Climate Change

Manyanshi Joshi
Sep 1
8 min read

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities—especially the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These emissions increase greenhouse gases (like CO₂ and methane) in the atmosphere, trapping heat and disrupting Earth’s climate systems.

🔥 Key Causes

Burning fossil fuels (power plants, cars, industry)
Deforestation (less CO₂ absorbed by trees)
Agriculture (methane from livestock, nitrous oxide from fertilizers)
Waste (landfills emit greenhouse gases)

🌍 Major Effects

Rising global temperatures
Melting glaciers and rising sea levels
More extreme weather (heatwaves, floods, droughts)
Loss of biodiversity (due to changing habitats)
Threats to food and water security
Health impacts (spread of diseases, heat stress)

🌱 What Can Be Done

Mitigation – reduce or prevent emissions:

Shift to renewable energy (solar, wind)
Improve energy efficiency
Reforestation and sustainable land use
Electrify transportation
Support carbon pricing and climate policies

Adaptation – adjust to the effects:

Build climate-resilient infrastructure
Improve water management
Prepare for extreme weather events

A specific aspect can help you go deeper and more meaningfully understand climate change. Here are a few options you could explore:

🌊 Ocean Impacts

Climate change is drastically affecting the oceans:

Warming seas → Coral bleaching, fish migration, disrupted ecosystems.
Melting polar ice → Sea level rise, loss of habitats (e.g. for polar bears, penguins).
Ocean acidification → CO₂ absorbed by oceans lowers pH, harming shellfish and coral.
Disrupted currents (e.g., Gulf Stream) → Affects global weather and marine life.

🏛️ Climate Policy

How governments respond to climate change:

Paris Agreement (2015): Global pact to limit warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C.
Carbon pricing: Taxes or cap-and-trade systems to limit emissions.
Green New Deal (US concept): A policy package combining climate action and economic justice.
COP Summits: Annual global climate negotiations (e.g., COP28 in 2023).
National action plans (NDCs): Countries' individual climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

✅ Solutions to Climate Change

Mitigation (reducing the cause):

Renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal)
Energy efficiency (buildings, appliances, transport)
Reforestation and conservation
Clean transportation (EVs, public transit, cycling infrastructure)
Carbon capture technologies

Adaptation (adjusting to effects):

Climate-resilient infrastructure
Early-warning systems for disasters
Climate-smart agriculture
Water management in drought-prone regions

Climate change causes a wide range of issues that affect people, ecosystems, economies, and global security. These issues can be grouped into different types based on what they impact.

🌡️ 1. Environmental Issues

These are direct effects on natural systems:

Rising temperatures: More frequent and intense heatwaves.
Melting glaciers & ice caps: Contributes to sea level rise.
Sea level rise: Floods coastal areas, threatens islands.
Ocean acidification: Harms marine life (especially shell-building organisms like corals and shellfish).
Loss of biodiversity: Species extinction due to habitat change.
Changing ecosystems: Forests turning into savannahs, coral reefs dying, etc.

🌾 2. Agricultural & Food Security Issues

Climate change threatens global food systems:

Droughts reduce crop yields and water availability.
Flooding damages crops and livestock.
Unpredictable seasons confuse planting/harvesting times.
Pests and diseases spread due to warmer temperatures.
Food price increases and shortages can lead to hunger.

💧 3. Water-Related Issues

Water availability and quality are changing:

More droughts in dry areas (e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western US).
Floods from more intense rainfall or sea-level rise.
Water scarcity due to drying rivers and shrinking glaciers.
Contaminated water after storms or floods.

🏥 4. Human Health Issues

Climate change has serious health consequences:

Heat stress and heatstroke from extreme heat.
Air pollution worsened by wildfires and fossil fuel use.
Spread of diseases like malaria, dengue, and Lyme disease to new areas.
Mental health impacts from climate disasters (anxiety, trauma).
Malnutrition from crop failures and food insecurity.

🏘️ 5. Social and Economic Issues

Climate change increases inequality and conflict:

Displacement & climate refugees: People forced to move due to rising seas, droughts, or disasters.
Damage to infrastructure: Roads, homes, and power grids damaged by storms or floods.
Loss of jobs in farming, fishing, and tourism industries.
Increased poverty as people lose livelihoods.
Conflict over resources (e.g., water wars, land conflicts).

