CLIMATE CHANG/E GOBAL WARMING

UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7 - 18 - 2009 COP15 COPENHAGEN Gulf News Special on the most important issue the world faces today EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING The year 2007 was tied with 1998 as the second warmest year on record with an average global temperature of 14.57 degrees Celsius according to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The average global temperature in 2007 was nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius – greater than the average between 1951 and 1980 and more than 0.8 degrees Celsius above the average recorded from 1881 to 1910. The World Meteorological Association ranks 1998–2007 as the warmest decade on record. Research and Infographic: GUILLERMO MUNRO Animals Dramatic changes are seen in the North Pole. In 2007, for the first time, ice had receded more than ever before and crossed a The Polar bear is the world's largest terrestial carnivore This is where they hunt, and move between feeding, denning and resting areas They spend most of their lives Climate change could drive a million of the world's species to extinction as soon as 2050, a scientific study says. The authors say in the journal Nature that a study of six world regions suggested a quarter of animals and plants living on the land could be forced into oblivion. perenial sea ice area that had been covered since Satellites started to in the arctic sea ice 1978 2007 monitor the North pole. WHAT ABOUT THE ANTARCTIC? OUR FOCUS: THE POLAR BEAR Sea levels could rise as previously predicted due to In the Arctic, climate change impacts are being seen earlier and more dramatically than elsewhere in the world.In the southern range of polar bears, for example in the Hudson and James Bays of Canada, sea ice is now melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the autumn. The time bears have on the ice is shorter making it more difficult for them to store the energy they need to survive the summer. As the periods without food become longer, the overall body condition of these polar bears declines. This is particularly serious for bears that are pregnant or have cubs, and for the cubs themselves. In Hudson Bay, scientists have found the main cause of death for cubs to be either lack of food or lack of fat on nursing mothers. meltingsea ice around West Antarctica, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic A new scientific report has warned that climate change could lead to the extinction of a million of the world's species as soon as 2050. Research. However, the hole in the ezone layer is protecting East Antarctica from global warming bringing a 10% increase in sea ice since 1980 3° Degrees the Antarctic has warmed in the past 50 years Migration of animals and insects from warming Fish stocks around the world have also been affected as they are moving north to the Arctic to cold waters The main food source of a 1,500 40 60 bear is a seal, as bears hunt temperatures to colder climates that are loosing its Tundra is having devastating effects on those ecosystems seals in the ice sheets. As ice recedes, bears have to travel more and swim for A bear can drown if i tries to catch food in deep Billion tonnes approximate loss of ice since 2000 The estimated amount in years it will take for polar bears to go extinct In per cent the polar bears are found in Canada longer periods for the catch waters Land flooding OUR FOCUS: Island and coastal countries The government is already taking other measures, like building artificial and higher islands. THE MALDIVES How UAE is affected More than 600 million people live in lowlying coastal zones worldwide. by some projections, at least 160 million people living in such areas may be at risk of flooding from storm surges by 2010 No part of the Maldives lies above 2 metres above the Sea level In the Maldives, at least 50 of the 200 inhabited islands already suffer from the problem of coastal erosion. As a cosatal country, most cities will be affected especially the ones that have no protec- tion and have no barriers Bangladesh, for instance, is already experiencing growing storm surges and rising salinity in coastal areas. One third of the country could be flooded if the sea rises by one metre, affecting 20 million of its 140 million people. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1.5 million people to be displaced temporarily; some 300,000 may never return to their former homes. Meanwhile, small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu in the Pacific face the danger of being entirely devoured by sea level rise. Low-lying, heavily populated deltas similarly face the specter of inundation. against rising tide. 3 mt 2 mb Greenland Ice cap is melting faster than ever Since 200, the ice sheet has lost about 1,500 tonnes, representing a global sea level tise of about Smm 1mt 600m "If global temperatues rise 2 degrees Celsius, we would loose coral reefs. At 2 degrees we would melt greenland. At 2 degrees my country will not survive" President Mohammad Nasheeb of the Maldives 7m IN METRES Number of people in million who live in low lying coastal zones GREENLAND'S ICE SHEET CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE A GLOBAL SEA RISE WHY DO SEA LEVELS RISE? The key word here is "displacement", the world has had a balance for thousands of years, there is a balance. But when the ke melts, it no longer exists as a solid but as a liquid, the liquid will expand and look for a place to rest until it finds the balance again. How can itaffect the WHAT DO The Ice caps repell the sunlight, just like houses with white As lce melts, more rays are absorbed by the ocean, A warmer ocean As Ice melts and is UAE? One example also is of Red Tides or algal bloom, remember this year how devastating it was and how it converted to sea water it looks for a place to displace, thus flooding land. This WARMER OCEANS MEAN? roofs. While the means that this also ocean absorbs most of the light and heat helps melt the ice. but this also adds more also contributes to Sun rays repelled by ice cap water to the oceans Partial rays repelled by ice cap warmer oceans Rays absorbed by ocean killed thousands of fish close to UAE waters? Severe Storms 50 How it affects the OUR FOCUS: Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones Middle East In 2008, some 750 natural disasters occurred worldwide, down from 960 in 2007, a drop of 22 percent. But the decline is less heartening than it appears: first, 2007 had been a IN PER CENT THE AMOUNT IN INTENSITY AND DURA- TION THAT STORMS HAVE Cyclone Gonu crossed the Arabian Sea to record year, and, second, while the number of smaller disasters fell in 2008, major catastrophes continued their longstanding upward trend. Some 82 percent of these-672 Oman in 20xx. It INCREASED SINCE 1970'S was the most events-were weather-related disasters. intense ever recorded in the Arabian Sea. Most cities in the Middle 91 IN 2006 THE WORLD Deaths from Weather-Related Disasters, 2007 East do not have the EXPERIENCED MORE WEATHER infrastructure to meet IHydrological Events 53% (7,978deaths) Meteorological Events 39% (6,024deaths) IClimatological Events-wildfire 1% (192deaths) Climatological Events-etreme temperature 4% (599deaths) IWet Mass Movements 3% (502deaths) RELATED DISASTERS THAN cyclones like Gonu. Recently, heavy rains that lashed Saudi Arabla killed nearly 77 реople. In per cent natural disasters caused due toweather-related problems in 2007 THE PREVIQUS 3 YEARS Weather-Related Disasters, Five-Year Averages, 1983-2007 Number of people affected by weather related disasters 1982-2006 AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS 1000 - MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 700 600 Climatologio Hydrologica Metrorological 500 53% 400 3% 400 1% 100 39% IN 2004 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A HURRICANE HIT BRAZİL, 85-87 88-92 93-97 98-02 03-07 82-86 87-91 92-96 97-01 02-06 SOMETHING THAT SCIENTISTS THOUGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE Far Nw Yori Timw NASA CONS or SCAR a Nh Or Chin is Plunt National Cao ra be Se lest Oreno UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7 - 18 - 2009 COP15 COPENHAGEN Gulf News Special on the most important issue the world faces today EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING The year 2007 was tied with 1998 as the second warmest year on record with an average global temperature of 14.57 degrees Celsius according to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The average global temperature in 2007 was nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius – greater than the average between 1951 and 1980 and more than 0.8 degrees Celsius above the average recorded from 1881 to 1910. The World Meteorological Association ranks 1998–2007 as the warmest decade on record. Research and Infographic: GUILLERMO MUNRO Animals Dramatic changes are seen in the North Pole. In 2007, for the first time, ice had receded more than ever before and crossed a The Polar bear is the world's largest terrestial carnivore This is where they hunt, and move between feeding, denning and resting areas They spend most of their lives Climate change could drive a million of the world's species to extinction as soon as 2050, a scientific study says. The authors say in the journal Nature that a study of six world regions suggested a quarter of animals and plants living on the land could be forced into oblivion. perenial sea ice area that had been covered since Satellites started to in the arctic sea ice 1978 2007 monitor the North pole. WHAT ABOUT THE ANTARCTIC? OUR FOCUS: THE POLAR BEAR Sea levels could rise as previously predicted due to In the Arctic, climate change impacts are being seen earlier and more dramatically than elsewhere in the world.In the southern range of polar bears, for example in the Hudson and James Bays of Canada, sea ice is now melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the autumn. The time bears have on the ice is shorter making it more difficult for them to store the energy they need to survive the summer. As the periods without food