A view taken from a rescue helicopter of the Punta Rocca glacier near Canazei, in the Italian Alps in northern Italy, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, two days after a huge chunk of the glacier broke loose, sending an avalanche of ice, snow, and rocks onto hikers. (LUCA BRUNO / AP PHOTO)
It is hard to ignore the impact of climate change. The evidence is mounting daily across the world.
In Sydney, Australia’s largest city, thousands were forced in recent days to flee floodwaters in and around the city for the second time this year. Elsewhere, we have seen heatwaves throughout the Indian subcontinent, with temperatures topping 40 degrees centigrade; permafrost melting in the arctic; forest fires in Alaska; Europe experiencing yet another heatwave; and glacier melts in the Italian Alps.
Piet Filet, a flood expert, said reducing the impact of floods in and around Sydney basin “will require a long-term resilience building program with communities in flood prone catchments”
Such climate events, which in the past had been deemed “once in a lifetime” happenings, are becoming regular occurrences now.
As the world’s climate changes, it is not only impacting on where people live but on food and water security.
ALSO READ: Hopes fading for missing climbers after Italian glacier collapse
In Australia, experts are now urging governments from federal to the local levels to seriously reconsider urban development in flood and fire prone areas.
Jennifer McKay, professor of business law at the University of South Australia, says climate change and the risks that now come with it must be part of the decision-making process for urban development.
“We need a national cabinet approach to this, guided by experts to set the standards,” she said, talking about Australia.
Otherwise, litigation will occur, and insurance will be impossible to attain for people living in flood prone areas of the country.
ALSO READ: Australia floods worsen as more Sydney residents evacuated
Piet Filet, a flood expert, said reducing the impact of floods in and around Sydney basin “will require a long-term resilience building program with communities in flood prone catchments”.
An emergency vehicle blocks access to the flooded Windsor Bridge on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, Monday, July 4, 2022. (MARK BAKER / AP PHOTO)
Filet, who is with the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University, said the history of flooding in Australia “not only reflects changing baselines in the frequency of extreme rainfall events, but also the need for key aspects of resilience building to be in place well in advance”.
“Long-term land use planning that minimizes flood exposure is critical,” he said. “Infrastructure in floodplains needs to be built to withstand the impact of fast flowing water and overcome the isolation of communities during floods.”
Around the world, it is a similar story as countries battle natural disasters made worse by climate change.
Europe now faces one of its toughest years when it comes to natural disasters like droughts and wildfires because of increasing climate change.
ALSO READ: Flooding in Pakistan kills dozens amid heavy monsoon rains
European Union Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic told legislators on July 7 that the present drought in Europe could become the “worst ever”.
“Statistics show that since 2017, we have the most intense, intense forest fires ever seen in Europe. And that we unfortunately expect the 2022 forest fire season could follow this trend,” he said.
A wilfire burns near houses in the Panorama Voulas area, south of Athens on June 4, 2022. A wildfire whipped by gale-force winds blazed through vegetation in a southern suburb of Athens, the fire brigade said, forcing residents to evacuate. (LOUISA GOULIAMAKI / AFP)
The comments came just days after the deadly collapse of a glacier in the Italian Alps at Marmolada which resulted in an avalanche killing ten hikers.
Walter Milan, a spokesperson for Italy’s National Alpine and Cave Rescue Corps, told The Guardian newspaper on July 4 that temperatures on the peaks around Marmolada had topped 10 C in the days leading to the avalanche.
“That’s extreme heat” for the peak, he said. “Clearly it’s something abnormal.”
READ MORE: Climate change is driving 2022 extreme heat and flooding
In Asia, an intense heatwave has gripped much of India in recent weeks, with temperatures hitting a record 49.2 C in parts of the national capital region of New Delhi, and marking fifth heatwave in the capital since March.
The severe heatwaves have thrown millions of lives and livelihoods out of gear in northern India this summer, with neighboring Pakistan also affected.
karlwilson@chinadailyapac.com