Download Nexus of Climate Change, Disasters and its impact on Water by Dr

Nexus of Climate Change and its
Impact on Water
Dr. Shahid Amjad
Environment and Energy Management
Institute of Business Management (IoBM)
Karachi
The warm water in the Indian Ocean could affect the S.W Monsoon period, one of the most
important climate patterns in the world that affects more than 1 billion people.
Most Important Climate Change Gases
GHGs:
• Water vapor: H2O
• Carbon Dioxide: CO2
• Methane: CH4
Source Examples:
Oceans, Rivers, Plants, Soil
Combustion, Respiration
Wetlands, Oceans, Biodegradation,
Animals
Source: U.S. EPA 2005
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca
Atmospheric Lifetime of Individual
Major Greenhouse Gas Molecules
Carbon
Dioxide
~60% of warming from GHG
5 to 200 years
Methane
~20% of warming from GHG
8 to 12 years
Nitrous
Oxide
~6% of warming from GHG
~120 years
CF4 (Perfluoromethane)
>50,000 years
IPCC 2001
Earth’s Natural Climate
GHE#1 - natural
Human-caused Global Warming
GHE#2 - humans
Due to human activities, there are now 40% more
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than there
were a few hundred years ago. (5 bn tons of
excessive CO2 ) Trapping of Some Green house
gasses is good, average world temp is 14oC. If no
heat is trapped than the global Mean temp would
be -18oC. The temp over past few decades has
risen by 0.6oC
GHE#3 - text
The Earth has already warmed as the
consequence of this, and scientists expect that
the next 20 to 100 years the world will warm a lot
more! (1-5 C). For every 1 C rise, 7% increase in
water vapor. (IPCC)
Siachen Glacier Past & Present
1989
2006
2009
Since temperature maxima have been increasing at a greater rate, the thinning of ice and
retreat of glacial extent has taken place simultaneously at an alarming rate. The decay
estimates calculated by remote sensing techniques show that Siachen Glacier has reduced by
5.9km in longitudinal extent from 1989 to 2009. Thinning of ice mass is evaluated at 17%.
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FIGURE 17. Track of Tropical Cyclones which entered circle of 300 nm
radius centered on Karachi.
S
#
Year
1 1964
Hazard
/disaster
Cyclone
How communities
Rationalize?
Persistent strong wind, constant rain
2 1973 Heavy rains monsoon
3 1976 Floods
High water flow in the Indus, it were
the worst floods with highest volume
of water passing
through the barrages and the also
highest floods levels ever recorded.
Kinds of losses
Community coping response
Livestock ,paddy crops mud
houses
Sold livestock, undertook wage
Labor in the area
Livestock, paddy crop, mud
houses life losses boats and
fishing nets lost
Self help, built earthen
embankments,
Agriculture land in kacha area
destroyed, livestock died, crop
damaged, infrastructure also
damaged.
Patrolling along weak parts of
banks
4 1988 Floods
Crops destroyed, agriculture
land submerged in water
5 1994 Heavy rains Monsoon
Livestock, paddy crops
6 1999 Cyclone
Less rainfall in the area
and shortage of fresh
water in the sea
Human Lives, livestock, paddy
crop,
By selling livestock and surplus
milk, doing Labor (wood cutting).
Survivors took loans, transitory
migration
7 2001 Earthquake
Will of God
trauma
8 2003 Floods
Sudden breach in
KPOD, LBOD blockade of canal
water. High sea tide and sea water
intrusion in LBOD, weak
embankment, unexcavated beds of
small surface drains.
long dry spell Cracks in Pakka
houses collapsed
Wooden houses collapsed,
farmlands submerged by the
sea water crops of rice, chili,
banana, sugarcane destroyed,
nets, boats and engine
drowned
,
9 2010 Floods
Erosion of sediments and
embankments
Damage to property and loss of Support from local community, and
domestic animals and crops
better fish and shrimp harvest from
creeks.
Policy Measures For Water Resources
• Water Storage and Infrastructure
Assess and address the needs for additional water storage and distribution
infrastructure;
• Water Conservation Strategies
Ensure water conservation, reduce irrigation system losses and provide
incentives for adoption of more efficient irrigation techniques;
Introduce local rainwater harvesting measures.
• Integrated Water Resource Management
Explore the possibility of joint watershed management of trans-boundary
catchment areas with neighboring countries;
Safeguard Pakistan’s rights on trans-boundary water inflows according to
international norms and conventions;
Legislative Framework
• Legislate and enforce industrial and domestic
waste management practices to protect the
environment, in particular water resources, from
further degradation;
• Enact and enforce laws and regulations required
for efficient water resource management and a
groundwater regulatory framework;
• Protect the HKH glaciers, considered the world’s
water tower, by declaring them as ‘protected
areas’ through agreements among countries
sharing the Himalayan region.
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Water Management: Challenges and
Opportunities in the 21st Century
Water management and planning
Water rights and accessibility
Water markets and policies
Climate change Irrigation
Urban water management
Hydraulic engineering
Water quality Pollution contaminants and control
River basin management Flood risk management
Geo-politics of water
Water resources and economics
Governance and regulations
Desalination Water services