become longer, the overall body condition of these polar bears declines. This is particularly serious for bears that are pregnant or have cubs, and for the cubs themselves. In Hudson Bay, scientists have found the main cause of death for cubs to be either lack of food or lack of fat on nursing mothers. meltingsea ice around West Antarctica, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic A new scientific report has warned that climate change could lead to the extinction of a million of the world's species as soon as 2050. Research. However, the hole in the ezone layer is protecting East Antarctica from global warming bringing a 10% increase in sea ice since 1980 3° Degrees the Antarctic has warmed in the past 50 years Migration of animals and insects from warming Fish stocks around the world have also been affected as they are moving north to the Arctic to cold waters The main food source of a 1,500 40 60 bear is a seal, as bears hunt temperatures to colder climates that are loosing its Tundra is having devastating effects on those ecosystems seals in the ice sheets. As ice recedes, bears have to travel more and swim for A bear can drown if i tries to catch food in deep Billion tonnes approximate loss of ice since 2000 The estimated amount in years it will take for polar bears to go extinct In per cent the polar bears are found in Canada longer periods for the catch waters Land flooding OUR FOCUS: Island and coastal countries The government is already taking other measures, like building artificial and higher islands. THE MALDIVES How UAE is affected More than 600 million people live in lowlying coastal zones worldwide. by some projections, at least 160 million people living in such areas may be at risk of flooding from storm surges by 2010 No part of the Maldives lies above 2 metres above the Sea level In the Maldives, at least 50 of the 200 inhabited islands already suffer from the problem of coastal erosion. As a cosatal country, most cities will be affected especially the ones that have no protec- tion and have no barriers Bangladesh, for instance, is already experiencing growing storm surges and rising salinity in coastal areas. One third of the country could be flooded if the sea rises by one metre, affecting 20 million of its 140 million people. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1.5 million people to be displaced temporarily; some 300,000 may never return to their former homes. Meanwhile, small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu in the Pacific face the danger of being entirely devoured by sea level rise. Low-lying, heavily populated deltas similarly face the specter of inundation. against rising tide. 3 mt 2 mb Greenland Ice cap is melting faster than ever Since 200, the ice sheet has lost about 1,500 tonnes, representing a global sea level tise of about Smm 1mt 600m "If global temperatues rise 2 degrees Celsius, we would loose coral reefs. At 2 degrees we would melt greenland. At 2 degrees my country will not survive" President Mohammad Nasheeb of the Maldives 7m IN METRES Number of people in million who live in low lying coastal zones GREENLAND'S ICE SHEET CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE A GLOBAL SEA RISE WHY DO SEA LEVELS RISE? The key word here is "displacement", the world has had a balance for thousands of years, there is a balance. But when the ke melts, it no longer exists as a solid but as a liquid, the liquid will expand and look for a place to rest until it finds the balance again. How can itaffect the WHAT DO The Ice caps repell the sunlight, just like houses with white As lce melts, more rays are absorbed by the ocean, A warmer ocean As Ice melts and is UAE? One example also is of Red Tides or algal bloom, remember this year how devastating it was and how it converted to sea water it looks for a place to displace, thus flooding land. This WARMER OCEANS MEAN? roofs. While the means that this also ocean absorbs most of the light and heat helps melt the ice. but this also adds more also contributes to Sun rays repelled by ice cap water to the oceans Partial rays repelled by ice cap warmer oceans Rays absorbed by ocean killed thousands of fish close to UAE waters? Severe Storms 50 How it affects the OUR FOCUS: Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones Middle East In 2008, some 750 natural disasters occurred worldwide, down from 960 in 2007, a drop of 22 percent. But the decline is less heartening than it appears: first, 2007 had been a IN PER CENT THE AMOUNT IN INTENSITY AND DURA- TION THAT STORMS HAVE Cyclone Gonu crossed the Arabian Sea to record year, and, second, while the number of smaller disasters fell in 2008, major catastrophes continued their longstanding upward trend. Some 82 percent of these-672 Oman in 20xx. It INCREASED SINCE 1970'S was the most events-were weather-related disasters. intense ever recorded in the Arabian Sea. Most cities in the Middle 91 IN 2006 THE WORLD Deaths from Weather-Related Disasters, 2007 East do not have the EXPERIENCED MORE WEATHER infrastructure to meet IHydrological Events 