High global temperatures have increased in the last seven years, and “ecosystems and communities around the world are being devastated. An example of this are the strong storms, cyclones and hurricanes in areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America that significantly affect agriculture, livestock and recovery capacity, warned António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN ).
In the context of the Climate Change Conference (COP26), he added that, “at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures will rise much more than the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. ”.
According to Report on the state of the world climate – Prepared by the World Meteorological Organization – North American glacier mass loss has accelerated in the last two decades. “For the first time in history, on August 14, instead of snowing, it rained for several hours at Summit Station, the highest point on the Greenland ice sheet (3,216 meters),” Guterres said.
Another consequence of global warming is extreme variations in the climate. As an example, Guterres said, temperatures above 50 ° C in Canada, California, and different parts of the Mediterranean. In China it rained excessively in a matter of hours and in some parts of Europe severe flooding occurred, while in subtropical South America for the second consecutive year of drought the flow of river basins decreased.
He also detailed that the Arctic sea ice decreased rapidly and reached the lowest level in history in the first half of July. Droughts, floods and other extreme weather events are affecting those least prepared to recover and adapt, said the UN secretary general.
This, he warned, increases the displacements population, malnutrition crises and agricultural production. “The planet is changing before our eyes.” For this reason, Guterres indicated, government leaders must be clear in their actions and work on solutions that meet the needs of those affected by global warming.
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