0.2 degrees per decade.
The hottest 10 years on record have taken place between 2014-2023, with 2023 being the hottest.
That in itself might not necessarily be such a big deal. What is a big deal is all of the intense impacts below that result from that.
[By the way, the fact that temperatures are going up on average doesn’t mean that you can’t have some very cold spells in some places at some times. Climate change can even cause places to have colder spells than normal, by transporting cold arctic air to places that it would normally not reach. See “4. Changes to Wind and Precipitation Patterns” below.]
Another concern from the increase in temperature is the potential thawing of the permafrost, ground which remains permanently frozen, which is found significantly in the Arctic region as well as other places. Scientists are concerned that the thawing of the permafrost would lead to the release of large amounts of methane gas, a particularly powerful greenhouse gas.
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As the average global temperature rises, so will the world’s average sea-level (known as the global mean sea-level). The oceans absorb most of the solar radiation and that warming causes the water molecules to move more and separate, leading to an increase in the ocean volume. Another cause of sea-level rise is the melting of glaciers and gigantic ice sheets, the largest being in Antarctica and Greenland.
According to NASA, the global mean sea-level has risen by 99 millimeters from 1993 to 2024. It is expected to rise by somewhere between 61 and 110 centimeters by the year 2100, but could potentially rise much higher, depending on the rate at which certain ice structures could potentially melt. (For example, when temperatures cross a certain threshold, large portions of the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Greenland Ice Sheet could melt, triggering an irreversible process of major long-term sea-level rise.)
In conjunction with flooding events, this would have dramatic impacts on many densely populated coastal areas, potentially threatening many millions of lives, destroying property and infrastructure. It would submerge some regions making them uninhabitable, potentially creating major refugee problems. It could also cause saltwater intrusion into clearwater sources, affecting drinking water and agriculture, and damaging the delicate coastal habitat.
A striking example of this is Bangladesh, located just above sea-level and near three large rivers, making it at high risk of flooding on multiple fronts. If sea levels were to rise by 1 meter with no dikes in place to protect the dry land, one fifth of the country would be under water, displacing 10 to 15 million people. Mosquitoes, which thrive in wet areas, would cover an expanded area, increasing the risk of malaria infections. Soil would become saltier, reducing crop production, leading to greater food shortage in a location where food shortages are already common. The huge mangrove swamps along the coasts, home to many animal species and supporting 2 million Bangladeshis, would be destroyed.
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Coral reefs provide some of the most beautiful scenery of Hashem’s creation. More importantly, they provide food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people, both through fishing and tourism. They also support 25% of all marine species, including more than 4000 species of fish. They protect shorelines from erosion.
Climate change spells bad news for the survival of coral reefs due to two phenomena: ocean acidification and coral bleaching.
(a) Ocean Acidification
Having more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to more carbon dioxide being absorbed into the oceans. Once it’s absorbed, carbonic acid is created (H2CO3), making the ocean water more acidic. This, in turn, leads to a breakdown of calcium carbonate in the water, an essential chemical compound used by corals to build their shells. Without strong shells, they are vulnerable to predators and more susceptible to bleaching, which we will discuss more shortly. They also do not reproduce as effectively and become less suitable as a habitat for fish.
(b) Coral bleaching
Inside corals live colorful algae (called zooxanthellae), which give them their beautiful color. The corals and the algae have a symbiotic relationship; the corals protect the algae, while the algae perform photosynthesis providing the corals oxygen and food. Sudden increases in temperature cause the corals to expel the algae, turning the corals white (“bleaching”) and depriving them of their food source. As global warming increases ocean temperatures, the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves increases dramatically, endangering the survival of coral.
As an example of this, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, was found to have lost 50% of its coral cover in the past three decades due to climate change and bleaching events.
Once temperatures reach a certain threshold, it would become almost impossible for most coral reefs to survive.
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The physics of the atmosphere is extremely complex. For example, there are certain consistent wind patterns which regulate our weather conditions (e.g. trade winds and jet streams). Even global mean temperature changes by 0.1°C have been shown to significantly alter our weather patterns.
These changes are leading to the increasing frequency and intensity of the extreme weather events listed below. Changes in precipitation are expected to cause water scarcity and food insecurity in some regions and an increase in flooding in others.
Extreme Weather Events
The direct impacts of climate change listed above are expected to result in a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The following are the kinds of extreme weather events that we are likely to see more of and more intensely.
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A heat wave is defined as a period of unusually hot weather lasting at least 3 days. Global warming has been shown to make heat waves more likely to happen and more intense. Intense heat waves threaten human lives, causing deaths from heat stroke and exacerbating other health issues, particularly in elderly people. We earlier discussed the European Heat Wave of 2003 and more recent heat waves that have been breaking records.
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Global warming has been shown to lead to significantly reduced precipitation in some locations, as well as higher temperatures, increasing evaporation of water from the land surface, reducing soil moisture. This makes droughts more likely to happen and more intense when they do happen.
Droughts lead to water scarcity, which can cost lives, affect economic security of farmers, cause food insecurity and cause great damage to ecosystems, potentially causing species extinction.
