Climate change news from the ground, in a warming world Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here [[link removed]] Laurie Goering [[link removed]]
Climate editor
The conflict in Ukraine dominated the news this week, but an international group of top climate scientists quietly warned on Monday that other global risks - ones likely to grab the headlines in coming years - are surging too.
As use of fossil fuels continues to rise, driving swifter climate change and harsher impacts, much of the world is dramatically unprepared to deal with the consequences [[link removed]], from sea level rise that could displace millions to growing hunger.
Measures to curb these threats - from better disaster warning and social welfare systems to more crop irrigation and coastal protection - are working in many places, and there is still time to adopt them more broadly, the scientists said in a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
But huge under-investment in such adaptation is holding back efforts to keep billions of people safe in the face of more extreme heat, wildfires, storms, floods, droughts and other threats, they warned.
"People and the planet are getting clobbered by climate change," said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Nearly half of humanity is living in the danger zone - now."
A wildfire that has spread to cover more than 500,000 hectares is seen in Corrientes, Argentina, February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sebastian Toba
That includes coastal cities [[link removed]], particularly in Asia, which are facing sea level rise and wilder storms, and farmers in places like Kenya, struggling with droughts, floods, new crop pests and other woes.
Because adaptation efforts need to fit each context - taking account of local priorities, geography, culture and economies - the same measures won't work everywhere, one challenge to scaling up action.
Often combinations of things [[link removed]] - not just more resilient crop seeds but also savings groups to help pay for them and insurance if crops still fail - are needed to genuinely build resilience, Kenyans told our correspondent Nita Bhalla.
Without such changes, Africa in particular - caught between a fast-growing population and declining growth in food production as a result of climate impacts - could face devastating hunger, the continent's scientists [[link removed]] warned.
Small-scale farmer Rose Katunga checks her maize crop in Muselele village, Kitui county, Kenya, on Feb. 24, 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Nita Bhalla
Another problem holding back action on climate change is disinformation about it - including on the social media platforms many people turn to these days for news.
Despite pledges to combat the problem, Facebook is still struggling to flag many posts that promote climate change denial, a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found - though the company said it was still rolling out its efforts.
Misinformation can create confusion [[link removed]] that breeds inaction at the very time emissions urgently need cutting, said Kathie Treen of Britain's University of Exeter.
Better education on how to spot dodgy posts could help, she said, alongside greater scrutiny from social media companies themselves.
"We have to educate people at better discerning quality information. That starts in school," Stephan Lewandowsky, of the University of Bristol, told our correspondent Umberto Bacchi.
See you next week!
Laurie
IPCC scientists warn climate change losses becoming 'difficult to avoid' [[link removed]]
A flagship report by 270 leading climate scientists warns loss and damage is already happening and is set to grow much worse
Kenyan farmers test insurance to ward off climate-driven hunger [[link removed]]
Initiatives to build the resilience of vulnerable people living on the frontlines of climate change are growing worldwide, but they are often disjointed, small and short-term
Coastal cities seen unprepared as IPCC flags climate risk hotspots [[link removed]]
Drastic policy measures are likely to become necessary as cities and coastal areas face a growing risk of climate-linked losses, scientists say
'Catastrophic' wildfire risk is growing. Here's how to cut it [[link removed]]
As climate change increases the risk of 'catastrophic' wildfires, countries need proactive policies to stem their ferocity, scientists say
From food to floods, Africa 'not ready' for climate stress, its scientists say [[link removed]]
Growth in food production is slowing faster than in any other region of the world as climate change-driven droughts, floods, heat and pests take a toll
EXPLAINER-As climate change wreaks havoc globally, IPCC report flags ways to adapt [[link removed]]
As climate impacts worsen, people are not powerless to protect themselves, a new science report is set to say
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More than 9 in 10 people polled in Indonesia, Malayasia and the Philippines say they want to see 30% of land and oceans protected
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