氣候難民
目前估計已有2,500萬至3,000萬氣候難民。到2050年,人數可能會增加到2億或高達10億。
尼泊爾第1個「氣候難民村」,有150人因氣候暖化引起水源短缺而被迫進行重新安置。 (2010年7月)
衝突
美國情報體系(Intelligence Community)認為,地球暖化是一項嚴重的安全威脅。美國首席情報分析員托馬斯‧芬加(Thomas Fingar)表示,世界上的很多地區,不久將因為洪水和乾旱而導致大規模移民潮和動盪不安。 (2010年)
證據指出,全球暖化是達佛(Darfur)發生暴力事件的主要原因。(《大西洋月刊》〔Atlantic Monthly〕,2007年)
疾病
氣溫升高,導致瘧疾、藍舌病病毒、西尼羅病毒、登革熱和其他疾病額外傳播給數以百萬的人,這些人住在緯度較高地區或其他大陸地區,本來不會暴露在這些傳染病之中。
由於氣候變遷,到2080年,會增加4億人遭受感染瘧疾之威脅。(聯合國 )
隨著全球暖化,預計將有更多的呼吸系統疾病(如氣喘)和精神疾病(由於災難所引起)。
死亡
氣候變遷引起的災難,在1年裡已造成315,000人死亡,另有3.25億人受到嚴重影響。(全球人道論壇〔Global Humanitarian Forum〕,2009年)
糧食短缺
在本世紀內,世界一半人口將面臨嚴重的糧食短缺。 (《科學》雜誌,華盛頓大學的研究人員,2009年)
俄羅斯、德國、加拿大、阿根廷、澳洲、烏克蘭、巴基斯坦等國,農穫量已因乾旱或洪水而減少。 (2010年9月)
2010年8月,全球糧食價格上漲了5%。在莫三比克,因麵包漲價所引起的糧食暴動導致10人死亡、300人受傷。 (2010年9月)
由於氣候變遷加上印度與中國人民對動物飼料的需求增加,導致食物價格高漲,引發了2008年致命的全球糧食暴動。(聯合國世界糧食計畫署〔World Food Programme〕)
在2009年,世界飢餓人口首次突破10億人。
全世界每年超過900萬人死於飢餓和營養不良,其中500萬人是兒童。
缺水
世界上的河流正處於全球性的「危機狀態」。供應近80%世界人口的水資源正遭到嚴重威脅。根據研究,近三分之一的水源也因生物多樣性的喪失而面臨高度危險。 (美國威斯康辛大學麥迪遜分校的研究學者彼得‧麥金太爾教授〔Peter McIntyre〕暨紐約市立學院的建模專家查爾斯‧佛洛斯馬提〔Charles Vörösmarty〕)
最近的缺水區域報告:
中東地區的供水已經縮減為1960年的四分之一。 (阿拉伯環境與發展論壇〔AFED〕,2010年) 由於乾旱,底格里斯河和幼發拉底河水位已降至平常的三分之一以下。 (聯合國機構間情報和分析單位〔IAU〕)
英國氣候越來越熱,夏季越來越乾燥,河流水量已減少 80%,可能導致極端的缺水情況。 (2010年英國政府科學辦公室〔Government Office for Science〕)
供應我們世界一半人口的井水之地下水源正逐漸枯竭。(澳洲蒙那許大學蘭斯‧安得斯碧教授〔Lance Endersbee〕)
11億人無法獲得安全的飲用水。(世界衛生組織〔World Health Organization〕,2005年)
參考來源
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