[OPINION] What is the impact of climate change on your life?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the focus of international attention for the past two years. But there has always been a bigger threat around us. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC), reminded the world on February 28th of the seriousness of the climate crisis through its Latest reportThis report focuses on the global issues of vulnerability, adaptation and impacts. 

Filipinos are one of the most vulnerable nation. For decades, they have been suffering from a disturbed climate caused by human activities. Super typhoons, droughts and other hazards have all been a part of their lives. We must be able to see and comprehend the potential consequences of the climate crisis in order to avoid further loss and damage.

Based on this report, there are three tangible impacts from the climate crisis which are worse than those of a COVID-19 epidemic.

Mental and physical health

Climate change is more than just a threat to natural disasters. According to the IPCC higher temperatures can lead to higher mortality and morbidity rates. Changes in weather patterns and temperature have also led to an increase in cases of vector-borne diseases, such as dengue or malaria.

You should be concerned that zoonoses (infectious diseases that have jumped from non-human animals to humans) are now emerging in new areas due to climate change. The odds of another situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be discounted. 

The importance of mental health in a sustainable society is one of the most important issues that emerged from the pandemic. This report reveals that there are some mental health issues linked to climate change. These include warmer environments, trauma caused by extreme events like typhoons and loss of livelihoods.

All this occurred in a world that is 1 degree Celsius warmer. Higher levels of global warming would increase the risks to our mental and physical health, which could pose direct and indirect threats to various aspects of our lives.

For example, dengue risk would rise if there were longer seasons and more people living in the same areas as the Philippines. This could lead to millions, but not billions of people being at risk by this century’s end. We have all seen the effects of climate change on our mental health, such as stress and anxiety. This is especially true for those who are most vulnerable, such as children and elderly, or people with existing medical conditions.

Biodiversity, ecosystems

This pandemic should have made us realize that planetary health is a necessity for peoples’ health. Without proper measures to protect biodiversity and ecosystems, which are the sources of economic production, our ability live a sustainable existence is compromised. 

Around 3.3 billion to 3.6 million people live in climate-vulnerable areas, including the urban poor and indigenous peoples. It is not surprising that more species are now more vulnerable to climate change’s many impacts. Should you be surprised that the Philippines, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with poor enforcement of environmental laws and nearly one-fourth of its people living under poverty, is one of the most vulnerable nations to the climate crisis?

The IPCC has released its latest report. It shows that many natural systems have reached their limit in terms adapting to climate changes impacts. This includes higher temperatures and more acidic waters. These systems include coral reefs and coastal wetlands as well as rainforests. This is relevant in the Philippine context. If the planet is three degrees warmer, the risk of extinction of biodiversity hotspots’ endemic species could rise to 10 times.

Should global warming reach 1.5°C, some measures related to ecosystems-based adaptation will lose their effectiveness, and limited freshwater resources would be more common in small islands. At 2°C, multiple staple crops are at extremely high risk in tropical regions. At 3°C, water management measures would fail in many areas due to issues in water supply. 

Sustainable development

The COVID-19 pandemic was not only a serious health and environmental problem, but it also slowed or stopped economic development in many countries for a long period. It was the main reason why the Philippines experienced its worst recession in its postwar history last year. Our lives have been shaped by price hikes in food, water and electricity, supply issues and the closing of many businesses over the past two-years.

These trends are not only bad for many Filipinos but also present a greater challenge to sustainable development. The climate crisis directly affects our resources and is more important than COVID. The report shows that the window of opportunity to realize this future is shrinking. 

This would depend on the following factors. Existing social and economic inequalities, existing resources, vulnerabilities and values, policies and programs that could result in previous and potential greenhouse gas emission. Each of these factors can be directly or indirectly affected by the climate crisis. 

We must understand how this crisis causes or accelerates the destruction of our environment, which is the source of all our needs. Around 80%All outcomes related to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will be adversely affected by the damage caused by climate change to our environment.

The IPCC report on vulnerability, adaptation and impacts is the latest reminder that we can’t go back to the old normal. If you think the “new normal” created by the COVID-19 pandemic is that bad, the climate crisis can easily give us an even worse one if we do not act quickly and decisively enough. 

Why should we delay to find out? – Rappler.com

John Leo is the Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines, and a member of the interim Secretariat of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas. He is one the IPCC Working Group II Sixth Assessment Report reviewers.