CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
ECONOMICS
THE CONDITION OF A REGION OR GROUP AS REGARDS MATERIAL PROSPERITY.
The 21st century is responsible for bringing fast paced technological advancements. Societies progress at a quadratic or even exponential pace. In economics for instance, markets evolve and adapt to crisis in more efficient ways and businesses prosper through innovation.
This complex web of society allows new players to be stakeholders in the decision making process. Climate change has been taken into consideration when governments and companies invest their time and resources into new causes and analysis of processes. Around the world, impacts of climate change have disrupted agricultural production, wildlife species, public health and economic standing of regions, affecting not only the macroeconomics of nations, but also the consumer’s households.
Sectors of the Greek economy are concerned on how they can mitigate consequences of climate change. In order to surpass the economic crisis that has affected Greece since 2008, Greece needs to develop a strategy for resilience and adaptation for the effects of climate change.
TREES AND URBAN HEAT ISLANDS (UHI)
"TREES ARE THE LUNGS OF THE EARTH"
This sentence has perpetuated through generations, especially when it comes to lessons in environmental education. Trees and plants are responsible for providing the oxygen we breathe through photosynthesis.
In urban spaces, trees are not only responsible for providing oxygen, but also cooling the regions around green spaces. Urban areas have higher Greenhouse Gases Emissions, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the area. As a result, cities trap enough carbon dioxide to create a micro-environment with higher temperatures. This phenomenon is denominated Urban Heat Island (UHI).
UHIs are more easily noticed during the day and especially in low wind regions. Some cities could be 3 degrees Celsius hotter than its surrounding areas. It is important for cities to have green spaces because they will help to mitigate the effects of UHIs. Individuals can also reduce the effects of UHIs by creating small scale environments of green spaces in and around their homes. One example is to put plants on balconies to cool off the surrounding area.
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE NUMBER OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS INCLUDE UNEXPECTED, UNUSUAL, UNPREDICTABLE, SEVERE AND UNSEASONAL WEATHER. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS:
Heat waves → Periods of high temperature or high heat index markings. Heat waves can occur in both humid and dry environments. In regards to climate change, the temperature of Greece is expected to increase 2.5℃ by 2045. Heat wave season is also expected to increase by 15-20 days by 2045.
Floods → An overflow of water in areas that are usually dry. Floods concern specialists in agriculture, civil engineering and public health fields. Floods may occur from extreme rainfall or an excessive flow rate of channels or other bodies of water.
Wildfires → Large, uncontrolled infernos that quickly burn and spread through wild lands. Around 90% of wildfires are human induced. For a wildfire to occur, all of the elements of the fire triangle must exist: a heat source, oxygen and fuel.
RISING SEA LEVELS
Since 1900, the global average sea level has been continuously rising. With the intensification of climate change, the average global temperature is increasing, causing polar ice caps to melt and inserting tons of water into the oceans aggravating sea level rise.
In Greece, it is estimated that in by 2045, the sea levels will rise by 20-59 cm. 90% of tourism infrastructures are located on the coasts of Greece and on islands, so Greece’s GDP could significantly decrease with the loss of land. In addition, 30% of Greece’s population lives within less than 2 Km of the coast, posing a major infrastructure problem if sea levels continue to rise at this pace. Thessaloniki, Patra and other coastal cities populations are threatened and have to come up with plans to cope with the effects of rising sea levels.
FOOD
Food is intrinsically related to climate change. Throughout the years, changes in climate have affected agricultural production, reshaped the way society wastes food and how food safety has improved its technology due to more resistant plagues, viruses and bacteria.
As a consequence of increasing temperatures, the water cycle of regions is affected, reducing precipitation level and making the air drier. Moreover, the soil starts a process of desertification. These effects combined have a heavy toll in agricultural production.