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The Impact of Climate Change on Human Welfare in a Warmer World
Indur M. Goklany*Asst. Director, Programs & Science & Technology Policy
Office of Policy Analysis, US Department of the Interior
*Views expressed here are mine, and not the Department
of the Interior or the US Government’s
Examining Impacts:Beyond the Usual Scientific Debate
Scientific debate focuses on whether climate has warmed, by how much, how rapidly, due to what, and what fraction may be due to manmade GHGs.
For the sake of argument, assume the validity of IPCC view that climate change is “very likely” due to anthropogenic greenhouses gases.
Evaluate various claims about the CC.
Use estimates of the global impacts of climate change based on the IPCC emission and climate change scenarios.
Claims about climate change impacts
1.Human and environmental well-being will be lower in a warmer world even if we are wealthier
2.Our descendants will be worse off than us, if we don’t reduce climate change now
3.Global warming is the world’s most important environmental problem
Sources of Information
Global impacts of climate change • FTAs = Fast Track Assessments: sponsored by the British
government (peer-reviewed; published 1999 and 2004). Authors intimately involved in writing IPCC reports.
• Stern Review: 2006 study on the economics of climate change commissioned by the British government from Nicholas Stern, a former chief economist of the World Bank.
Mortality estimates
• World Health Organization (WHO)
Costs estimates
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• United Nations Millennium Project
Welfare losses due to climate change2050–2200
Source: Stern Review (2006)
Most Important Food, Environmental and Nutritional Problems, Based on Mortality for 2000
Risk factor Ranking Mortality (millions)
Mortality (%)
Blood pressure 1 7.1 12.8
Cholesterol 2 4.4 7.9
Underweight (hunger)
3 3.7 6.7
Low fruit & vegetables
4 2.7 4.9
Overweight 5 2.6 4.6
Unsafe water, poor sanitation
6 1.7 3.1
Indoor smoke 7 1.6 2.9
Malaria 1.1 2.0
Source: WHO 2002
Most Important Food, Environment, and Nutritional Problems for 2000, Based on Mortality
(continued)
Risk factor Ranking Mortality (millions)
Mortality (%)
Iron deficiency 8 0.8 1.5
Urban air pollution 9 0.8 1.4
Zinc deficiency 10 0.8 1.4
Vitamin A deficiency 11 0.8 1.4
Lead exposure 12 0.2 0.4
Climate change 13 0.2 0.3
Subtotal 27.6 49.4
TOTAL from all causes 55.8 100.0Source: WHO 2002
4,368
2,067
6,012
3,075
2,010
237
282
116
92
-500
500
1,500
2,500
3,500
4,500
5,500
6,500
7,500
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
Dea
ths
(000
's)
Deaths in 2085 from Hunger, Malaria, & Coastal Flooding
No CC
Because of CC
Total 2,304
Total 6,295
Total 3,191
Total2,102
Sources: Goklany (2008), based on Parry et al. (2004), Nicholls (2004), WHO (2002), Martens (1999).
0
-1,192-1,050
-417-634
1,368 1,667
7,016
4,114
2,225
-4,000
-2,000
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
PA
R (m
illi
on
s)
Water Stress: Population at risk (PAR) in 2085 Because of CC, and Total
Additional PAR With CC
Total PAR
Source: Arnell et al. (2004).
11.6%
5.0%
13.7%
7.8%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4.0 °C)
B2 (2.4°C)
B1 (2.1 °C)
habi
tat c
onve
rted
to c
ropl
and
(as
% o
f glo
bal l
and
area
)
Global Conversion of Habitat to Croplandwith Climate Change (in 2100)
Sources: Levy et al. (2004).
13%9% 9% 10%
47% 47%
22% 22%
53% 52%
28% 28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
A1FI (4.0 °C)
A2 (3.3°C)
B2 (2.4°C)
B1 (2.1 °C)
loss
of w
etla
nd
are
a(a
s %
of
1990
are
a)Average global loss of coastal wetlands
(1990-2085)
Losses due to SLR alone
Losses due to other causes
Combined losses
Sources: Nicholls (2004).