53% (7,978deaths) Meteorological Events 39% (6,024deaths) IClimatological Events-wildfire 1% (192deaths) Climatological Events-etreme temperature 4% (599deaths) IWet Mass Movements 3% (502deaths) RELATED DISASTERS THAN cyclones like Gonu. Recently, heavy rains that lashed Saudi Arabla killed nearly 77 реople. In per cent natural disasters caused due toweather-related problems in 2007 THE PREVIQUS 3 YEARS Weather-Related Disasters, Five-Year Averages, 1983-2007 Number of people affected by weather related disasters 1982-2006 AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS 1000 - MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 700 600 Climatologio Hydrologica Metrorological 500 53% 400 3% 400 1% 100 39% IN 2004 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A HURRICANE HIT BRAZİL, 85-87 88-92 93-97 98-02 03-07 82-86 87-91 92-96 97-01 02-06 SOMETHING THAT SCIENTISTS THOUGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE Far Nw Yori Timw NASA CONS or SCAR a Nh Or Chin is Plunt National Cao ra be Se lest Oreno UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7 - 18 - 2009 COP15 COPENHAGEN Gulf News Special on the most important issue the world faces today EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING The year 2007 was tied with 1998 as the second warmest year on record with an average global temperature of 14.57 degrees Celsius according to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The average global temperature in 2007 was nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius – greater than the average between 1951 and 1980 and more than 0.8 degrees Celsius above the average recorded from 1881 to 1910. The World Meteorological Association ranks 1998–2007 as the warmest decade on record. Research and Infographic: GUILLERMO MUNRO Animals Dramatic changes are seen in the North Pole. In 2007, for the first time, ice had receded more than ever before and crossed a The Polar bear is the world's largest terrestial carnivore This is where they hunt, and move between feeding, denning and resting areas They spend most of their lives Climate change could drive a million of the world's species to extinction as soon as 2050, a scientific study says. The authors say in the journal Nature that a study of six world regions suggested a quarter of animals and plants living on the land could be forced into oblivion. perenial sea ice area that had been covered since Satellites started to in the arctic sea ice 1978 2007 monitor the North pole. WHAT ABOUT THE ANTARCTIC? OUR FOCUS: THE POLAR BEAR Sea levels could rise as previously predicted due to In the Arctic, climate change impacts are being seen earlier and more dramatically than elsewhere in the world.In the southern range of polar bears, for example in the Hudson and James Bays of Canada, sea ice is now melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the autumn. The time bears have on the ice is shorter making it more difficult for them to store the energy they need to survive the summer. As the periods without food become longer, the overall body condition of these polar bears declines. This is particularly serious for bears that are pregnant or have cubs, and for the cubs themselves. In Hudson Bay, scientists have found the main cause of death for cubs to be either lack of food or lack of fat on nursing mothers. meltingsea ice around West Antarctica, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic A new scientific report has warned that climate change could lead to the extinction of a million of the world's species as soon as 2050. Research. However, the hole in the ezone layer is protecting East Antarctica from global warming bringing a 10% increase in sea ice since 1980 3° Degrees the Antarctic has warmed in the past 50 years Migration of animals and insects from warming Fish stocks around the world have also been affected as they are moving north to the Arctic to cold waters The main food source of a 1,500 40 60 bear is a seal, as bears hunt temperatures to colder climates that are loosing its Tundra is having devastating effects on those ecosystems seals in the ice sheets. As ice recedes, bears have to travel more and swim for A bear can drown if i tries to catch food in deep Billion tonnes approximate loss of ice since 2000 The estimated amount in years it will take for polar bears to go extinct In per cent the polar bears are found in Canada longer periods for the catch waters Land flooding OUR FOCUS: Island and coastal countries The government is already taking other measures, like building artificial and higher islands. THE MALDIVES How UAE is affected More than 600 million people live in lowlying coastal zones worldwide. by some projections, at least 160 million people living in such areas may be at risk of flooding from storm surges by 2010 No part of the Maldives lies above 2 metres above the Sea level In the Maldives, at least 50 of the 200 inhabited islands already suffer from the problem of coastal erosion. As a cosatal country, most cities will be affected especially the ones that have no protec- tion and have no barriers Bangladesh, for instance, is already experiencing growing storm surges and rising salinity in coastal areas. One third of the country could be flooded if the sea rises by one metre, affecting 20 million of its 140 million people. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1.5 million people to be displaced temporarily; some 300,000 may never return to their former homes. Meanwhile, small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu in the Pacific face the danger of being entirely devoured by sea level rise. Low-lying, heavily populated deltas similarly face the specter of inundation. against rising tide. 3 mt 2 mb Greenland Ice cap is melting faster than ever Since 200, the ice sheet has lost about 1,500 tonnes, representing a global sea level tise of about Smm 1mt 600m "If global temperatues rise 2 degrees Celsius, we would loose coral reefs. At 2 degrees we would melt greenland. At 2 degrees my country will not survive" President Mohammad Nasheeb of the Maldives 7m IN METRES Number of people in million who live in low lying coastal zones GREENLAND'S ICE SHEET CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE A GLOBAL SEA RISE WHY DO SEA LEVELS RISE? The key word here is "displacement", the world has had a balance for thousands of years, there is a balance. But when the ke melts, it no longer exists as a solid but as a liquid, the liquid will expand and look for a place to rest until it finds the balance again. How can itaffect the WHAT DO The Ice caps repell the sunlight, just like houses with white As lce melts, more rays are absorbed by the ocean, A warmer ocean As Ice melts and is UAE? One example also is of Red Tides or algal bloom, remember this year how devastating it was and how it converted to sea water it looks for a place to displace, thus flooding land. This WARMER OCEANS MEAN? roofs. While the means that this also ocean absorbs most of the light and heat helps melt the ice. but this also adds more also contributes to Sun rays repelled by ice cap water to the oceans Partial rays repelled by ice cap warmer oceans Rays absorbed by ocean killed thousands of fish close to UAE waters? Severe Storms 50 How it affects the OUR FOCUS: Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones Middle East In 2008, some 750 natural disasters occurred worldwide, down from 960 in 2007, a drop of 22 percent. But the decline is less heartening than it appears: first, 2007 had been a IN PER CENT THE AMOUNT IN INTENSITY AND DURA- TION THAT STORMS HAVE Cyclone Gonu crossed the Arabian Sea to record year, and, second, while the number of smaller disasters fell in 2008, major catastrophes continued their longstanding upward trend. Some 82 percent of these-672 Oman in 20xx. It INCREASED SINCE 1970'S was the most events-were weather-related disasters. intense ever recorded in the Arabian Sea. Most cities in the Middle 91 IN 2006 THE WORLD Deaths from Weather-Related Disasters, 2007 East do not have the EXPERIENCED MORE WEATHER infrastructure to meet IHydrological Events 53% (7,978deaths) Meteorological Events 39% (6,024deaths) IClimatological Events-wildfire 1% (192deaths) Climatological Events-etreme temperature 4% (599deaths) IWet Mass Movements 3% (502deaths) RELATED DISASTERS THAN cyclones like Gonu. Recently, heavy rains that lashed Saudi Arabla killed nearly 77 реople. In per cent natural disasters caused due toweather-related problems in 2007 THE PREVIQUS 3 YEARS Weather-Related Disasters, Five-Year Averages, 1983-2007 Number of people affected by weather related disasters 1982-2006 AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS 1000 - MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 700 600 Climatologio Hydrologica Metrorological 500 53% 400 3% 400 1% 100 39% IN 2004 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A HURRICANE HIT BRAZİL, 85-87 88-92 93-97 98-02 03-07 82-86 87-91 92-96 97-01 02-06 SOMETHING THAT SCIENTISTS THOUGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE Far Nw Yori Timw NASA CONS or SCAR a Nh Or Chin is Plunt National Cao ra be Se lest Oreno UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7 - 18 - 2009 COP15 COPENHAGEN Gulf News Special on the most important issue the world faces today EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING The year 2007 was tied with 1998 as the second warmest year on record with an average global temperature of 14.57 degrees Celsius according to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The average global temperature in 2007 was nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius – greater than the average between 1951 and 1980 and more than 0.8 degrees Celsius above the average recorded from 1881 to 1910. The World Meteorological Association ranks 1998–2007 as the warmest decade on record. Research and Infographic: GUILLERMO MUNRO Animals Dramatic changes are seen in the North Pole. In 2007, for the first time, ice had receded more than ever before and crossed a The Polar bear is the world's largest terrestial carnivore This is where they hunt, and move between feeding, denning