The earth’s atmosphere acts like a blanket trapping heat from the sun, thus making life possible. Climate change is caused by an accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. The increase of GHG concentrations thickens this blanket, so that more of the sun’s heat is retained, which in turn warms the planet. Greenhouse gases are released from burning fossil fuels, land clearing, and agriculture. The best-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, or CO2. Human activities are the driving force behind current climate change, which means we have the potential to reduce how bad it is.
Understanding climate change
Climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet.
Cloudy day in Bangkok
How do we know it is happening?
Climate change, often referred to as global warming, is a change in long-term weather patterns including warmer temperatures, and changes in rainfall, winds, and storms.
According to the IPCC (see box below), the warming of the planet is indisputable and has accelerated in recent decades. Climate change is evident from observed increases in global air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising sea level.
What is causing climate change?
Greater Mekong Climate Change map
Why is climate change a concern?
All across the world people are taking action because climate change has serious impacts on biodiversity, natural resources, water, agriculture, infrastructure, and ultimately human health and wellbeing.
The more the climate changes, the greater the risks to people and to the ecosystems on which we depend. As the planet warms, sea level is expected to rise up to 1 m by the year 2100, inundating deltas and other low-lying areas, displacing millions of people, and negatively affecting national economies, key sectors such as agriculture, livelihoods, and infrastructure. In deltas and other flat terrain, the shoreline could move many kilometers inland. Warmer temperatures are also intensifying the monsoons, causing more frequent and more severe storms and droughts. These extreme events lead to costly disasters.
In natural ecosystems, species will respond in individual ways potentially causing entirely new, unfamiliar ecosystems to emerge. The species that are least capable of adapting or migrating are expected to become extinct. Many of these species live in the tropics and some have only just been discovered in the Greater Mekong region.
In natural ecosystems, species will respond in individual ways potentially causing entirely new, unfamiliar ecosystems to emerge. The species that are least capable of adapting or migrating are expected to become extinct. Many of these species live in the tropics and some have only just been discovered in the Greater Mekong region.
Ecosystem and socio-economic consequences of Climate Change in the Greater Mekong
Region.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) consists of thousands of the world’s leading scientists. Its purpose is to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