🌍 6. Political & Security Issues

Climate change is a global security threat:

Instability in vulnerable regions where resources are scarce.
Migration pressures on other countries.
International tensions over climate responsibilities and emissions.
Strain on governments to handle disasters and crises.

📌 Summary: Types of Issues Caused by Climate Change

Type	Example Issues
Environmental	Heatwaves, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss
Agricultural & Food	Droughts, crop failure, food shortages
Water	Droughts, floods, water pollution
Health	Heat stress, disease spread, poor air quality
Social & Economic	Displacement, job loss, poverty
Political & Security	Climate refugees, resource conflicts, instability

The United Nations (UN) plays a central role in the global response to climate change, coordinating international agreements, funding projects, and supporting countries to adapt and reduce emissions.

Here’s a breakdown of the UN’s involvement and major climate change projects/initiatives:

🌐 1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Established in 1992 (Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro).
It's the main international treaty for addressing climate change.
Meets annually in COPs (Conferences of the Parties) to negotiate and review progress.

🔹 Key Achievements:

Kyoto Protocol (1997): First binding agreement for developed countries to reduce emissions.
Paris Agreement (2015): Landmark deal where almost every country agreed to limit global warming to well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C.

📜 2. The Paris Agreement (2015)

Legally binding international treaty under the UNFCCC.
Each country submits NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) outlining its climate action plans.
Aims to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century.

UN’s Role:

Tracks progress of NDCs.
Supports countries technically and financially.
Holds countries accountable via global stocktakes every 5 years.

💸 3. UN Climate Finance Mechanisms

Climate solutions often need financial support—especially in developing nations. The UN helps through:

🔹 Green Climate Fund (GCF)

Created in 2010 by the UNFCCC.
Funds projects in developing countries for:
- Clean energy
- Climate-resilient infrastructure
- Sustainable agriculture
Has mobilized billions of dollars for over 200 projects worldwide.

🔹 Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Provides grants for environmental and climate projects in over 170 countries.
Focuses on biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, etc.

🌱 4. UN Development Programme (UNDP) – Climate Projects

UNDP works on the ground with governments to:

Build climate-resilient communities.
Support renewable energy adoption.
Develop disaster early warning systems.
Integrate climate policy into national planning.

🟢 Example: UNDP’s “Climate Promise” — helping 120+ countries enhance their climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

🛰️ 5. UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Leads global research, policy, and awareness:

Publishes the Emissions Gap Report annually (tracks global progress).
Supports ecosystem restoration (forests, wetlands).
Promotes nature-based solutions.

📣 6. UN Climate Conferences (COP Summits)

Held annually to bring countries together under the UNFCCC to:

Review progress.
Negotiate targets and rules.
Share climate solutions.

🟢 Recent Examples:

COP28 (2023) – Focused on fossil fuel phase-out, loss and damage fund.
COP29 (2024) – Hosted in Azerbaijan; will review new NDC targets.

🌍 7. Other UN Agencies Involved

WMO (World Meteorological Organization): Tracks climate data, warns of extreme weather.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): Works on climate-resilient agriculture.
WHO (World Health Organization): Addresses climate-related health threats.
UNICEF: Focuses on climate’s impact on children and youth.

🧒 8. Youth & Public Engagement

The UN supports climate education and youth activism through:
- UN Youth Climate Summits
- Global campaigns like “ActNow”
- Support for youth delegates at COPs

📌 Summary Table

UN Body/Project	Role in Climate Action
UNFCCC	Global treaty coordinating climate agreements
Paris Agreement	Treaty committing countries to limit warming
Green Climate Fund	Financial support for developing countries
UNDP	On-ground climate resilience and policy support
UNEP	Scientific research, ecosystem restoration
COP Summits	Annual climate negotiations
WMO, FAO, WHO	Climate data, food security, health response
UNICEF	Climate justice for children and youth

Here’s an overview of several noteworthy UN climate projects and initiatives, spanning adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem restoration, and capacity-building:

1. Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP)

What it does: Helps Tuvalu address rising sea levels and storm surges. Projects include constructing storm surge-resistant platforms, berm barriers, seawalls, and land reclamation.
Impact: Builds physical resilience and strengthens national and local capacity for climate adaptation.
Partners: UNDP, Green Climate Fund, and the Pacific Community. Wikipedia

2. Living Indus Initiative (Pakistan)

What it does: A major UN-backed and government-led initiative to restore the ecological health of the Indus River Basin through green infrastructure, nature-based approaches, and community-led interventions.
Flagship status: Recognized by UNEP as a World Restoration Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Wikipedia

