30
Robertson, 2006; Alley et al., 2003). Because these impacts are numerous in scope, they are spatial,
diverse and temporal in scale (Kenny, Warrick, Mitchell, Mullan, & Salinger, 1995). The diverse scale
of the issues and consequences due to climate change are summarised in the IPCC fifth Assessment
Report under 8 ‘key risks’ as follows (Sharwood, 2014; IPCC, 2013):
1. Risk of death, injury, ill-health, or disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones and small island
developing states and other small islands, due to storm surges, coastal flooding, and sea-level rise;
2. Risk of severe ill-health and disrupted livelihoods for large urban populations due to inland flooding in some regions;
3. Systemic risks due to extreme weather events leading to breakdown of infrastructure networks and
critical services including electricity, water supply, and health and emergency services;
4. Risk of mortality and morbidity during periods of extreme heat, particularly for vulnerable urban
populations and those working outdoors in urban or rural areas;
5. Risk of food insecurity and the breakdown of food systems linked to warming, drought, flooding, and
precipitation variability and extremes, particularly for poorer populations in urban and rural settings;
6. Risk of loss of rural livelihoods and income due to insufficient access to drinking and irrigation
water and reduced agricultural productivity, particularly for farmers and pastoralists with minimal
capital in semi-arid regions;
7. Risk of loss of marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity, and the ecosystem goods, functions,
and services they provide for coastal livelihoods, especially for fishing communities in the tropics
and the Arctic (Fig. 3.2); and
8. Risk of loss of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, biodiversity, ecosystem goods, functions,
and services they provide for livelihoods.
Fig. 3.2 Retreat of the shoreline at Edwards Point, Port Phillip Bay, Australia. Loss of biodiversity amongst coastlines
and coastal areas due to sea level rise and changes in weather systems is already evident in many places across the
world. (Photo by Author)
3 The Challenge of a Changing Environment
Robertson, 2006; Alley et al., 2003). Because these impacts are numerous in scope, they are spatial,
diverse and temporal in scale (Kenny, Warrick, Mitchell, Mullan, & Salinger, 1995). The diverse scale
of the issues and consequences due to climate change are summarised in the IPCC fifth Assessment
Report under 8 ‘key risks’ as follows (Sharwood, 2014; IPCC, 2013):
1. Risk of death, injury, ill-health, or disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones and small island
developing states and other small islands, due to storm surges, coastal flooding, and sea-level rise;
2. Risk of severe ill-health and disrupted livelihoods for large urban populations due to inland flooding in some regions;
3. Systemic risks due to extreme weather events leading to breakdown of infrastructure networks and
critical services including electricity, water supply, and health and emergency services;
4. Risk of mortality and morbidity during periods of extreme heat, particularly for vulnerable urban
populations and those working outdoors in urban or rural areas;
5. Risk of food insecurity and the breakdown of food systems linked to warming, drought, flooding, and
precipitation variability and extremes, particularly for poorer populations in urban and rural settings;
6. Risk of loss of rural livelihoods and income due to insufficient access to drinking and irrigation
water and reduced agricultural productivity, particularly for farmers and pastoralists with minimal
capital in semi-arid regions;
7. Risk of loss of marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity, and the ecosystem goods, functions,
and services they provide for coastal livelihoods, especially for fishing communities in the tropics
and the Arctic (Fig. 3.2); and
8. Risk of loss of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, biodiversity, ecosystem goods, functions,
and services they provide for livelihoods.
Fig. 3.2 Retreat of the shoreline at Edwards Point, Port Phillip Bay, Australia. Loss of biodiversity amongst coastlines
and coastal areas due to sea level rise and changes in weather systems is already evident in many places across the
world. (Photo by Author)
3 The Challenge of a Changing Environment