More than 1,200 lives were lost following the catastrophic flash flood that hit Nepal on 26 Aug that was triggered by a glacier collapsing.
We may have to brace ourselves for more climate disasters, as the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme revealed on 2 Sept that global warming is now expected to rise by at least 1.8°C and up to 2°C within the next few years.
This is above the 1.5°C global warming limit set during the UN Climate Change Conference in 2015.
The concerning findings have prompted experts to discuss if there are ways to reverse the course of events.
“This summer’s scorching heat, raging wildfires and deadly floods are a warning of what lies ahead,” said UN Secretary-General Antőnio Guterres.
“We must make the overshoot above 1.5 degrees as small and short as possible.”
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With each small rise in temperatures above 1.5°C, there will be intensified risks and impacts to the environment, the UNEP report stated.
These include intensified extreme weather, ecosystem loss, and submersion of low-lying coastal cities and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
SIDS, which Singapore is part of, are described as states that face “unique social, economic, and environmental challenges” due to factors including their small size and limited resources.
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Additionally, climate change can bring detrimental effects to human health, as well as affect water supplies, nature, cities, infrastructure, and economies.
“There are no good outcomes if we remain above 1.5°C,” stressed UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.
Across the globe, extreme heatwaves are already proving that climate impacts will strike faster, hit harder, and last longer — costing more lives and causing deeper disruption.
According to the report, the odds of reaching irreversible climate tipping points escalate as rising temperatures persist.
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This can cause major ice sheets to destabilise, the Amazon rainforest to deteriorate, and disrupt the system of warm and cold currents that regulate global climate.
Some of these outcomes may emerge abruptly, while others will accumulate over time, the report stated.
While we can no longer stop global warming from crossing 1.5°C, we can still return below this limit by the end of the century, said Mr Guterres.
The report identifies the “overshoot, peak, and decline pathway” as our best remaining option to minimise the effects of exceeding the global warming limit and hopefully return below 1.5°C as soon as possible.
This begins by minimising the peak temperature rise through collective efforts such as rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
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Adaptation actions that reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change follow.
Subsequently, mitigation and adaptation must advance together while responding to emerging risks.
The report emphasised that strong political will, global cooperation, effective policies, inclusive governance, and finance are important to the success of this pathway.
The UNEP report states that even if global warming returns to below 1.5°C, “irreversible losses and permanently changed conditions are certain”.
Many communities may be forced to adapt, while societies may have to re-adjust to new realities.
Despite this, the report stressed that the overshoot, peak and decline pathway must be launched immediately for it to succeed.
Mafalda Duarte, the executive director of the UN’s Green Climate Fund, highlighted that disasters such as the recent Nepal flash flood should turn political attention to the high cost of climate change.
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She told reporters during the recent Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau:
We see when there is will, that finance is mobilised to respond to emergencies. For some reason, we don’t see the same type of response to climate – as if we can afford to wait.
Ms Duarte also expressed dismay that climate change has dropped among many countries’ priorities, and little action is taken despite the abundance of accessible information.
“We cannot give up hope,” she stressed.
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Featured image adapted from UNICEF, Aleksey Zhilin on Canva for illustration purposes only.