Catholic University of Mozambique

Institute of Distance Education

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT. GLOBAL AND LOCAL

PERSPECTIVES

Name: Samuel Carlitos, Code: 708232409

Course: Degree in Geography Teaching

Subject: English

Year of Attendance: 1st

Cuamba, September 2023

 Catholic University of Mozambique

Institute of Distance Education

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT. GLOBAL AND

LOCAL PERSPECTIVES

Name: Samuel Carlitos, Code: 708232409

Course: Degree in Geography Teaching

Subject: English

Year of Attendance: 1st

Cuamba, September 2023

 Folha de feedback
Classificação
Pontuação Nota do Subtotal
Categoria Indicadores Padrões
máxima Tutor
 Capa 0.5
 Índice 0.5
Estrutura Aspectos  Introdução 0.5
organizacionais  Discussão 0.5
 Conclusão 0.5
 Bibliografia 0.5
Introdução 1. Contextualização
(Indicação clara do 1.0
problema)
2. Descrição dos objectivos 1.0
3. Metodologia adequada ao
objecto do trabalho 2.0
Conteúdo 4. Articulação e domínio do
discurso académico 2.0
(expressão, escrita cuidada.
Análise e Coerência/coesão textual)
discussão 5. Revisão bibliográfica
nacional e internacionais 2.0
relevantes na área de
estudo
6. Exploração dos dados 2.0

Conclusão 7. Contributos teóricos

práticos 2.0
8. Paginação, tipo e tamanho
Aspectos Formatação de letra, parágrafo, 1.0
gerais espaçamento entre linhas
Normas APA 6ª 9. Rigor e coerência das
Referências edição em citações citações/referências 4.0
bibliográficas e bibliografia bibliográficas
Observação:

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Teacher:

Armindo José Mariquele

index
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 6

1.1. Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 7

1.1.1. General ...................................................................................................................... 7

1.1.2. Specifics..................................................................................................................... 7

1.2. Methodology .................................................................................................................... 7

2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT. GLOBAL AND LOCAL

PERSPECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 8

2.1. Climate change ................................................................................................................. 8

2.2. Main causes ...................................................................................................................... 8

2.2.1. Anthropogenic causes................................................................................................. 9

2.2.2. Physical-natural causes ............................................................................................. 10

2.3. Examples of climate change in global and local contexts ................................................ 11

2.4. Impact on development (economic and social) and livelihoods ....................................... 12

3. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 13

4. Bibliographic references........................................................................................................ 14
 1. Introduction

The dissemination of news regarding predictions of global climate change in recent decades and
speculation about possible environmental, social and economic impacts on the planet have
generated great apprehension in society. The predictions of climate models developed by research
centers in different countries, although they differ quantitatively, coincide in pointing to a
socioeconomic scenario of greater stress and conflict, due to changes in water availability and
global agricultural geography and the greater frequency of events critical climate conditions.

Climate change is caused by the accelerated increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in
the atmosphere. There is already a strong consensus that climate change represents a fundamental
challenge to the well-being of all countries, especially for countries that already suffer from water
scarcity. This water scarcity is a well-established context for developing countries in arid and
semi-arid regions.

Since the 1980s, scientific evidence about the possibility of global climate change has aroused
growing interest among the public and the scientific community in general. Knowledge about
possible climatic-hydrological scenarios and their uncertainties can help to estimate water
demands in the future and also to define environmental policies for water use and management
for the coming years (Marengo, 2008).

In recent years, researchers, public managers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and

society in general have debated what will happen to the future of the planet if the process of
degradation of water resources continues at the same pace.

6
 1.1. Objectives
1.1.1. General
 Analyze the effects of climate change on economic and social development.
1.1.2. Specifics
 Define climate change and its main causes;
 Describe different examples of climate change in global and local contexts;
 Show its impact on development (economic and social) and livelihoods.
1.2. Methodology

To carry out this work, the bibliographic method was used, which consisted of consulting works,
scientific articles from which concepts were extracted to adapt the study in question, covering
several authors.

7
 2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT. GLOBAL AND
LOCAL PERSPECTIVES
2.1. Climate change

The concept of climate change refers to changes in climate over time. According to (IPCC,
2007), climate change is associated with both natural variability and variability arising as a
consequence of human activities (anthropogenic reasons).

Climate change is all changes in the climate caused by nature and human action. They include the
increase in the Earth's surface temperature and its side effects, such as melting glaciers, intense
and unseasonal rains and droughts. The consequences of climate change can be felt in everyday
life. They impact global issues such as economic development, resource management, social
inequality and sustainable development.

2.2. Main causes

According to (LE TREUT et al., 2007), climate change results from the evolution of the climate
system over time, which can be influenced by its own internal dynamics and due to changes in
external factors called forcing factors. These external forces include: natural phenomena such as
volcanic eruptions and solar variations, as well as human-induced changes in the atmosphere.
While for DAVIS (2011), climate change occurs both naturally as a function of the regional and
global climate system, and in response to additional influence due to human activity.

