A new report by the UN Environmental ProgramThe UNEP has identified three major environmental risks. First, there is the increasing risk of wildfires. They are becoming more frequent due to climate change. Next, the report discusses the increasing danger of noise pollution and the associated problems. The experts also highlight the issue phenological mismatches. This is the disruption of the timing of natural systems and life cycle.
Inger Andersen is the Executive Director of UNEP. The Frontiers Report identifies, and offers solutions to, three environmental issues that deserve attention and action from governments, and the general public, she said. The three topics in this Frontiers Report are urban noise pollution, wildfires, and phenological shifts. These issues highlight the urgency of addressing the triple global crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Between 2002 and 2016, 423 million hectares were burned by fires. Between 2002 and 2016, fires destroyed an average of 423 million hectares of land. This figure includes all types of fires. Africa accounted for approximately 67 percent. Climate change is making wildfires more common, despite them being natural. Smoke from fires can cause respiratory problems in humans and other animals. The release of carbon from fires can also contribute to climate change through a positive feedback loop.
“The report calls for greater investment in reducing the risks of wildfires; development of prevention and response management approaches that include vulnerable, rural, traditional and indigenous communities; and further refinements in remote sensing capabilities, such as satellites, radar and lightning detection,” said UNEP.
Noise pollution is often overlooked because it is an environmental threat. Long-term noise pollution can cause damage to the health and well-being of humans and other animals. Unwanted human noises may disrupt communications between birds, amphibians and insects. Noise pollution alone is responsible for approximately 12,000 premature deaths each year in the EU. However, natural sounds can have a positive effect on human health and urban planners should prioritize them over unwelcome human disturbances.
Climate change is also disrupting the natural cycle of life in plants and animals. Climate change is affecting critical processes like reproduction, migration, hibernation, and other life-sustaining functions. Problems arise when there is a mismatch between the timing of plant and animal species dependent on each other.
“Phenology is the timing of recurring life cycle stages, driven by environmental forces, and how, within an ecosystem, interacting species respond to the changing conditions,” wrote the experts.
“Phenological shifts occur when species shift the timing of life cycle stages in response to changing environmental conditions altered by climate change. The problem is that interdependent species in an ecosystem might not shift the timing in the exact same direction or at a similar rate.
These phenological shifts are increasingly disturbed by climate change, pushing plants and animals out of sync with their natural rhythms and leading to mismatches, such as when plants shift life cycle stages faster than herbivores.”
“Long-distance migrants are particularly vulnerable to phenological change. Local climatic cues that normally trigger migration may no longer accurately predict conditions at their destination and resting sites along the route.”
According to experts, further research is required to understand the full effects of these looming environmental dangers. It is possible to address many of these issues by planning properly.
The latest edition Frontiers ReportSeveral days before the UN Environment Assembly’s fifth session (UNEA), the documents were released.
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By Zach Fitzner, Earth.comStaff Writer
