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The growing cost of climate change

The growing cost of climate change

The world GDP would be 37 per cent higher today had no global warming occurred between 1960 and 2019, says a new working paper by economists at the US’s National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The research, which went online this week, takes a more holistic approach than the methods adopted by studies that aggregate countrywide impacts of climate change. By linking the global with the local, the authors argue that the economic costs of a hotter planet could be six times more than that suggested by previous estimates. This follows another research paper, published last month in the journal Nature, which concluded that average incomes will fall by almost a fifth in the next 26 years compared to what they would have been without climate change. Both papers are unequivocal that the costs of transition from fossil fuels, though considerable, pale in comparison to the costs imposed by global warming. They join the dots between the impacts of heat waves, floods, storms and other fallouts of climate change that impair people’s health, reduce productivity and affect livelihoods.

Some regions are likely to get hit more than others. Poorly understood ecosystems like drylands, for example. A new report of the UN Convention on Combating Desertification, released on Tuesday, has flagged the fallouts of climate change on rangelands — these include desert shrublands, mountain pastures, tundra and plateaus. More than 50 per cent of these ecosystems have degraded, according to the report. These biospheres are recognised as vulnerable in most parts of the world and their role as carbon sinks is acknowledged. However, rangelands do not receive the same attention as forests in environmental conservation discourses. In India, for instance, it’s only in the past two decades that policymakers have begun to recognise the socio-ecological role of pastoralists, who depend on these ecosystems. Protecting pastoralism as a way of life while integrating communities such as Maldharis, Van Gujjars and Rabaris in the modern economy remains a critical developmental challenge.

Global climate policy has, so far, rightly concentrated on mitigating climate change. In recent years, there have been feeble attempts to help deal with the ravages of floods, storms, droughts and other climate-related catastrophes. However, recent studies, whether on the macro-level by the NBER economists or the UN report on desertification, underline the need for building people’s resilience against climate change — protecting them against heat waves, floods and landslides, drought-proofing agriculture and strengthening healthcare facilities. Adaptation continues to be underfunded, despite the growing awareness of the need for it. Deliberations for a new climate funding paradigm slated for the next CoP in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku will have to take this imperative into account.

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Livelihood
(noun) – income, source of income, means of support, आजीविका

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For instance
(phrase) –As an example

.उदाहरण के लिए

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Acknowledge (verb) – admit, accept, grant, allow, concede, confess

स्वीकार करना

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Productivity
(noun) – productiveness, efficiency, output, fertility, fruitfulness

उत्पादकता

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Policymaker
(noun) – a member of a government department, or other organization who is responsible for making new rules, laws, etc.

नीति निर्माता

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Considerable
(adjective) – Substantial, significant, large, extensive, sizeable,

महत्वपूर्ण

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Landslide
(noun) – landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthslip, earthfall

भूस्खलन

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Ecosystem
(noun) – (in general use) a complex network or interconnected system.

पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र

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Ravage
(noun) – Consequence, destruction, after-effect, havoc, damage

विनाश, बरबादी

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Unequivocal
(adjective) – unambiguous, unmistakable, indisputable, incontrovertible

स्पष्ट

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Drought
-proofing (noun) – Resistant to drought.

सूखारोधी

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Fallout
(noun) – the unpleasant results or effects of an action or event

प्रभाव/ दुष्परिणाम

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Conclude
(verb) – determine, deduce, infer, judge

निष्कर्ष निकालना

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Holistic
(adjective) – Comprehensive, integrated, all-encompassing, complete, entire,

समग्र

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Decade
(noun) – ten years, decennium

दशक

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Working
paper (noun) – A preliminary research document or report that presents findings, ideas, or theories before they are finalized or published.

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Mitigate
(verb) – Alleviate, reduce, lessen, ease,

कम करना

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Imperative
(noun) – Necessity, Obligation, Essential, Crucial,

आत्यावश्यक

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Resilience
(noun) – Tenacity, toughness, adaptability, flexibility, hardiness

मजबूती

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Ecosystem
(noun) – Environment, habitat, biome, ecological community, natural system

पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र

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Slated
(adjective) – Scheduled, planned, arranged, programmed, set,

निर्धारित

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Carbon
sink (noun) – a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

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Impose (verb) – Inflict, force, foist, introduce

थोपना

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Degraded (adjective) – deteriorated, debased, decayed

पतित/ खराब होता

 

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Concentrate (verb) – Focus, direct, center, centralize, consolidate

ध्यान केंद्रित करना

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Estimate (noun) – Approximation, guess, calculation, projection, assessment

अनुमान

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Global warming (noun) – The gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

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Underline (verb) – Emphasize, highlight, underscore, stress, accentuate

जोर देना

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Vulnerable (adjective) – Exposed, susceptible, open to, at risk, defenseless 

संवेदनशील

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Fossil fuel (noun) - Non-renewable energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas

जीवाश्म ईंधन

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Flag (verb) – Signal, Indicate, Mark, Alert, Notify,

संकेत देना

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Strengthen (verb) – Fortify, reinforce, bolster, toughen, enhance

मजबूत करना

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Transition (noun) – Change, shift, transformation, conversion, evolution.

परिवर्तन

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Paradigm (noun) – Model, pattern, example, standard, prototype

प्रतिमान

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Economist (noun) – Expert in economics, economic analyst, financial expert

अर्थशास्त्री

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Deal with (phrasal verb) – Manage, handle, tackle, address, confront

निपटना

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Take into account (phrase) – Consider, regard, respect, note, acknowledge

ध्यान में रखना

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Feeble (adjective) – Weak, frail, fragile, faint, powerless

कमजोर

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Impair (verb) – Damage, weaken, deteriorate, harm, diminish

कमजोर करना

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Drought (noun) – Dry spell, water shortage, aridity, lack of rain
सूखा

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Pale (verb) – Fade, diminish, weaken, subside, dwindle
कमज़ोर पड़ना

 

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Join the dots (phrase) – Connect the pieces, see the whole picture, understand the connections, piece together, comprehend the links
कड़ियाँ जोड़ना

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Desert Shrubland (noun) – It occurs in a region of extreme climatic conditions with hot summers and freezing winters
 मरु झाड़ी क्षेत्र

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Pasture (noun) – Grazing land, meadow, field, grassland, grazing area
चरागाह

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Tundra (noun) – Arctic plain, cold desert, treeless plain, frozen plain, permafrost region
टुंड्रा

 

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Plateau (noun) – Elevated plain, highland, tableland, mesa, upland पठार

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Biosphere (noun) – Living environment, ecological system, planetary ecosystem, earth system, natural world
जीवमंडल

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Rangeland (noun) – Grazing area, pastureland, grassland, open range, grazing territory 
चरागाह भूमि

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Discourse (noun) – Discussion, debate, dialogue, conversation, communication
वार्तालाप

 

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Pastoralist (noun) – Herdsman, shepherd, grazer, livestock farmer, rancher
चरवाहा

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Pastoralism (noun) – Livestock farming, herding, grazing, animal husbandry, pastoral farming
पशुपालन

 

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Integrate (verb) – Combine, merge, incorporate, unify, blend
समाहित करना

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Catastrophe (noun) – Disaster, calamity, tragedy, cataclysm, crisis
आपदा

 

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Desertification (noun) – Land degradation, desert formation, soil depletion, aridification, land deterioration

मरुस्थलीकरण

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Deliberation (noun) – Consideration, discussion, reflection, debate, thought
विचार-विमर्श