Over the Foreseeable Future
1.Will climate change lower the welfare of future generations to below today’s? NO
2.Will well-being necessarily be lower in a richer-but-warmer world? NO
3. Is global warming the world’s most important environmental problem? NO
4.How best to reduce damages from global warming while dealing with more urgent problems?
4,368
2,067
6,012
3,075
2,010
237
282
116
92
-500
500
1,500
2,500
3,500
4,500
5,500
6,500
7,500
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
Dea
ths
(000
's)
Deaths in 2085 from Hunger, Malaria, & Coastal Flooding
No CC
Because of CC
Total 2,304
Total 6,295
Total 3,191
Total2,102
Sources: Goklany (2008), based on Parry et al. (2004), Nicholls (2004), WHO (2002), Martens (1999).
Focused Adaptation
Focus on reducing each urgent hazard.
• Build resilience and reduce vulnerability to today’s urgent climate-sensitive problems — malaria, hunger, water scarcity, coastal flooding, threats to biodiversity — that might be exacerbated by future climate change.
Focused Adaptation — Examples• Reduce Malaria by 75%; Cost = $3 billion/yr
malaria vaccine, indoor residual spraying with DDT, insecticide treated bed nets.
• Reduce Hunger by 50%; Cost = $12-15 billion/yr
develop crops for poor climatic or soil conditions (namely, drought, water-logging, high salinity or acidity)
develop crops for higher CO2 and temperature conditions
• Reduce Vulnerability to Extreme Events; Cost = $2-10 billion/yr
insurance reform; early warning systems; coastal defenses
• Reduce Water Stress
develop drought-resistant crops; property rights for water; water pricing
A Broader Approach to AdaptationSustainable Development
• Broadly enhance adaptive capacity by increasing economic development, human capital and propensity for technological change.
• Requires strengthening and/or developing the institutions that underpin adaptive capacity.
• This is also the essence of sustainable development.
• One specific approach might be through adherence to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Increasing society’s adaptive capacity
• Increases society’s resilience to all manner of adversity, and not just climate change.
• Broadly advances human well-being, and sustainable (economic) development.
• Enhances capacity to mitigate emissions.
• Could raise level at which greenhouse gas concentrations might become “dangerous” and/or allow mitigation to be postponed. Either would reduce mitigation costs.
Maximum benefits in 2085 & costs of mitigation & adaptation, under warmest scenario (A1FI)
Mitigation Adaptation
Kyoto No CC after 1990
Focused adaptation
Broad development
Lives saved from malaria, hunger & coastal flooding (in 000s)
21
(1%)
237
(10%)
1,480
(64%)
1,480
(64%)
Decline in net PAR for water stress (in millions)
-83
(-5%)
-1,192
(-72%)
up to 1,667
(+)
Up to 1,667
(+)
Progress toward other MDGs• poverty reduced 50%• child mortality rate reduced 67%• maternal mortality rate reduced 75%• access rates for safe water & sanitation increased 50%• illiteracy rate reduced 100%
Almost none
Some Substantial MDGs should be met
Habitat for other species (relative to 1990 level)
Small decline
Larger decline
Habitat doubled by CC
Habitat doubled by CC
Cost in 2010-2015 ($ billions)/year 165 >>165 ~34 ~165
Sources: IPCC (2001), Parry et al. (2004), Arnell (2004), Nicholls (2004), Arnell et al. (2002), UNMP (2005).
SummaryThrough the foreseeable future (2085-2100):
• climate change is probably not the world’s most important public health or environmental problem.
• Richer-but-warmer worlds will likely have higher well-being than cooler worlds.
• Future generations will have greater capacity to both adapt to AND mitigate climate change because they’ll be wealthier, have more human capital and better technology.
• Adaptation is superior to mitigation. Adaptation would:
– Reduce climate- AND non-climate related risks faster, more effectively, with greater certainty, and at lesser cost.
