climate is a pattern of weather which occurs at a place for 35 years metrologist measure and fresh various weather parameters
such as temperature precipitation air pressure humidity and the number of days of sunshine etc to find out an area's climate
extreme weather extreme weather is when a weather event is significantly different from average or usual weather pattern
This may take place over one day or a long period. Three common examples of extreme.
Weather are tornadoes, droughts and hurricanes. Hurricanes, the strongest tropical storms are called hurricane typhoons or
tropical cyclones. Hurricanes can last a month although they travel very slowly. About 24 km/h wind speeds can reach over 120
km/h. They need a lot of heat to form and see surface temperature of at least 26 degrees which is why they usually occur.
For tropical seas, they also need to be 5 degrees and 20 degrees north or south of the equator. The intense winds of tropical
storms can destroy whole communities, buildings and communication networks. These winds can generate abnormally high
waves and tidal surges.
Droughts are very dry periods caused by lack of precipitation over a long period they are risk to water security and can damage
crops the drought of 1998 to 2002 in Pakistan is considered the worst in 50 years Western and Central parts central parts of
Balochistan remain in the grip of drought almost all year around floods occur when water
Covers land that is otherwise dry. They are caused by too much precipitation in short period of time. It damages property, wash
away roads, crops, can cause loss of life and damage property. Extreme hot spells. Extreme hot spells can occur during the
summer and can lead to drought and thunderstorms.
High temperatures can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunburn for humans. Hot springs can lead to wildfires as
vegetation becomes dry and which is fire easily.
Extreme cold weather can bring heavy snow and ice, creating dangers for walking and driving conditions. It can cause illness in
people, such as hypothermia, and increase risk of influenza. Texas, a state in the USA with mild winters, faced record low
temperatures in February 2021. Snow and ice made roads impassable.
and the state's electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving the millions without access to electricity. World
Climate Zones The Earth's climates are classified and are organized into various types that exist. Climatologists use a system
developed in 1918 by Vladimir Kopen
to classify climates. He classified climates by using the temperature and precipitation of regions that had different plant types.
This system has categorized
global climates into following groups tropical these are hot and humid areas present around the equator these it has received
heavy rainfall with an average temperature of every month above 18 degree centigrade arid these are found in arid or dry
climates where the evapotranspiration exceeds the precipitation on the average throughout the year mediterranean these areas
have hot and dry summers and cool weather winters they are influenced by mediterranean seas
Temperate these areas have mild summers and not too cold winters are the properties of tropical temperate climates.
Continental climates are found in areas far away from the sea. Here the winter are cold and short with hot summers. Polar
Areas characterized by long period of extreme cold are polar climates.
Climatic region is characterized by similarities in various climatic elements such as precipitation, rainfall, snowfall, hail,
temperature, air, pressure, wind, etc. Out of these, the two most frequently used help define climatic regions are temperature
and precipitation. In Pakistan, dry and humid climates have been determined on basis of precipitation while the subgroups have
been determined on basis of its temperature.
Northern Highlands with their distinct climate constitute a separate climatic region are dealt with accordingly. The following
climatic regions are found in Pakistan. Arid with warm summer and mild winter with hot summer and mild winter with warm
summer and cool winter. Semi-arid with hot summer and mild winter with warm summer and cool winter.
with hot summer and mild winter with warm summer and cool winter Highland climate climate of Karachi Karachi has
moderating arid climate since it's located on the coast bordering the arabian sea it has two main seasons summer and winter
summer seasons persist for longest period during the year it also receives the rainfall from july to september summer monsoon
most mostly the city experiences a tropical climate
encompassing warm winters and hot summers. The humidity levels usually remain high from March to November, while very
low in winters as the wind direction in winter is northeast. The temperature in winter season sometimes goes below 10 degrees
centigrade and day temperature is about 26 degrees centigrade. Climate of New York
Climate of New York is subtropical humid with some parts of the city facing a humid continental climate. This means the city has
cool wet winters and hot humid summers with abundance of rainfall all year round. It snows infrequently in the city but can be
heavy when it occurs.
Global warming means that the average global temperature of Earth is rising. The most likely reason for global warming is
increase of greenhouse gases in atmosphere. An increase in greenhouse gases increases the greenhouse effect. In the last
100 years, the surface temperature on the Earth has increased about 1 degree centigrade if the Earth's average temperature
continues to rise.
rise at this speed, glaciers and layers of permafrost would melt, causing a rise in sea levels and flooding in low-lying coastal
areas. Already some ice caps and small glaciers are beginning to melt and recede. Greenhouse effect Greenhouse effect is
natural heating that occurs when certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap heat radiation from sun strikes.
