Firstly, it will result in the rise of sea levels worldwide. The rise in sea levels would submerge low-lying areas such as New York, Florida, and some parts of India in the next decade. It will also cause more frequent floods. An estimated $1 billion was needed to recover from the Queensland flooding in 2010. Australia is a very developed country; they were able to cope with the floods. Imagine how much more damage there could have been if it happened in third-world countries such as Bangladesh.
Global Warming will also bring more severe and frequent natural disasters. IPCC, UN’s panel on climate change, claims that the probability and intensity of natural disasters such as tsunamis, typhoons, flooding, droughts, and heat waves will increase due to climate change. The worst typhoon the Philippines has ever faced was ‘Ondoy’, which killed 750 people, almost the entire school! The rain transformed streets into rivers in most of Manila.
This typhoon was said to be even worse than Hurricane Katrina. Total economic losses amounted to P23 B, which could have been used instead for the development of the country. On December 26, 2004, killer waves reached the coastline of 11 countries, drowning people at the beach or in their homes, and demolishing property from Africa to Sri Lanka. This tsunami killed almost 230,000 people, 1/3 of them were merely innocent children. This was considered to be the deadliest tsunami in history. These natural disasters destroy many crops and lead to massive crop failures. Research states that there is a 90% chance that half the world’s population will have to migrate or go hungry within 100 years.
’ Stronger and more natural disasters will lead to future wars over scarce resources. The IPCC states that ‘global warming will worsen the conditions and could lead to conflict and war.’
Lastly, research has proven that global warming and climate change will have a huge impact on ecosystems worldwide; species that cannot adapt will be extinct, and insects and pests would thrive, spreading diseases. Scientists predict that rising temperatures will lead to the extinction of more than a million species. Ecosystems will change as plants and animals will have to adapt to their habitat in a short period. Animals may have to migrate to colder places. Plants will breed earlier, which could cause animals to starve. The species that cannot adapt will die out. Endangered species such as pandas, tigers, and black rhinos will be extinct soon if we don’t do anything about it. Due to the melting of ice caps, polar bears and penguins will drown and eventually disappear. As the weather gets hotter, parasites and insects will thrive in more places. They would breed much quicker and spread harmful diseases, such as malaria and dengue. Almost half the world’s population today is at risk of malaria. 3,000 people die every day from it. Malaria is one of the biggest problems most African countries face today. It is a reason why Africa is very underdeveloped. 50-100 million people suffer from dengue every year. Dengue cases have grown dramatically in recent decades, 40 years ago only 9 countries had dengue epidemics, and now there are more than a hundred. Dengue is the leading cause of serious illnesses and death in children in Asia and Latin America.
A Discussion on the Future Harmful Effects of Global Warming. (2022, Jul 19). Retrieved from http://envrexperts.com/free-essays/essay-about-a-discussion-on-the-future-harmful-effects-of-global-warming