(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 2nd March, 2022 (WAM) -- A UAE newspaper has said that the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released this week reveals that the dire changes caused by climate change are already to be seen in the cities, especially in coastal areas, and that one-third of the planet is vulnerable.
'The 3,675-page report calls attention to the huge losses that would accrue to agriculture, dairy farming, meat industry by 2050 and 2100,' said Gulf Today in an editorial on Wednesday.
The paper went on to say, 'The experts who authored the report have warned that it is not enough to take measures to avoid disaster, but there is need for adaptive measures. The argument put forward in the report is that money must be spent to help people love through heat waves and other extreme weather events that have been on the rise in the last few years.
'The report authors have also pointed out that adaptive measures will only succeed if it is socially inclusive. The report has said that the poor and marginalised people will be most affected by climate change, especially in South-East Asia, South Asia, and South America. It has also been pointed out that the costs of adaptive measures will be very high.
The economic consequences of the slow response to climate change challenges can push about 183 million people in poor countries into poverty, says the report. That is one of the many things that will impact the global economy negatively.'
The report pointedly said, 'Individual livelihoods have been affected through changes in agricultural productivity, impacts on human health and food security, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and loss of property and income, with adverse effects on gender and social equity. Rising temperatures would make agriculture labour less productive, and their shift away from farming and migration to cities will increase poverty levels and inequalities. And this, in turn, would decrease food production and increase food prices.'
'Climate science has so far given us the broad picture of climate catastrophe. The governments and others need detailed planning now,' added the editorial comment.
'But given the state of global economy at present and its dependence on fossil fuels, it does not help if the climate scientists continue to denounce fossil fuel as evil. It is a plain fact that keeping in mind the energy needs of the global economy; ways must be found to sustain its present levels while looking for alternate futures. Turning off the energy switches would be disastrous to avert climate change catastrophe.'
The Sharjah-based daily concluded, 'The climate scientists must place more numbers about climate change in the public domain and give details of things that need to be done in sectors of the economy. It must be remembered that the critical condition of global climate is a consequence of the 150 years of industrialisation, and it cannot be undone.'
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