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The same conditions which cause droughts, cause wood to dry out, increasing its flammability, making wildfires far more likely and severe. Wildfires can cost lives, damage and destroy property and lead to wide-scale destruction of ecosystems.
The Australian “Black Summer” fires in 2019/2020 were unprecedented in intensity and scale, raging for nine months, leading directly to tens of human fatalities and over a billion animal deaths, destroying over 3000 buildings and burning 24 million hectares. While multiple factors contributed to causing that event, climate change was found to have very likely exacerbated it.
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Sea-level rise together changes to precipitation patterns (see Direct impacts #2 and #4 above) will lead to some low-lying regions being exposed to more frequent and intense flooding.
Bangladesh, located just above sea-level and near three large rivers, is at high risk of flooding on multiple fronts. If sea levels were to rise by 1 meter with no dikes in place to protect the dry land, one fifth of the country would be under water, displacing 10 to 15 million people. Mosquitoes, which thrive in wet areas, would cover an expanded area, increasing the risk of malaria infections. Soil would become saltier, reducing crop production, leading to greater food shortage in a location where food shortages are already common. The huge mangrove swamps along the coasts, home to many animal species and supporting 2 million Bangladeshis, would be destroyed.
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There is still much that is unknown as to how hurricanes form and how significantly climate change affects their formation, however there is strong scientific basis to believe that a rise in sea-level would significantly impact the severity of a hurricane.
Impacts on Human Lives
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Changes in wind and precipitation patterns (Direct impacts #4 above) will make droughts in certain locations more frequent and intense. The resulting water scarcity and food insecurity endangers the lives and health of many millions.
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Water scarcity and food insecurity lead to an increase of human (and animal) illness, disease and death, as do extreme heat waves.
Climate change also affects the spread of disease. Disease vectors are creatures that cause diseases to spread between different host organisms, whether they are human or animal. Mosquitoes and ticks are examples of disease vectors that promote the spread of malaria and Lyme disease, respectively.
Temperature increases can create more favorable conditions for the thriving of disease vectors, over a larger range of space and a longer period of time, increasing the possibility of the spread of diseases. This also facilitates the mutation of diseases, potentially making them more resistant to treatment.
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Changes in temperature, wind and precipitation (Direct impacts #1, #3 and #4) lead to changes in growing seasons. Some of these changes can be beneficial to growth, but many are not.
For example, wheat and maize production are expected to decline significantly quantitatively and qualitatively.
Climate change is also expected to increase the risk posed by pests and diseases.
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All of the above impacts bring with them economic impacts. The livelihoods of many millions of people are threatened by damaged ecosystems, increasing the scope of poverty. Threats to health will raise healthcare costs for individuals and governments. Damage and threats to infrastructure caused by sea-level rise and extreme weather events will cost governments hefty sums.
Impacts on Animal and Plant Life
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We have already mentioned the dramatic changes that climate change will bring to the ocean habitat (see Direct Impacts #3).
Droughts and wildfires can be extremely destructive to land-based ecosystems, as we already discussed (Extreme Weather Events #3.)
Sea-level rise can cause saltwater to intrude into freshwater sources in coastal areas, affecting the plant and animal species that live there, both on land and in the water.
Although many animal and plant species can adapt to gradual increases in temperature, global warming is expected to be too dramatic for many species to cope with, forcing them to migrate to cooler regions. This can also cause significant disruption to the food chain.
The Florida Everglades (pictured above) is an example of a region that is facing some of these issues.
One of the biggest environmental challenges in the world today is desertification, whereby arid areas are losing their vegetation and becoming deserts. Although having many causes, including overgrazing and deforestation, climate change is a major contributor to this phenomenon.
One very concerning phenomenon is the degradation of the Amazon rainforest, which is one of the world’s major carbon sinks. If climate impacts cross a certain threshold, in combination with continued deforestation, the Amazon is in danger of changing into a much drier ecosystem, leading to a massive release of carbon, as well as a major loss of biodiversity.
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Numerous regions on earth are home to a large and diverse range of species. The disruption of ecosystems resulting from climate change increases the risks of specie extinction, whether locally in these areas, or even globally.
Here are some species-rich regions that are being significantly impacted by climate change:
The Great Barrier Reef (see Direct Impacts #3 - Change to Ocean Habitat above)
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Located as it is, in the Middle East, Israel is particularly susceptible to the climate impacts above related to high temperature: changes to precipitation patterns, water scarcity, food insecurity, heat waves, droughts, wild fires, health, agricultural and economic impacts.
These impacts also create increased security risks for Israel, not only resulting from changes to Israel’s climate, but also from changes to that of its neighbors, who may be more inclined to civil unrest and conflict as a result of drought and intense heat. In recent years, Israel's National Security Service (INSS) has started paying serious attention to the risks posed to Israel's national security by climate change, as discussed here and here, for example.
Sea-level rise threatens to submerge coastal areas and is already impacting ecosystems located there.
You can find more information from the Government of Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection website.