The earth's surface end causes it to warm. Some of this heat then is radiated back towards the earth. These gases in the
atmosphere absorb a portion of this heat and it keeps the earth warmer than it would be otherwise. There are many natural
greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. Water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane are some of the most important ones.
Without these greenhouse gases, life would be
would not be possible on the earth. Like Mars, the earth would be cold. However, if the greenhouse effect is too strong, the
earth would get warm. High levels of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere indicate that this has happened on the planet
Venus.
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are not inherently sequential:
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UNIT 2 LIVING WITH THE CLIMATE
Causes of Climate change
Sediments in many parts of the world confirm that glaciers covered large areas of the Earth at different times in past million
years. Geographers call this the ice age. During the past million years, ice ages have alternated with warm periods called
interglacial intervals. Ice ages are estimated to have existed for 60,000 to 100,000 years. However, most interglacial periods
are shorter, lasting 10,000 to 15,000 years. We are now in an interglacial period that began about 11,500 years ago. Scientists
find these patterns through ice cores which record climate in a way similar to studying tree rings to know the lifespan of a tree.
Climate change occurs due to a host of reasons:
NATURAL FACTORS
Catastrophic events, including meteorite collisions and large volcanic eruptions, can affect climate over short periods of time.
These events add solid particles and liquid droplets to the upper atmosphere, which can change the climate. Solar output,
which is the amount of energy given off by the Sun, also directly impacts the rate of climate change.
Changes in the Earth’s movement in space affects climate over thousands of years while movements of the Earth’s crustal
plates can also alter climate over millions of years. The movement of continents and oceans affects the transfer of heat on the
Earth, which in turn affects wind and precipitation patterns. One example of this is when movement of the Earth’s plates created
the Himalaya about 40 million years ago. All of these things can work separately or together to alter the Earth’s climate.
· Greenhouse gases
· Natural forest fires
· Solar input
· Volcanic eruptions
· Natural catastrophic events
· Variations in the Earth’s orbital characteristics
· Atmospheric carbon dioxide variations
· Crustal plate movement
HUMAN FACTORS
Human activities have changed climate patterns drastically in the last two centuries. (Burning of the fossil fuels for
industrialisation, mechanised farming, careless use and disposal of inorganic material like fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides,
cleaning agents, dyes, etc.) have increased the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
Paving roads made of impermeable rocks, deforestation for settlements and recreation has added concrete to landscapes. All
of this builds up heat and traps it in the environment. Did you know, temperatures in a city can be 5°C higher than in the
surrounding rural areas which have more vegetation, less population, and more open spaces.
· Fumes from transport and industrialisation
· Food waste
· Deforestation
· Burning fossil fuels
· Livestock production
· Chemical fertilisers
Impact of pollution on climate
The vast and mismanaged dumping of domestic, agricultural, and industrial waste has polluted both land and air around us.
This pollution comes from cars, factories, homes, and power plants that burn fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. This
increases temperature and affects our lifestyle, wildlife, and our environment. Air pollution from this contaminates water, soil,
and can reduce crop yields. It is also responsible for killing young trees and other plants affecting the biodiversity of land and
water.
Impact of climate change
MELTING ICE
Thinning of the ice sheets in the North and South poles ice is perhaps the most obvious effect of global warming. Many
glaciers—the huge rivers of ice that flow in slow motion down mountains due to gravitational force—are disappearing
completely. Melting ice contributes to rising sea levels, flooding of low-lying areas, coastal erosion and a surge in sea storms.
RISE IN SEA LEVEL AND FLOODING
Sea levels have already risen by 8 inches (200 mm) over the last 100 [Link] too long,climate change will be responsible
for flooding of many low-lying villages,towns,cities,and islands.
CHANGE IN WEATHER PATTERNS
Rising average global temperature is associated with widespread changes in the weather [Link] explains how climate
change can cause both heavy rainfall and severe [Link] are already experiencing the effects of changing rainfall as it
induced urban [Link] sea temperatures rise, existing climate problems such as drought, desertification, and flooding may
become more common and more [Link] scientists predict that global warming will make many wet regions even
wetter and dry regions even drier.
HEATWAVES
Prolonged hot weather can be deadly, especially for young children and old people. The number and length of heat waves are
expected to rise because of global warming. According to experts, a heatwave would have had a one in ten times a chance of
occurring in any given year in pre-industrial climate. Now it has almost three times more chances to occur and be 1.2°C hotter.