Currently, three lines of thought circulate in the vast literature that discusses the topic of climate
change. One composed of researchers who consider global warming to be the responsibility of
human activities in the process of production and reproduction of geographic space, with
greenhouse gas emissions as the main culprit. This group does not rule out the possibility of
warming caused by natural factors, although with little significance (Ribeiro, 2002; André, 2006;
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007; Silva & Tommaselli, 2007).

A second group of researchers highlights that planet Earth experiences a long cycle of
temperature variation, with warming being provided only by natural processes. Another group of
researchers defends the interrelationship between human activities and natural phenomena as the
main responsible for the current stage of climate change (Ribeiro, 2002; Molion, 2008; Onça,

8
2007). Water is one of the natural resources most affected by the effects of climate change,
considering changes in precipitation patterns and the availability and distribution of river flows.

2.2.1. Anthropogenic causes

Among the defenders of human participation acting in the dynamics of current climate change is
the IPCC, a group that, through its studies, has disclosed that since 1750 the concentration of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and oxide nitrous
(N2O), have been increasing in the Earth's atmosphere. Growth that contributes to the increase in
average air temperature since the last century (Mendonça, 2006; IPCC, 2007).

It is worth mentioning that the greenhouse effect occurs naturally on the planet. Shortwave solar
energy reaches Earth and much of this radiation passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed
by the surface and then released into 'space' in the form of longwave infrared radiation. Much of
the radiation released is absorbed by water vapor and greenhouse gases distributed in the Earth's
atmosphere. The absorption of irradiation is of fundamental importance for controlling the
temperature on the Earth's surface, without this absorption the air temperature on Earth would be
on average -7ºC, that is, around 30ºC lower than the current average (André, 2006; Molion,
2008).

Ayoade (2003) reinforces the point of view of this current by pointing out that since the recording
of climate data began in the northern hemisphere, the global warming trend that began in 1880
and ended in the 1940s was detected, starting, from then on, a cooling phase, which has been
reversed since the 60s of the last century, which reinforces the hypothesis of human participation
acting in global climate dynamics

Another who shares human participation in the current stages of climate change is Joly (2007: 1),
who highlights that “In the geological past, the warming and cooling of the planet occurred
gradually over thousands of years, giving time to that over hundreds of generations of plants and
animals the mechanisms of the evolutionary process acted”.

The author adds that, with the insertion of Europeans into the African, Asian and American
continents, this dynamic was altered for centuries due to changes in the rhythms of material
production combined with environmental destruction. Currently, with the advent of what Santos

9
(1998) calls contemporary acceleration, the rhythm of climate dynamics has also changed,
allowing warming to be measured in decades.

For Silva and Tommaselli (2007) there is no longer any doubt that the increase in greenhouse
gases has its origins in human activities, mainly in the increase in industrial activities. The
authors justify their statements by taking into account that since the end of the 18th century, when
the concentration of CO2 began to increase, it crossed the limit of 280 ppm (parts per million) to
368 ppm, that is, an increase of 30 %. An increase that also accompanies other greenhouse gases
such as nitrous oxide and methane.

In view of the conceptions of the causes of current global climate change discussed so far,
Mendonça (2006: 76-77) emphasizes that there is a concentration of discourse around solely
catastrophes. According to the author, “(...) it should be noted that positive effects will also be
observed as a result of the announced climate changes, among them the expansion of agricultural
areas with tropical-subtropical characteristics, the reduction of diseases linked at low
temperatures, etc.”

Mendonça (2006) adds that the alarmism promoted by researchers and the media about the
catastrophism of climate change raises concerns, with the most disturbing aspect being the
accelerated acceptance by governments and the population of measures offered as inhibitors of
the intensification of the greenhouse effect. , without further study, as is the case with the
revolution in biofuels and nuclear energy today.

2.2.2. Physical-natural causes

A second group of researchers discussing the causes of current climate change include skeptics,
critical of the results released by the IPCC. For some of them, including the Portuguese physical
chemist Manuel Alves (1998), it is necessary to have more discernment regarding the discourses
focused on the main causes of changes in the dynamic global atmosphere. For this researcher, the
growing trend in global temperature in the 1980s compared to the previous two decades cannot
yet be associated with human participation but rather within natural climate variability. He also
points out that the strong social pressure to reach immediate conclusions can mask a reality that
has not yet been explored.

10
In the same line of thought, Molion (2008) highlights the work carried out by Jones and his team
in the late 1990s. Research that demonstrated a curious identity between the phases of the Pacific
Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the irregularities in the global average temperature of the last 150
years. In other words, in the two periods of global warming (1925 to 1946 and from 1977 to
1998) there is a coincidence with the warm phases of the ODP. On the other hand, the cooling
that occurred between 1947 and 1976 is not explained by defenders of global warming caused by
human activities.

What Molion (2008) exposes is yet another clear argument in defense of the idea that the issue of
climate change is strongly influenced by physical-natural factors.

