Scope of the Paper
Discuss about the Climate Change And Its Effect.
Climate Change today is a household name for laymen, an uphill task for academics and a lurking danger for the scientists. Scientists have been entrusted with the task of helping us avert dangers associated with negative climatic change. This essay seeks to study the effects of climatic change in Australia with some concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as a way of involving the population in the study of the effects of climatic change. It is important to understand the scope of the effects of climatic changes either positive or negative on the common people living in various areas be it urban, remote or very remote areas. I picked Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as a sample to study the effects of climatic changes on populations.
Australia is populated majorly by immigrants and also people brought to work for the whites during the colonial era. However, there is also a significant portion of the Indigenous people of Australia – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who descended from groups that existed in Australia and surrounding islands prior to British colonization that brought in immigrants. The Aboriginal population were further divided into many different groups living in different parts of Australia including some islands and named as Torres Strait Islander people. The main profession of the Aboriginal people is hunting animals for food and also gather the plants that are edible. Indigenous people are more attached towards their land.
Climate change adversely affects the arrangement, positioning, and functioning of human populations. Some climate changes effects are hazardous to the existence of human societies and history is there to prove that severe climatic conditions resulting from climatic changes ca lead to the extinction of human societies. Some of the human societies which went extinct due to severe climatic conditions include; the Maya community of Mexican origin, which was linked to drought and the Viking society which belonged to Greenland, linked to decreasing in temperatures, are some demonstrations of what climate change effects can have on societies to the extent of causing extinction.
The Mayans were struck out due to severe drought in the southern lowlands which served as the capital to the entire Maya population. With this in consideration, the drought, therefore, was able to deal with a large if not entire population who had no capacity to cope with the rapid changes (Professor Pagani,2018).
Population Figures and Distribution Across Australia
The scope of this Paper: The scope of this study is bound to understanding possible impacts of climatic changes to t Australia at large with some attention given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This study focuses on the effects that climatic changes can have on the way of life of the Australian people and also on their economic activities.
In order to understand well how climatic changes can impact on a sizeable population like the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, it is essential to take a look at their population figures and their distribution across Australia. This would enable us to understand the percentage impact climatic changes can have on the community. In addition, their population distribution gives us an insight into their ability to adapt to the climatic changes. It is also essential in determining how climate change can affect their livelihood and living standards that’s why a study of their income pattern is necessary.
The Australian census on 2016, indicated a rise of 17.4% of the Aboriginal population down from the one conducted in 2011. The population rose from 548,400 in 2011 to 649,200. Basing on the 2017 census, 91% of the people reported to be Aboriginals and/or Torres Strait Islander are of Aboriginal Origin with 5% being of the Torres Islander origin. A further 4.1% reported as being of both origins (ABS, 2016).
There has also been a reported increase in income earnings among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders initially from a weekly $991 to a lump sum $1203.
It is evident from the 2016 census, that an estimated 35% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders reside in major cities (227,220 people). However, of their total population, 79% of the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders which translates to 512,868 people live in urban areas with the rest(136,332 people) live in remote or very remote areas(ABS, 2016).
Climate change impacts many other areas other than the environment itself. The effects vary from temperature related illnesses and deaths, weather-related diseases and in some cases deaths, air pollution hazards, water and foodborne diseases, food and water shortages to vector-borne and rodent caused illnesses. This has been observed on a wide number of sectors in Australia.
Key among the environmental effects is the steady rise in temperature observed throughout the recent approximately 60 years. In addition, a steady rise in average temperature has also been observed alongside with hot weather, irregular rainfall sessions deviating from the normal pattern, positively, there have been fewer cold days and rise of sea levels (CISRO).
Effects of Climatic Changes on the Aboriginal Community
The rise in temperatures resulting from the climate change affects the Health and well being of the indigenous population. Effects of high temperatures such as heatwaves, which are reportedly deadlier than hurricanes or tornadoes, can have a devastating effect on the Aboriginal population and can render them vulnerable. It can also maim the population health wise and in some cases result in terminal illnesses or deaths.
CSIRO Climate Science Centre attempted to shed light on some of the effects climatic changes can impose on Australia. Basing on the research, one can deduce that majority of the climate change effects that have been observed recently can still go into the future and can present more devastating consequences will still be their years to come(Climate change information for Australia – CSIRO, 2017). This won’t spare the Aboriginals.
Some of the impacts of climatic changes that have been identified and are deemed to continue into the future include:
- Extremely hot days
- The rise of acidic levels in the oceans which can endanger aquatic life
- Irregular rainfall patterns across the seasons like it was before and also deviation in the amount of rainfall received across different parts. This would as well affect Australia and its inhabitants including Aboriginals.
- Lengthening of the period that drought takes. The period could be far much longer than the normal times experienced and this is notably predicted to major in southern Australia (CISRO, 2017).
- The destabilization of soil humidity is also expected. This can be attributed to high evapotranspiration levels due to atmospheric demands and also a sharp decline of rainfall amounts thus depriving the soil of moisture. This means that the soil gives out through transpiration more moisture than it actually receives from the natural cycle, in this case, rainfall.
More frequent and hotter days would mean that Aboriginal ranching, which now acts like a trademark of the Aboriginals in Australia would be hard to conduct and in some cases a never conducted again economic activity. This is one of the devastating effects that climate change would pose to the Aboriginal community.
