Part II of IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report

In News 

• Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released the second part of its sixth assessment report. 
  • This second part of the report is about climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation options.

About

• The first part of this report, on the physical science of climate change in 2021. It had warned that 1.5 degree Celsius warming was likely to be achieved before 2040 itself.
• The third and final part of the report, which will look into the possibilities of reducing emissions, is expected to come out in April 2022.
• This report has warned of multiple climate change-induced disasters in the next two decades even if strong action is taken to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions.
• For the first time, this report made an assessment of regional and sectoral impacts of climate change.
• It has included risks to, and vulnerabilities of, mega-cities around the world.
• Also for the first time, the IPCC report has looked at the health impacts of climate change.

What is an Assessment Report of IPCC?

• The first of which came out in 1990, are the most comprehensive evaluations of the state of the earth’s climate.
• Hundreds of experts go through every available piece of relevant, published scientific information to prepare a common understanding of the changing climate.
• The four subsequent assessment reports came out in 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2015.
  • These have formed the basis of the global response to climate change.
• Each assessment report has built on the work of the previous ones, adding more evidence, information and data, so that most of the conclusions about climate change and its impacts have far greater clarity, certainty and wealth of new evidence now, than earlier.
• These reports, on their own, are not policy prescriptive: They do not tell countries or governments what to do. They are only meant to present factual situations with as much scientific evidence as is possible.

Major Findings of the Report

• It has said the ability of human beings, and natural systems, to cope with the changing climate was already being tested, and further rise in global warming would make it even more difficult to adapt.
• Over 3.5 billion people, over 45% of the global population, were living in areas highly vulnerable to climate change.
• The gap in adaptation was a result of lack of funds and political commitment, and also the absence of reliable information and a sense of urgency.
• There are “feasible and effective” adaptation options which could reduce the risks to people and nature.
• It has found that climate change is increasing vector-borne and water-borne diseases such as malaria or dengue, particularly in sub-tropical regions of Asia.
• It has also said deaths related to circulatory, respiratory, diabetic and infectious diseases, as well as infant mortality, are likely to increase with a rise in temperature.
• Increasing frequency of extreme weather events like heat waves, flooding and drought, and even air pollution was contributing to under-nutrition, allergic diseases and even mental disorders.
• While strong actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near term, in the next 20 years, would substantially reduce the threats, and the projected damages, they would not eliminate them all.
  • If the temperature rise crossed the threshold of 1.5°C from pre-industrial times, then many changes could be irreversible.
• Global sea levels will likely rise 44-76 cm this century if governments meet their current emission-cutting pledges.
• India specific study:
  • The report identifies India as one of the vulnerable hotspots, with several regions and important cities facing very high risk of climate disasters such as flooding, sea-level rise and heat-waves.
  • Mumbai is at high risk of sea-level rise and flooding.
  • Ahmedabad faces serious danger of heat-waves.
  • Several cities, including Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Patna and Lucknow, are approaching dangerous levels of heat and humidity.
  • Infrastructure, including transportation, water, and sanitation and energy systems has been compromised by extreme and slow-onset events, with resulting economic losses, disruptions of services and impacts to well- being.
  • Urban India is at greater risk than other areas with a projected population of 877 million by 2050, nearly double of 480 million in 2020.
    • Currently, urbanization in the country is at 35 per cent, which is likely to increase to 40 per cent in the next 15 years.
  • At present, wet-bulb temperatures in India rarely exceed 31 degrees C, with most of the country experiencing maximum wet-bulb temperatures of 25-30 degrees C, according to IPCC.
  • It notes that if emissions are cut, but only by the levels currently promised, many parts of northern and coastal India would reach extremely dangerous wet-bulb temperatures of over 31 degrees C towards the end of the century.
    • If emissions continue to rise, wet-bulb temperatures will approach or exceed the un-survivable limit of 35 degrees C over much of India, with the majority of the country reaching wet-bulb temperatures of 31 degrees C or more.

Way Ahead

• The need to take adaptation measures is therefore very important.
• It has recognised progress being made to adapt to the new situation, but pointed out that, in most places, it was nowhere close to what is required to be done.
• IPCC reports form the scientific basis on which countries across the world build their policy responses to climate change.
• These reports also form the basis for international climate change negotiations that decide on the responses at the global level.
  • It is these negotiations that have produced the Paris Agreement, and previously the Kyoto Protocol.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• It is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations responsible for advancing knowledge on human-induced climate change.
• It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland
• Members:  195
• Function: To provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Source: IE