and resting areas They spend most of their lives Climate change could drive a million of the world's species to extinction as soon as 2050, a scientific study says. The authors say in the journal Nature that a study of six world regions suggested a quarter of animals and plants living on the land could be forced into oblivion. perenial sea ice area that had been covered since Satellites started to in the arctic sea ice 1978 2007 monitor the North pole. WHAT ABOUT THE ANTARCTIC? OUR FOCUS: THE POLAR BEAR Sea levels could rise as previously predicted due to In the Arctic, climate change impacts are being seen earlier and more dramatically than elsewhere in the world.In the southern range of polar bears, for example in the Hudson and James Bays of Canada, sea ice is now melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the autumn. The time bears have on the ice is shorter making it more difficult for them to store the energy they need to survive the summer. As the periods without food become longer, the overall body condition of these polar bears declines. This is particularly serious for bears that are pregnant or have cubs, and for the cubs themselves. In Hudson Bay, scientists have found the main cause of death for cubs to be either lack of food or lack of fat on nursing mothers. meltingsea ice around West Antarctica, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic A new scientific report has warned that climate change could lead to the extinction of a million of the world's species as soon as 2050. Research. However, the hole in the ezone layer is protecting East Antarctica from global warming bringing a 10% increase in sea ice since 1980 3° Degrees the Antarctic has warmed in the past 50 years Migration of animals and insects from warming Fish stocks around the world have also been affected as they are moving north to the Arctic to cold waters The main food source of a 1,500 40 60 bear is a seal, as bears hunt temperatures to colder climates that are loosing its Tundra is having devastating effects on those ecosystems seals in the ice sheets. As ice recedes, bears have to travel more and swim for A bear can drown if i tries to catch food in deep Billion tonnes approximate loss of ice since 2000 The estimated amount in years it will take for polar bears to go extinct In per cent the polar bears are found in Canada longer periods for the catch waters Land flooding OUR FOCUS: Island and coastal countries The government is already taking other measures, like building artificial and higher islands. THE MALDIVES How UAE is affected More than 600 million people live in lowlying coastal zones worldwide. by some projections, at least 160 million people living in such areas may be at risk of flooding from storm surges by 2010 No part of the Maldives lies above 2 metres above the Sea level In the Maldives, at least 50 of the 200 inhabited islands already suffer from the problem of coastal erosion. As a cosatal country, most cities will be affected especially the ones that have no protec- tion and have no barriers Bangladesh, for instance, is already experiencing growing storm surges and rising salinity in coastal areas. One third of the country could be flooded if the sea rises by one metre, affecting 20 million of its 140 million people. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1.5 million people to be displaced temporarily; some 300,000 may never return to their former homes. Meanwhile, small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu in the Pacific face the danger of being entirely devoured by sea level rise. Low-lying, heavily populated deltas similarly face the specter of inundation. against rising tide. 3 mt 2 mb Greenland Ice cap is melting faster than ever Since 200, the ice sheet has lost about 1,500 tonnes, representing a global sea level tise of about Smm 1mt 600m "If global temperatues rise 2 degrees Celsius, we would loose coral reefs. At 2 degrees we would melt greenland. At 2 degrees my country will not survive" President Mohammad Nasheeb of the Maldives 7m IN METRES Number of people in million who live in low lying coastal zones GREENLAND'S ICE SHEET CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE A GLOBAL SEA RISE WHY DO SEA LEVELS RISE? The key word here is "displacement", the world has had a balance for thousands of years, there is a balance. But when the ke melts, it no longer exists as a solid but as a liquid, the liquid will expand and look for a place to rest until it finds the balance again. How can itaffect the WHAT DO The Ice caps repell the sunlight, just like houses with white As lce melts, more rays are absorbed by the ocean, A warmer ocean As Ice melts and is UAE? One example also is of Red Tides or algal bloom, remember this year how devastating it was and how it converted to sea water it looks for a place to displace, thus flooding land. This WARMER OCEANS MEAN? roofs. While the means that this also ocean absorbs most of the light and heat helps melt the ice. but this also adds more also contributes to Sun rays repelled by ice cap water to the oceans