The Aboriginals are believed to have lived on the coast for thousands of years. Their connection to the coast is still considered a continuing one even today. There have been physical remains indicating culture and life of the Aboriginal community. One good example is shell middens which are attributed to be a kind of totem for them. Acidic oceans resulting from drastic climatic changes could lead to the destruction of the coastal beaches. This would mean that their habitats which they have held onto for so many years would have been compromised. In addition, they are known to be tourist attracts particularly with their rich culture on the coast. If the destruction of ocean beaches resulting from the rise of acid levels is anything to go by then their habitat and economic activities will be gone
Australia is a major agricultural and producer. This is to mean that it participates more in agriculture and reaps big from it. With this in mind, we can also attribute some of the agricultural activities to the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. Therefore any hazardous effects of climate change would as well affect the agricultural activities of the Aboriginals. High evaporation levels and a decrease in rainfall would result in extremely low soil moisture which is not at all favorable for agricultural activities. High evaporation levels are a result of environmental pollution and can last for a long time, therefore, affecting the economic activities of the population.
Climatic Change Effects on the Agricultural Activities of the Aboriginals
The decrease in winter intensity, is also beneficial to human beings, for this case the Aboriginal population. The decrease in winter mortality is attributed to constant heatwaves (McMichael A.J 2006 ). This would be beneficial to the Aboriginals as it would reduce winter deaths. This is a positive side of the climate change saga.
Increased summer intensity also comes with its own problems. Heatwaves, a characteristic of harsh summer, accompanied by high fire weathers can result in catastrophic effects. This can affect the health of many people and can result in diseases like respiratory infections and ailment. The Aboriginals have little tolerance for these and are adversely affected by such climatic change effects.
Australia continues to suffer from the ravages of climatic changes. Although there are positive effects of climatic changes, Australia continues to suffer from the negative impacts. Regional food production has been a rampant problem in Australia in the recent past. This has caused food shortages among the population.
Disruption of fisheries is also an effect of climate change that has continuously. The art of fish farming is popular among the Australians, particularly the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders residing in the coast. However, changes in water levels and acidity of the same water has posed to be a stumbling block and considering that this is also a source of their livelihood, they have therefore suffered a lot. This lowers their economic standards and is not pleasant to them at all (McMichael et al 2006).
The Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have poor houses particularly in rural areas (Hennessy et al 2004; McBride et al 2006). This brings to attention their adaptability to the climatic changes effects like hurricanes and cyclones. It is quite obvious that such houses can barely withstand a mere cyclone leave alone a level four one. Recent scientific research shows that high-level cyclone which could reach level five is expected in Australia. The bitter truth is that even anti-cyclone houses built to withstand cyclones cannot cope with ones of such magnitude. This includes houses belonging to people living in urban areas who are mostly the rich. This leaves us wondering what the poor Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders living in remote areas who do not have anti-cyclone houses are left to. This is a clear indication that negative effects of climatic changes are going to be more burdening to the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.
Effects of Climatic Changes on Housing
Australian authorities tasked with climatic matters need to adopt an inclusive approach towards solving environmental problems and in order to avoid future calamities resulting from environmental degradation. Aboriginals living in remote areas are ideal for the consultation since such effects can endanger their source of livelihood. Such involvement can lead to the discovery of alternatives to solving the environmental and climatic issues which are less damaging and also cannot upset the existing natural cycle. This is also essential in ensuring that populations such as the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and others are comfortable with the measures put in place to curb the environmental changes which can result in negative effects.
Researchers also have a piece of work to do in the preservation of the environment and averting of future environmental hazards. It is encouraging to note that several types of research are being made and we have the hope of averting future environmental hazards. The CISRO, for example has dedicated its energies in devising ways of closely following up on climate change by using the aboriginal knowledge thus utilising local knowledge and end up bringing to the table local solutions to environmental problems, In addition, New South Wales’s University, Centre for Climate Change Research is researching on finding out the impacts and the intensity of climatic changes on the local people and ways of avoiding them (Baird, W. 2008).
It is important to promote research aimed at providing solutions to environmental problems and also identifying causes of environmental problems that are likely to cause future calamities in the ecosystem. Ways adapted to limit the hazards should also be friendly and not upset the existing stable ecosystem. It is also essential, as I have mentioned incorporating a community-based approach in finding environmental solutions. It is equally important to create awareness among the communities on environmentally sensitive issues and also strike a rapport between them and the scientific community in order to break the mystique existing in scientific papers in relation to the normal environmental conditions they see and experience every day. It is important to plan and come up with strategies that are aimed at solving environmental problems. The strategies should be long-term and effective enough in order to sustain the rapidly changing environmental conditions. This should include ways of dealing with health problems that can emerge because of environmental degradation like vector-borne and heat-related illnesses. This should be taken into consideration particularly because most of the population, the indigenous in particular, have no knowledge of what awaits them if the current rate of environmental pollution is to go by. It is important for scientists and academic scholars to come up with early solutions of lurking hazards.
Conclusion
Conclusion:
It is important for all of us today to take into consideration the effects of environmental pollution. It is of no doubt that negative effects of climatic changes cut across classes. We have seen with the case of cyclone threat that even the well-off are in constant danger just like the remote Aboriginals. However, governments should pay closer attention to such communities which seem marginalized. They should be taken into consideration and protected in face of coming environmental crises. Negative effects of climate changes inhibit their way of life and their economic activities. They should be taken into considerations in order to avoid possibilities like the Maya extinction.
References:
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