3. UN‑REDD Programme

What it does: A collaborative effort by FAO, UNDP, and UNEP to help countries reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, while enhancing carbon stocks.
Reach: Supports over 60 partner countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Wikipedia

4. Global Peatlands Initiative

What it does: Focuses on conserving and restoring peatlands—the world’s largest terrestrial organic carbon store—to prevent emissions.
Global importance: Works across Indonesia, Congo Basin, Peru, and more, linking to SDGs on climate, water, and biodiversity. Wikipedia

5. Space for Climate Observatory (SCO)

What it does: Utilizes satellite, in-situ, and socio-economic data to co-develop operational tools for policymakers and communities to monitor and adapt to climate impacts at local levels.
Goals: Supports SDGs on climate action, partnerships, water, cities, and ecosystems. Wikipedia

6. Global Programme on Environment and Climate Change (UNDP with Sweden)

Where: Supported in countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Fiji.
What it does: Promotes integrated climate-resilient development—focusing on marine resource management, ecosystems, biodiversity, and secure livelihoods especially for women and children. UNDP

7. Climate Change and Resilience in Central Asia (Ferghana Valley)

Where: Transboundary work across Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
What it does: Builds knowledge on climate fragility, supports regional cooperation, and pilots early warning and risk-reduction systems. UNDP

8. Projects in Nepal (Environment, Climate & Disaster Resilience)

What it involves: A range of UNDP-supported projects including:
- Biodiversity finance
- Urban and earthquake preparedness
- Renewable energy and agrifood systems
- Improving livelihood resilience and disaster response (e.g., post-earthquake & glacial flood zones)UNDP

9. Projects in Karakalpakstan (Aral Sea region)

Type: UNICEF & UNDP-FAO initiatives.
Objectives:
- UNICEF: Climate-resilient water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services for over 15,000 people.
- UNDP & FAO: Empower communities with sustainable air, land, and water management skills.
Aim: Address environmental health and climate vulnerabilities in one of the world’s most affected regions. United Nations Uzbekistan

10. UN Climate Action Coalitions

The UN convenes global coalitions targeting climate solutions across sectors:

Cool Coalition: Promotes efficient and climate-friendly cooling solutions across 100+ partners.
Coalition for Disaster‑Resilient Infrastructure: Integrates climate risk into infrastructure planning.
InsuResilience: Improves climate risk insurance for vulnerable populations.
Risk‑Informed Early Action Partnership: Aims to safeguard 1 billion people with early disaster response strategies. United Nations

Summary Table

Project / Initiative	Focus Area	UN Role
Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation	Coastal infrastructure & adaptation	UNDP + GCF support
Living Indus Initiative	River basin restoration & green adaptation	Government + UN, Restoration Flagship
UN‑REDD Programme	Forest emissions reduction	FAO, UNDP, UNEP collaboration
Global Peatlands Initiative	Peatland conservation & carbon storage	UNEP initiative
Space for Climate Observatory	Satellite-based climate monitoring tools	UN coordination
Global Programme (UNDP + Sweden)	Integrated climate adaptation (coastal, marine, livelihoods)	UNDP implementation
Ferghana Valley Resilience	Climate fragility & early warning systems	UNDP regional project
Nepal Resilience Projects	Disaster risk reduction, energy, livelihood, preparedness	UNDP project portfolio
Karakalpakstan WASH & Env Health	Climate-resilient water & health systems	UNICEF, UNDP‑FAO projects
Climate Coalitions	Cooling, infrastructure, insurance, early warnings	UN convening & leadership

✅ Conclusion on Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing humanity today. Driven primarily by human activities like fossil fuel use and deforestation, it is causing widespread impacts — from rising temperatures and sea levels to extreme weather, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and public health crises.

Despite the seriousness of the problem, climate change is not beyond our control. Scientific evidence is clear: we can still avoid the worst effects by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting ecosystems, investing in renewable energy, and preparing communities to adapt.

The global response — including efforts led by the United Nations, national governments, scientists, and civil society — shows that solutions exist. But time is limited, and the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. It requires urgent, unified, and sustained efforts from governments, businesses, and individuals alike.

🌍 The future of the planet depends on the choices we make today. With innovation, cooperation, and commitment, a safer, more sustainable world is still within reach.

Thanks for reading!!