World on brink of 6 interconnected risk tipping points: UN report
- October 27, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
No Comments
World on brink of 6 interconnected risk tipping points: UN report
Subject: Environment
Section: Climate Change
Context:
- World is coming closer to six interconnected risk tipping points, according to a new report from the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).
Risk Tipping Point:
- A risk tipping point is the moment at which a given socio-ecological system can no longer buffer risks and provide its expected functions. After this point, the risk of catastrophic impacts to these systems increases substantially.
- The six risk tipping points include extinctions, depleting groundwater, melting mountain glaciers, space debris, unbearable heat and an uninsurable future.
Mass extinction:
- Extinctions have been part of Earth’s natural process, but human activities such as land-use change, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and introduction of invasive species have accelerated extinctions.
- The disappearance of one species can trigger the extinction of other dependent species, leading to a ripple effect on the already fragile ecosystem.
- Gopher tortoise:
- Facing an extinction risk.
- These are known to dig burrows that are used by more than 350 other species, including the critically endangered dusky gopher frog. These frogs help control insect populations and prevent pest outbreaks in longleaf pine forest ponds.
- If the gopher tortoise goes extinct, the dusky gopher frog will likely follow, affecting the entire forest ecosystem.
Depleting groundwater:
- Some 21 of 37 world’s largest aquifers are depleting faster than they can be replenished. Aquifers are essentially a non-renewable resource.
- Most of the groundwater depletion is due to intense irrigation activities.
Melting glaciers:
- The world’s glaciers are melting at double the speed relative to the past two decades
- Glaciers are projected to lose around 50 per cent of it (excluding Greenland and Antarctica) by 2100.
Space debris:
- Out of 34,260 objects orbiting Earth, only around 25 per cent are working satellites, while the rest are junk, such as broken satellites or discarded rocket stages.
- These objects travel over 25,000 kilometres per hour, the smallest debris can cause significant damage, including collisions between functional satellites.
Unbearable heat and Wet bulb temperature:
- It combines temperature and humidity.
- High humidity hinders the evaporation of sweat and worsens the effects of heat, causing organ failure and brain damage.
United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS):
- The United Nations University (UNU) is the academic arm of the United Nations and acts as a global think tank.
- The mission of the Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) is to carry out cutting edge research on risks and adaptation related to environmental hazards and global change. The institute’s research promotes policies and programmes to reduce these risks, while taking into account the interplay between environmental and societal factors.
- Research areas include climate change adaptation incorporating insurance-related approaches, environmentally induced migration and social vulnerability, ecosystem services and environmental deterioration processes, models and tools to analyse vulnerability and risks linked to natural hazards, with a focus on urban space and rural-urban interfaces.
Source: DownToEarth