Partial rays repelled by ice cap warmer oceans Rays absorbed by ocean killed thousands of fish close to UAE waters? Severe Storms 50 How it affects the OUR FOCUS: Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones Middle East In 2008, some 750 natural disasters occurred worldwide, down from 960 in 2007, a drop of 22 percent. But the decline is less heartening than it appears: first, 2007 had been a IN PER CENT THE AMOUNT IN INTENSITY AND DURA- TION THAT STORMS HAVE Cyclone Gonu crossed the Arabian Sea to record year, and, second, while the number of smaller disasters fell in 2008, major catastrophes continued their longstanding upward trend. Some 82 percent of these-672 Oman in 20xx. It INCREASED SINCE 1970'S was the most events-were weather-related disasters. intense ever recorded in the Arabian Sea. Most cities in the Middle 91 IN 2006 THE WORLD Deaths from Weather-Related Disasters, 2007 East do not have the EXPERIENCED MORE WEATHER infrastructure to meet IHydrological Events 53% (7,978deaths) Meteorological Events 39% (6,024deaths) IClimatological Events-wildfire 1% (192deaths) Climatological Events-etreme temperature 4% (599deaths) IWet Mass Movements 3% (502deaths) RELATED DISASTERS THAN cyclones like Gonu. Recently, heavy rains that lashed Saudi Arabla killed nearly 77 реople. In per cent natural disasters caused due toweather-related problems in 2007 THE PREVIQUS 3 YEARS Weather-Related Disasters, Five-Year Averages, 1983-2007 Number of people affected by weather related disasters 1982-2006 AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS 1000 - MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 700 600 Climatologio Hydrologica Metrorological 500 53% 400 3% 400 1% 100 39% IN 2004 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A HURRICANE HIT BRAZİL, 85-87 88-92 93-97 98-02 03-07 82-86 87-91 92-96 97-01 02-06 SOMETHING THAT SCIENTISTS THOUGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE Far Nw Yori Timw NASA CONS or SCAR a Nh Or Chin is Plunt National Cao ra be Se lest Oreno UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7 - 18 - 2009 COP15 COPENHAGEN Gulf News Special on the most important issue the world faces today EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING The year 2007 was tied with 1998 as the second warmest year on record with an average global temperature of 14.57 degrees Celsius according to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The average global temperature in 2007 was nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius – greater than the average between 1951 and 1980 and more than 0.8 degrees Celsius above the average recorded from 1881 to 1910. The World Meteorological Association ranks 1998–2007 as the warmest decade on record. Research and Infographic: GUILLERMO MUNRO Animals Dramatic changes are seen in the North Pole. In 2007, for the first time, ice had receded more than ever before and crossed a The Polar bear is the world's largest terrestial carnivore This is where they hunt, and move between feeding, denning and resting areas They spend most of their lives Climate change could drive a million of the world's species to extinction as soon as 2050, a scientific study says. The authors say in the journal Nature that a study of six world regions suggested a quarter of animals and plants living on the land could be forced into oblivion. perenial sea ice area that had been covered since Satellites started to in the arctic sea ice 1978 2007 monitor the North pole. WHAT ABOUT THE ANTARCTIC? OUR FOCUS: THE POLAR BEAR Sea levels could rise as previously predicted due to In the Arctic, climate change impacts are being seen earlier and more dramatically than elsewhere in the world.In the southern range of polar bears, for example in the Hudson and James Bays of Canada, sea ice is now melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the autumn. The time bears have on the ice is shorter making it more difficult for them to store the energy they need to survive the summer. As the periods without food become longer, the overall body condition of these polar bears declines. This is particularly serious for bears that are pregnant or have cubs, and for the cubs themselves. In Hudson Bay, scientists have found the main cause of death for cubs to be either lack of food or lack of fat on nursing mothers. meltingsea ice around West Antarctica, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic A new scientific report has warned that climate change could lead to the extinction of a million of the world's species as soon as 2050. Research. However, the hole in the ezone layer is protecting East Antarctica from global warming bringing a 10% increase in sea ice since 1980 3° Degrees the Antarctic has warmed in the past 50 years Migration of animals and insects from warming Fish stocks around the world have also been affected as they are moving north to the Arctic to cold waters The main food source of a 1,500 40 60 bear is a seal, as bears hunt temperatures to colder climates that are loosing its Tundra is having devastating effects on