Record heatwaves in 2022 affected millions of people across Asia, America, Europe, North Africa, Australia, and the Pacific
islands. According to Amnesty Organisation, Pakistan recorded some of the highest temperatures in the country in the last 60
years from March to May, 2022.
WILDFIRES
As temperatures rise, forests and farms can dry out and catch fire to create massive wildfires. Left unchecked, these fires can
burn vast areas of precious forest and destroy homes. Wildfires have struck home burning acres of forest in Sulaiman Range,
Buner, Shangla, Bannu, Mohmand, Lower Dir, Torah, Swabi, North and South Waziristan.
TROPICAL CYCLONES (warming of sea)
Cyclones, also called hurricanes and typhoons, form over tropical oceans, where they are powered by warm surface waters.
Between 1979 and 2017, there was a global increase in the proportion of tropical cyclones. As seas get warmer, these monster
storms are expected to become even stronger.
A tropical cyclone generates winds that exceed 119 km/h and in extreme cases winds may exceed 240 km/h. These winds are
accompanied by torrential rains and a storm surge, an elevation of the sea surface that can reach 6 metres (20 feet) above
normal levels. Every year during the late summer months (July–September in the Northern Hemisphere and January–March in
the Southern Hemisphere), cyclones strike regions as far apart as the Gulf Coast of North America, northwestern Australia,
eastern India, and Bangladesh.
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Over the course of the Earth's history, plant and animal species have naturally died out. But we are now losing species at
1,000 times the natural rate, and almost all of this is caused by humans. Hunting and habitat destruction play a major role in
the loss of biodiversity by increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. More than 16,000 plant and animal species
are now threatened with extinction.
MORE DISEASES
A rise in temperature around the world is expected to cause an increase in infectious diseases. Flooding could transmit
diseases such as typhoid and cholera that easily spread in water. Also, the number of insects that carry diseases may increase,
move to warmer areas, and spread sicknesses to new places, such as malaria and encephalitis. For example, if the
temperature of San Diego, California, rises by 2^\circ C , the number of cases of dengue fever will almost double.
ECONOMIC LOSS
Climate change is the biggest threat to economic stability of a country. Frequent and longer heat waves, irregular weather
patterns, and increasing natural disasters can damage property and critical infrastructure. It limits human productivity and
provision of healthcare. This can also lead to scarcity, inflation, shutting down of small businesses, loss in investment, slowing
down the rate of economic growth, and can put a strain on governments to use their limited resources for rehabilitation and
rebuilding supply chains.
Some examples of economic losses in the last two decades
IT’S A FACT!
According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2020 analysis, Japan, the Philippines and Germany are the most affected places by
climate change today based on the impacts of extreme weather events and the socio-economic losses they have faced.
Solutions and Actions
Here is the extracted English text from the new set of images, organized in a logical order:
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UNIT 2 LIVING WITH THE CLIMATE
Impact of climate change on Pakistan
Pakistan ranks among the top 10 most vulnerable countries on the Climate Risk Index since 2000. This is due to 10,000
fatalities due to climate-related disasters and financial losses amounting to about $4 billion from 173 extreme weather events
every few years. According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, the floods in 2022 have affected more than
33 million people and destroyed or damaged more than 1 million houses.
Impact of Climate Change
· Relocation due to natural disasters
· New and widespread diseases from rising heat conditions
· Rise in human conflicts for control of limited resources
· Cost of adapting to rising sea levels
· Inflation on food and basic necessities
· Limited supply of fresh water
· Widespread poverty due to economic losses
Sustainable climate action
Climate change is one of the most complex issues we face today. It is a global problem that will be around for thousands of
years since carbon dioxide and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases, larger in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Hence
even if humans stopped emitting all greenhouse gases today, global warming and climate change will continue to affect future
generations.
Making environment friendly homes
MITIGATION
Collective, committed, and/organised steps to reduce and stabilise emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere can help us decelerate the rate of global warming. The following steps can help us in this endeavour:
· Promoting ecological industry, such as farming, fishing, etc. and by ensuring that all economic and development projects
consider their impact on the environment. This will reduce the environmental stress caused by industries while encouraging
innovation, resource efficiency, and sustained growth. An example of this is converting grease or cooking oil to bio-diesels that
fuel vehicles.
---
Forests are carbon sinks when they use CO_2 for photosynthesis.
ADAPTATION
We can adapt to climate change by making informed social, political, and economic choices on individual, communal, and
national levels. We can also reduce our vulnerability to its impacts by adopting the following measures:
· Moving to higher ground to avoid rising sea levels.
