Impacts on Places & People (SL IB Geography)

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Last updated

20 February 2024

Employment
- Loss of job opportunities due to changes in tourism and agriculture
- Tourism may decline in some areas for example ski resorts may close due to the lack of reliable snow
- Coastal resorts may be at risk of flooding leading to the closure
- Decline in fishing in some areas due to changing ocean temperatures
- Farmers either change the crop they grow or livestock they raise or face having to leave farming
Homes
- Increased flooding due to sea level rise and increased frequency and severity of storms will lead to displacement of large numbers of people
- Homes in low-lying areas may have to be abandoned or need additional defences against sea level rise
- Moving settlements or improving flood defences will be costly

Social
- Global warming is leading to increased human migration, particularly from low-lying islands
  - Some residents of Kiribati, South Pacific, have already abandoned their homes and claiming environmental refugee status
  - The UN’s refugee agency, estimates that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and natural disasters
- Problems such as hunger and conflict will increase as resources decline or change, which will also drive economic, social and cultural changes
  - LICs are more likely to be affected by changes as they are economically and technologically held back
  - 65% of workers in Bangladesh are involved in agriculture, however, this industry is threatened by floods and sea level rise

Climate change can impact human health in various ways
Heatwaves, extreme weather events, changes in disease vectors (e.g. mosquitos), and reduced air quality can all have negative health consequences, including heat-related illnesses, respiratory problems, and the spread of infectious diseases
- Just a 2°C rise in temperature would allow mosquitos to breed in previously cooler regions
- Italy has experienced cases of malaria since 2017 when it was previously a malaria-free area
- An additional 280 million people may be affected by malaria
- Water-borne diseases are more likely to spread
Heat waves may lead to:
- Heat stroke, dehydration and sunburn increase during heat waves
- Stagnant air during heat waves increases air pollution levels:
- Respiratory diseases increase and those suffering from respiratory illnesses such as asthma may be more affected
Increased temperatures negatively affect people with cardiopulmonary diseases
Diets may be restricted by food shortages leading to malnutrition and famine
Milder winters may lead to fewer winter-related deaths

Ocean transport routes account for 90% of global trade
New sea routes will open up as sea ice melts, although this will also cause geo-political issues in deciding on which country has sovereignty claims over the waters
The new routes will reduce the time taken between ports
- Until 2009, the Arctic ice pack stopped shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean throughout most of the year
- Global warming has made the Northwest Passage (NWP) more navigable through the ice, making the distance travelled up to 40% shorter than previously
- Although, emissions from ships will impact the pristine Arctic environment
However, existing routes will see a reduction in trade
- Egypt could lose 60% of its trade through the Suez Canal from use of the Arctic NWP
Ports will have to adjust to rising sea levels, some will be able to dock larger ships as they become deeper, whilst others will be engulfed
Trade routes are threatened by intensifying storms through increased wind speeds, wave heights and precipitation

Tourism will also change as:
- Summer seasons are extended
- Tourist resorts will have to move as sea levels rise
- Extreme weather will damage infrastructure, erode and submerge beaches
- Ocean acidification threatens natural attractions such as coral reefs
- Winter sports decline as snow and ice disappear
- Climate change leads to changes in biodiversity, affecting eco-tourism

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

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