– Advance well-being and sustainable development more effectively.
.
Interim PoliciesAdaptation• Increase society’s resilience to adversity in general
– advance economic growth, human capital and propensity for technological change
– Would enhance both adaptive and mitigative capacity
• Undertake focused adaptation– reduce vulnerability to today’s urgent climate-sensitive problems that
might be exacerbated by future climate change
Mitigation• Let market select “no-regret” actions• Expand range of “no-regret” actions (through R&D)
Science & Monitoring• More robust knowledge of science, impacts and policies• Continue monitoring to spot “dangerous” impacts before they
become imminent [Adaptive Management]
Solve the urgent problems facing today’s generations while advancing
the ability of tomorrow’s wealthier population to address whatever
challenges they’ll confront
Indur Goklany, “What to Do about Climate Change,” Policy Analysis No. 609, Cato Institute, February 5, 2008.
Available at:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-609.pdf
The End
Current Impacts Assessment
Climate ChangeUsing AOGCMs
Human Impacts
IPCC Emissions Scenarios
Radiative Forcing
Atmospheric Concentrations
Effects on biophysical systems
Socioeconomic Assumptions
Interconnections
Fig. 6-17: Global deaths & death rates due to climate related disasters, 1900-2004
128
25
485446
180211
167
74 6632 19
79
14
242209
76 7149
19 14 6 30
200
400
600Deaths (in 1000s)
Death rates (per million)
Source: Based on data from EM-DAT (2005), McEvedy & Jones (1978), WRI (2005).
Cereal Yield vs. Income, 1975-2003
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000
GDP per capita (2000 International $, PPP)
cere
al y
ield
(k
g p
er h
ecta
re)
cy1975 cy2003 cyp1975 cyp2003
Source: Based on data from World Bank (2005b).
Food Supplies per capita vs. Income, 1975-2002
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000
GDP per capita (2000 Interntional $, PPP)
kca
ls/c
apit
a/d
ay
fs1975 fsp1975 fs2002 fsp2002
Source: Based on data from World Resources Institute (2005), World Bank (2005b).
Malnutrition Prevalence vs. Income, 1987-2000
0
30
60
90
0 3,000 6,000 9,000 12,000 15,000 18,000 21,000 24,000
GDP per capita (2000 International$, PPP-adjusted)
% o
f ch
ildre
n u
nd
er 5
yrs
mwp1987 mwp2000 mw1987 mw2000
Source: Based on data from World Bank (2005).
Infant Mortality vs. Income, 1980-2003
0
50
100
150
200
250
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000
GDP per capita (2000 International $, PPP)
dea
ths
per
100
0 liv
e b
irth
s
im1980 im2003 imp1980 imp2003
Source: Based on data from World Bank (2005b).
Life Expectancy vs. Income, 1977-2003
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000
GDP per capita (2000 International $, PPP)
Lif
e ex
pec
tan
cy (
yrs.
)
le1977 lep1977 le2003 lep2003
Source: Based on data from World Bank (2005b).
Figure 10-1: Human well-being vs. wealth, early 2000s
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
$0 $8,000 $16,000 $24,000 $32,000 $40,000
per capita income (in 2000 International dollars)
Life
Exp
, Inf
Mor
t, Te
rt
Sch,
Saf
e H2O
, Ch
Lab
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Dai
ly F
ood
Supp
ly
(kca
l)/ca
pita
Life Expectancy, 2003 Inf Mortality, 2003 Tertiary School, 2002
Access to Safe H2O, 2002 Child Labor, 2003 Food Supply, 2002
Source: World Resources Institute (2005); World Bank (2005).
Figure 10-2: Total fertility rate vs. wealth, 1977-2003
0
2
4
6
8
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000
GDP per capita (2000 International $, PPP-adjusted)
child
ren
per w
oman
tfr1977
tfr2003
tfr1977p
tfr2003p
Source: Based on data from World Bank (2005).