Regarding greenhouse gas emissions, Heib and Heib (2006) highlight that there is a mistake in
the results that have been released by the IPCC. For the authors, the aforementioned panel points
out that the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere
reached a peak of around 378 ppm, a reflection of the intense burning of fossil fuels. For the
authors, more than 95% of carbon dioxide emissions are of natural origin, with less than 5%
remaining for human activities. Other natural factors must be taken into account when the topic
of discussion is the causes of climate change, including feedback mechanisms, volcanic activities
and Milankovitch cycles, the latter exerting little influence on changes. short-term climate
conditions such as the current ones (Teng et al., 2006; Molion, 2008).

2.3. Examples of climate change in global and local contexts

The advancement in civilization's living conditions has accelerated demographic growth

worldwide, causing a significant threat to the demand for natural resources and changing
environmental conditions. It was identified, in the last century, that one of these threats is the
increase in the greenhouse effect, which alters the planet's average temperature.

In this context, it is possible to conclude that climate change is generally caused by natural
factors, such as changes in the incidence of solar radiation or movements of the Earth's orbit, but
human influence on the expansion of the greenhouse effect is considered the main reason for
global warming.

11
It is important to highlight that the greenhouse effect is a natural and necessary process for
maintaining life on Earth. However, the influence of human actions intensifies the impact,
causing abrupt global warming that harms the ecosystem, as well as the future of water.

The current warming trend is an important aspect of climate change, as most of it is the result of
human intervention and has been increasing in recent years. These changes result in higher rates
of evaporation and precipitation, which cause some regions to become wetter and others, in
return, to suffer intense periods of drought.

Extreme episodes, such as uncontrolled forest fires such as those that occurred in the Amazon in
2019 and in the Pantanal in 2020, tropical storms, floods, heat waves, droughts, blizzards,
hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, cyclones Idai and Fredy that occurred in Mozambique tend to
become more frequent and can lead to the extinction of several species of animals and plants.

2.4. Impact on development (economic and social) and livelihoods

Among the impacts of climate change are impacts on soil quality, the extinction of species, air
pollution and rainfall. All of these aspects strongly affect the country's economy, through their
effects on agriculture and electricity generation, for example.

12
 3. Conclusion

It is clear that there is no consensus on the part of the global scientific and political community
on the causes of current climate change. A problem that in practice already affects the spatial
organization of the terrestral ecumene, with one example being the impact on the availability of
water resources.

From this perspective, no matter how many measures are taken to contain greenhouse gas
emissions, if current climate changes are actually caused by the human way of life, the positive
effects will not be felt in a short space of time. Therefore, it is also necessary to plan how society
will deal with present and future impacts, such as the problem of the availability of water
resources for human activities.

In this context, the management of water resources must take into account the multiple uses of
water, a principle that guarantees the right to use water resources for all the purposes for which
they are necessary, under equal conditions (Gavião et. al., 2003 ).

The projection for the future is not at all optimistic. With the trend of increasing global
population, the demand for water for food production, domestic consumption and industrial
activities will increase. Demand that is already affected by the climate changes highlighted above
and resulting in a series of conflicts over the different uses of this resource

The challenge for public managers and society in general is launched, from then on, government
policies that aim to minimize the impacts of global climate change on the availability and quality
of water resources should not be restricted to controlling the supply of water quantity for the
economic activities carried out.

13
 4. Bibliographic references

ALVES, M. C. (1998). Water resources and the possibility of climate change. Water
Congress. Lisbon-Portugal (15-20 October).

ANDRÉ, I. R. N. (2006). Some considerations about climate change and recent severe
atmospheric events in Brazil. Climatology and landscape studies. 1(1/2): 1-9.

AYOADE, J. O. (2003). Introduction to climatology for the tropics. (9ed.) Trans. Maria Juraci
Zani dos Santos. Bertrand Brasil. Rio de janeiro Brazil. 332 p.

OLIVEIRA, R. & NUNES, V. B. (2002). Impacts of climate change on water resources in

Portugal. Climate Change in Portugal, Scenarios, Impacts and Adaptation Measures.

JOLY, C. A. (2007). Biodiversity and climate change: evolutionary, historical and political
context. VIII Brazilian Ecology Congress. Caxambu-Brazil (23-28 September).

MARENGO, J. A. (2006). Global climate change and its effects on biodiversity:

characterization of the current climate and definition of climate change for the Brazilian territory
throughout the 21st century. MMA. Brasilia Brazil.

MENDONÇA, F. (2006). Global warming and its regional and local manifestations: some
indicators from the southern region of Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Climatology. 2: 71-86.

MOLION, L. C. B. (2008). Climate outlook for the next 20 years. Brazilian Journal of
Climatology. 4: 117-128.

RIBEIRO, W. C. (2002). Climate change, realism and multilateralism. Free Land. 18(8): 75-
84.

SILVA, T. C. & J. T. G. TOMMASELLI. (2007). Estimation of carbon storage in the Ipês do

Parque do Povo in Presidente Prudente-SP. XII Brazilian Symposium on Applied Physical
Geography. 356-369. NatalBrasil (July 9-13).

TEODORO, P. H. M. & M. C. C. TRINDADE. (2008). Climate change: some reflections.

Brazilian Journal of Climatology. 4: 24-35.n

14