those ecosystems seals in the ice sheets. As ice recedes, bears have to travel more and swim for A bear can drown if i tries to catch food in deep Billion tonnes approximate loss of ice since 2000 The estimated amount in years it will take for polar bears to go extinct In per cent the polar bears are found in Canada longer periods for the catch waters Land flooding OUR FOCUS: Island and coastal countries The government is already taking other measures, like building artificial and higher islands. THE MALDIVES How UAE is affected More than 600 million people live in lowlying coastal zones worldwide. by some projections, at least 160 million people living in such areas may be at risk of flooding from storm surges by 2010 No part of the Maldives lies above 2 metres above the Sea level In the Maldives, at least 50 of the 200 inhabited islands already suffer from the problem of coastal erosion. As a cosatal country, most cities will be affected especially the ones that have no protec- tion and have no barriers Bangladesh, for instance, is already experiencing growing storm surges and rising salinity in coastal areas. One third of the country could be flooded if the sea rises by one metre, affecting 20 million of its 140 million people. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1.5 million people to be displaced temporarily; some 300,000 may never return to their former homes. Meanwhile, small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu in the Pacific face the danger of being entirely devoured by sea level rise. Low-lying, heavily populated deltas similarly face the specter of inundation. against rising tide. 3 mt 2 mb Greenland Ice cap is melting faster than ever Since 200, the ice sheet has lost about 1,500 tonnes, representing a global sea level tise of about Smm 1mt 600m "If global temperatues rise 2 degrees Celsius, we would loose coral reefs. At 2 degrees we would melt greenland. At 2 degrees my country will not survive" President Mohammad Nasheeb of the Maldives 7m IN METRES Number of people in million who live in low lying coastal zones GREENLAND'S ICE SHEET CONTAINS ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE A GLOBAL SEA RISE WHY DO SEA LEVELS RISE? The key word here is "displacement", the world has had a balance for thousands of years, there is a balance. But when the ke melts, it no longer exists as a solid but as a liquid, the liquid will expand and look for a place to rest until it finds the balance again. How can itaffect the WHAT DO The Ice caps repell the sunlight, just like houses with white As lce melts, more rays are absorbed by the ocean, A warmer ocean As Ice melts and is UAE? One example also is of Red Tides or algal bloom, remember this year how devastating it was and how it converted to sea water it looks for a place to displace, thus flooding land. This WARMER OCEANS MEAN? roofs. While the means that this also ocean absorbs most of the light and heat helps melt the ice. but this also adds more also contributes to Sun rays repelled by ice cap water to the oceans Partial rays repelled by ice cap warmer oceans Rays absorbed by ocean killed thousands of fish close to UAE waters? Severe Storms 50 How it affects the OUR FOCUS: Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones Middle East In 2008, some 750 natural disasters occurred worldwide, down from 960 in 2007, a drop of 22 percent. But the decline is less heartening than it appears: first, 2007 had been a IN PER CENT THE AMOUNT IN INTENSITY AND DURA- TION THAT STORMS HAVE Cyclone Gonu crossed the Arabian Sea to record year, and, second, while the number of smaller disasters fell in 2008, major catastrophes continued their longstanding upward trend. Some 82 percent of these-672 Oman in 20xx. It INCREASED SINCE 1970'S was the most events-were weather-related disasters. intense ever recorded in the Arabian Sea. Most cities in the Middle 91 IN 2006 THE WORLD Deaths from Weather-Related Disasters, 2007 East do not have the EXPERIENCED MORE WEATHER infrastructure to meet IHydrological Events 53% (7,978deaths) Meteorological Events 39% (6,024deaths) IClimatological Events-wildfire 1% (192deaths) Climatological Events-etreme temperature 4% (599deaths) IWet Mass Movements 3% (502deaths) RELATED DISASTERS THAN cyclones like Gonu. Recently, heavy rains that lashed Saudi Arabla killed nearly 77 реople. In per cent natural disasters caused due toweather-related problems in 2007 THE PREVIQUS 3 YEARS Weather-Related Disasters, Five-Year Averages, 1983-2007 Number of people affected by weather related disasters 1982-2006 AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS 1000 - MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 700 600 Climatologio Hydrologica Metrorological 500 53% 400 3% 400 1% 100 39% IN 2004 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A HURRICANE HIT BRAZİL, 85-87 88-92 93-97 98-02 03-07 82-86 87-91 92-96 97-01 02-06 SOMETHING THAT SCIENTISTS THOUGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE Far Nw Yori Timw NASA CONS or SCAR a Nh Or Chin is Plunt National Cao ra be Se lest Oreno