Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events, unpredictable water resources, water scarcity and serious water pollution. These impacts can seriously affect the quality and quantity of water children need to survive.
In 2022, unusual climate change phenomena took place around the world. According to a report by the scientific research organization Climate Central, this year, 7.6 billion people, equivalent to 96% of the world’s population, will be affected by climate change, from heat to floods.
The year 2022 has witnessed record heat in many European, American and Asian countries. Heat waves in Europe have increased in both frequency and intensity over the past four decades. According to research published in the journal Nature Communications in early July 2022, change in Europe is happening faster than in other regions of the world.
On July 22, the Italian Ministry of Health issued a red warning due to severe heat in 16 cities. Meanwhile, in the UK, the temperature at Heathrow airport (London) on July 19 reached 40.2 degrees Celsius, breaking the record of 38.7 degrees Celsius in 2019. The town of Coningsby (Lincolnshire) reached this level. The highest temperature of all time is 40.3 degrees Celsius. In France, the meteorological agency measured record temperatures in 64 areas nationwide…
Across the Atlantic, more than 50% of US states issued high heat warnings on the morning of July 21, with the highest temperature being 46 degrees Celsius in Texas and Oklahoma.
In Asia, in Pakistan, severe heat waves affect people’s lives and health. On May 13, the temperature in Jacobabad city in Sindh province peaked at 50°C. Nationwide, the average temperature is also warned to be 6°C to 9°C higher than normal.
China also experienced a heat wave last year that was considered “the most serious in six decades”. More than 10 provincial-level regions, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, experienced temperatures ranging from 40°C to 42°C. Zhushan district in Hubei province in central China even reached temperatures above 44°C on August 13.
In Japan, the temperature in Isesaki (a city 85km northwest of Tokyo) on the afternoon of June 25 reached 40.2 degrees Celsius, breaking Japan’s hottest June record of 39.8 degrees Celsius. In 2011.
High temperatures cause deaths, at least 44 people died in Japan, while more than 12,000 people were hospitalized in the first two weeks of July. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) also showed that See, more than 1,700 people in the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain and Portugal, have died from heat. Some countries have struggled to cope with the deaths of outdoor workers due to extreme weather.
As a result of the heat wave, Europe has suffered the “worst drought in 500 years”, with about two-thirds of the continent under drought warning, according to a report published on August 23 by the Organization. Global Drought Observatory.
In France, heat waves in the South broke records, when rainfall was only half of normal. Since July, the French Government has requested to cut water for irrigation and farming. Water is reserved for essential activities such as drinking, firefighting and emergencies.
In Spain, the world’s largest olive oil producer, drought has reduced olive oil production by a third. In Germany, the drought occurred when farmers in this country were still suffering from the consequences of historic floods that destroyed crops last year. However, the most worrying impact is probably the drying up of the Rhine River, because it is considered the lifeblood of the economy, with a large number of ships carrying goods circulating on the river every day.
Even Britain, known for its year-round rains and abundant greenery, faces the prospect of a drier future. Rainfall in July in London was only 1/3 of what it used to be. In August, authorities declared all nine regions of England were in a dry state.
In Africa, prolonged drought has made it even more difficult for already poor people. In a regional update report issued on November 17, the World Food Program (WFP) said that across the Horn of Africa, mainly Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, about 22 million people is currently facing a serious hunger crisis after four consecutive rainy seasons and suffering from severe drought.
Global warming is dangerously out of control with a series of extreme weather events occurring and countries agree that urgent action must be taken to prevent global warming.