Rising weather extremes, combined with increasing development along rivers and coastlines, are leading to a surge in impacts from climate-related disasters. Increasingly, governments are turning to nature to help manage these disasters.
Author: Hari Srinivas
Climate vocabulary #1
Climate Vocabulary: Do you know what NDCs stands for? Nationally Determined Contributions.
At the core of the 2017 Paris Agreement on climate change, NDCs are defined by the UNFCCC as “national climate plans highlighting climate actions, including climate related targets, policies and measures governments aims to implement in response to climate change and as a contribution to global climate action”.
The key is “nationally determined” – each country voluntarily determines, based on its own unique situation and condition, its climate targets and actions.
New NDC plans are to be announced by each country by 2020. Go and find out what your country’s NDCs are …
The deadline for countries to declare their NDCs is next year, 2020.
Palm oil and sustainability
The geopolitics of palm oil and deforestation
Climate change and compact cities
How compact cities help curb climate change
The compact cities concept has been around for a long time, but this is an interesting and new take on the idea …. and well worth a look.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/22/how-compact-cities-help-curb-climate-change/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.52cb3ce2e1d3
Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2018
Renewable energy has become an increasingly competitive way to meet new power generation needs. This comprehensive cost study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies.
Plastic waste
Humans have made 8.3bn tons of plastic since 1950. Excellent illustrated story by the Guardian newspaper, of where it’s gone
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/23/all-the-plastic-ever-made-study-comic
Waste management technologies
The World Bank’s “Decision Maker’s Guides for Solid Waste Management Technologies” were created to help mayors and decision makers understand the various technologies and when they would be appropriate based on local circumstances.
Climate Change and Peace
Climate change = Refugees = Conflicts?
The 2019 Global Peace Index puts climate change front and center, as one of the key risks affecting peace that countries will face in the near future
Read full report
http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2019/06/GPI-2019-web003.pdf
Disaster Risk Assessment
The UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) reports on worldwide efforts to reduce disaster risk. It is published by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)