Population at Risk (PAR) in 2085 from Malariawith and without Climate Change
Sources: Martens (1999); Arnell et al. (2002)
028
-18.5 -3
10
835
133
748.5
230
100
-100
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
Po
pu
lati
on
at
risk
(m
illio
ns)
Global Population at Risk for Hunger, 2085with and without CC
Additional PAR With CC
Total PAR
Source: Parry et al. (2004)
Focused AdaptationReducing Hunger
Focus additional resources on:
• R&D into solving the developing world’s current agricultural problems that might worsen with climate change, e.g., growing crops in poor climatic or soil conditions (such as drought, or water-logged, highly saline or acidic soils).
• Developing cultivars for conditions likely to be strengthened in the future independent of the accuracy of climate models, e.g., higher CO2 and temperature conditions.
• Higher yield, low impact cultivars and agronomic practices.
• Reducing losses and wastage at each stage of agricultural and food production – from pre-harvest to post-harvest to end-use.
Reducing Total PAR through 2085Water Shortage
• Climate change is more likely to increase the global PAR.
• Mitigation, therefore, may make matters worse in many areas.
• Practices that would help cope with current shortages would also help address any future climate-change-caused shortages. These practices include:
– Institutions treating water as an economic commodity, i.e., transferable property rights to water, water pricing
– Development of drought resistant crops, and greater use of precision agriculture
Focused AdaptationCo-benefits of Institutional Changes to Make
Water Use More Efficient
• More efficient water use, particularly in the agricultural sector, will reduce human demand for freshwater -- the greatest current threat to freshwater biodiversity.
• Increase the likelihood of meeting human demand for food. Water availability is sometimes cited as the greatest threat to future food security.
• Reduce a significant barrier to sustainable development.
GDP per capita in 2100 per IPCC scenariosassuming no CC
14,500
107,300
46,200
54,400
72,800
875
66,500
11,000
18,000
40,200
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
$120,000
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
19
90
U.S
. D
olla
rs, M
XR
Industrialized Countries
Developing Countries
Sources: Arnell et al. (2004), World Bank (2006); IPCC (2000)
875
66,500
11,000
18,000
40,200
14,500
43,092
8,365
15,719
36,300
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4 °C)
B1 (2.1°C)
1990
U.S
. Do
llar
s, M
XR
Net welfare per capita, 2100developing countries
adjusted for losses from climate change
GDP/Capita, No CC, DevelopingGDP/Capita, No CC, IndustrializedNet Welfare/Capita, Developing
Sources: Goklany (2007c), based on Stern (2006), Arnell et al. (2004), World Bank (2006), IPCC (2000).
Maximum benefits in 2085 & costs of mitigation & adaptation, under warmest scenario (A1FI)
Mitigation Adaptation
Kyoto No CC after 1990
Focused adaptation
Lives saved from malaria, hunger & coastal flooding (in 000s)
21
(1%)
237
(10%)
1,480
(64%)
Decline in net Population at Risk for water stress (in millions)
-83
(-5%)
-1,192
(-72%)
up to 1,667
(+)
Progress toward other MDGs• poverty reduced 50%• child mortality rate reduced 67%• maternal mortality rate reduced 75%• access rates for safe water & sanitation increased 50%• illiteracy rate reduced 100%
Almost none
Some Substantial
Habitat for other species (relative to 1990 level)
Small decline
Larger decline
Habitat doubled
Cost in 2010-2015 ($ billions)/year 165 >>165 ~34
Sources: IPCC (2001), Parry et al. (2004), Arnell (2004), Nicholls (2004), Arnell et al. (2002), UNMP (2005).
Net Biome Productivitywith climate change
0.7
5.8 5.9
3.1
2.4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Baseline 1990
A1FI (4.0 °C)
A2 (3.3 °C)
B2 (2.4°C)
B1 (2.1 °C)
Ne
t Bio
me
Pro
du
cti
vit
y(P
g C
/yr)
Sources: Levy et al. (2004).