· Planting new crops that will thrive under new climate conditions, such as crop rotation, drought tolerant seeds, and less
vulnerable to climate related natural disasters.
· Buying local goods and products to avoid increasing the demand for extraction of fossil fuels.
· Practicing organic farming to help reduce the pollutants from pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides, etc. to become part of our food
chain.
· Using renewable energy and alternative energy resources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy, to reduce carbon
emissions from burning fossil fuels.
· Building eco-friendly homes ensures that our homes are safe from any chemical or other toxins that can harm the
environment.
· Protecting and restoring coastal wetlands so they prevent flooding, improve water quality by trapping slowly releasing surface
water, rain, melted snow, groundwater, and flood waters.
· Promoting sustainable agro–forestry which is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or
among crops or pastureland.
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UNIT 2 LIVING WITH THE CLIMATE
BUILDING SKILLS
Make a digital poster and form a campaign to educate on climate change mitigation and adaptation in your neighbouring
[Link] is the extracted English text from the new set of images, organized in a logical order:
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UNIT 2 LIVING WITH THE CLIMATE
Impact of climate change on Pakistan
Pakistan ranks among the top 10 most vulnerable countries on the Climate Risk Index since 2000. This is due to 10,000
fatalities due to climate-related disasters and financial losses amounting to about $4 billion from 173 extreme weather events
every few years. According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, the floods in 2022 have affected more than
33 million people and destroyed or damaged more than 1 million houses.
Impact of Climate Change
· Relocation due to natural disasters
· New and widespread diseases from rising heat conditions
· Rise in human conflicts for control of limited resources
· Cost of adapting to rising sea levels
· Inflation on food and basic necessities
· Limited supply of fresh water
· Widespread poverty due to economic losses
Sustainable climate action
Climate change is one of the most complex issues we face today. It is a global problem that will be around for thousands of
years since carbon dioxide and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases, larger in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Hence
even if humans stopped emitting all greenhouse gases today, global warming and climate change will continue to affect future
generations.
Making environment friendly homes
MITIGATION
Collective, committed, and/organised steps to reduce and stabilise emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere can help us decelerate the rate of global warming. The following steps can help us in this endeavour:
· Promoting ecological industry, such as farming, fishing, etc. and by ensuring that all economic and development projects
consider their impact on the environment. This will reduce the environmental stress caused by industries while encouraging
innovation, resource efficiency, and sustained growth. An example of this is converting grease or cooking oil to bio-diesels that
fuel vehicles.
---
Forests are carbon sinks when they use CO_2 for photosynthesis.
ADAPTATION
We can adapt to climate change by making informed social, political, and economic choices on individual, communal, and
national levels. We can also reduce our vulnerability to its impacts by adopting the following measures:
· Moving to higher ground to avoid rising sea levels.
· Planting new crops that will thrive under new climate conditions, such as crop rotation, drought tolerant seeds, and less
vulnerable to climate related natural disasters.
· Buying local goods and products to avoid increasing the demand for extraction of fossil fuels.
· Practicing organic farming to help reduce the pollutants from pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides, etc. to become part of our food
chain.
· Using renewable energy and alternative energy resources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy, to reduce carbon
emissions from burning fossil fuels.
· Building eco-friendly homes ensures that our homes are safe from any chemical or other toxins that can harm the
environment.
· Protecting and restoring coastal wetlands so they prevent flooding, improve water quality by trapping slowly releasing surface
water, rain, melted snow, groundwater, and flood waters.
· Promoting sustainable agro–forestry which is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or
among crops or pastureland.
Practice food sustainability. This can be done by conserving water during farming; preserving biodiversity by conserving and
maximizing the utility of the land without disruption of the natural habitat; switch to organic farming by avoiding chemical
pollutants such as pesticides and fertilisers; practice crop rotation as opposed to monoculture which depletes the soil of
nutrients; minimizing food waste; use sustainable packaging; buying and selling locally to reduce demand for fossil fuels.
· Practicing the 3Rs rule (reduce, reuse, recycle) by consuming responsibly.
· Place quotas, taxes, and strict measures to hold greenhouse gas emitting organisations accountable. For example, carbon
pricing is set by governments or markets. It covers a part of a country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, charging GHG
polluters for each ton released through a tax or a fee. It is an efficient and effective way to reduce carbon emissions.
· Pooling of resources through political, economic, and social collaborations between countries.
· Government and civil societies should pool resources for monitoring and evaluation of all activities that contribute to climate
change and impact the environment.