Climate and Land Use Impacts on Natural and Artificial Systems: Mitigation and Adaptation

Climate and Land Use Impacts on Natural and Artificial Systems: Mitigation and Adaptation provides in-depth information on the linkages between climate change and land use, how they are related, how land use is shifting over time, and the major global regions at risk for climate and land use changes. This comprehensive resource discusses climatic factors and processes that impact natural and artificial systems, as well as the relationship between climate change and both natural and man-made hazards. The book includes case studies and original maps to provide real-life examples of climate change and land use over regions around the globe.

In addition, the book presents future perspectives on mitigation and adaptation of the climate change impact.

• Summarizes current research on land use and climate change
• Provides future perspectives on climate change using climate models
• Includes case studies to provide real-life examples from various countries
• Incorporates high level graphics, images, and maps to support reviews and case studies

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Jul 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9780128232651

Book preview

Chapter 1

Introduction: overview of current climate and land use challenges in the environmental space

Mărgărit-Mircea Nistor,    Department of Hydrogeology, Earthresearch Company, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

The external and internal factors of the globe may influence the vulnerability of Earth’s natural and artificial systems. In the recent period, the climate change and land use modification are two entities that have affected the Earth’s surface and ecosystems irreversibly. The changing climate causes several changes in the water cycle, glacial systems, biodiversity, and also in the artificial systems, including water demand, agriculture practices, and industrial uses. The land use represents both agriculture and industrial activity with an impact on the natural systems in terms of green space and water bodies, but also on the artificial systems in terms of construction and infrastructure sites. In most cases, the climate change and land use have huge negative impact on the natural and artificial systems. For this reason, the climate and land use challenges that nowadays are happening are more accentuated and the scientists, policy makers, administrators, and managers of various territorial units, together with environmental agencies from developed countries are concerned about better management of the climate and land use impact on the globe. This chapter is an introduction into the main problems that occur in relation to the climate and land use changes and natural and artificial systems.

Keywords

Climate change; land use; natural systems; artificial system; internal factor; external factor

1.1 Introduction

Climate change and land use are two separate entities that contribute to the development and changes of the biomes and abiotic elements on Earth. In the context of current climate change (IPCC, 2001, 2007, 2013) and rapid modification of the land use, the natural and artificial systems are negatively affected. The climate is warming (Oerlemans, 2005) and the mean annual temperature of the globe has been increasing, starting in the 1850s (IPCC, 2001). Much more than during other times, the recent decades have experienced several changes with temperature increasing, higher rainfall intensity, and increasing evapotranspiration (Aguilera and Murillo, 2009; Jiménez Cisneros et al., 2014). Due to these changes, the environment is facing high pressure from climate change and land use modifications. The anthropogenic activities are also contributing to the increase in vulnerability of the environment. Climate and land use have direct negative effects on the surface waters, groundwater, slope stability, human health, and many components of ecosystems (Taylor and Stefan, 2009; Haldorsen et al., 2012; Kløve et al., 2012; Furtuna et al., 2018). Due to several benefits for humanity, the natural space was changed by man-made contributions and most of modified areas have seen irreversible consequences.

Globally, the current climate characteristics show the continuous increase of mean annual temperature and the reduction of precipitation in some regions by 10% for the next five decades (Stavig et al., 2005; Marchi et al., 2020). These projections regarding the future climate indicate modifications in ice mass melting, sea level rise, and advancement of shorelines (Khalsa et al., 2004). For the 21st century, an increase of mean temperatures by 1.0°C–3.5°C is expected (Houghton et al., 1995). In the same time, the increase of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions contributes to much warmer conditions and will affect the ecosystems (Cox et al., 2000; Shaver et al., 2000).

Climate change has negative effects on artificial systems in terms of human skin cancer and other illnesses, flooding of establishments due to heavy rainfall, damage to infrastructure, and many others.

The land use has negative impacts on soil, water resources, species of plants, species of animals, and on the artificial systems. The intense agricultural and industrial practices negatively affect the quality of ecosystems and environment. The quality of the environment is affected by land use pollution on the soil, water, and air components (Taylor and Stefan, 2009; Kløve et al., 2014). With regard to the quantitative effects of climate change and land use modifications on natural and artificial systems, these include deforestation, decline in river flow and discharge, groundwater table depletion, expansion of land designated to agriculture and industry, and less land for green space near the large cities (Jiménez Cisneros et al., 2014).

In different continents, programs and projects between governments and universities have been implemented for a better understanding and mitigation of climate change and land use practices. Around the globe, specific problems have been raised with respect to climate change and land use and several regions and countries have been engaged in the surveys. The administration staff of these units have tried to implement specific regulations and measures to attenuate the impact of climate change and land use on the natural and artificial systems in the respective areas.

1.2 Climate change and land use impacts on natural systems

Since the 1850s the Earth’s temperature has been continuously rising (IPCC, 2001) and several regions are experiencing increases in the mean annual temperature. Global warming (Oerlemans, 2005) influences the natural systems in various ways. One of the systems most affected by climate change is represented by glaciers and ice masses (Haeberli et al., 1999; Kargel et al., 2005; Nistor, 2017; Fig. 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Oblique south-looking aerial photograph of Whittier Glacier, South Alaska 2010. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

According to this climate change context, the investigations indicate a large retreat of glaciers. In addition, the climate change is negatively affecting all zones of globe, but the most triggered are the alpine zones and areas covered by glaciers and ice (Fig. 1.2). The climate warming could be noted by checking some glaciers’ retreat, which represent the most sensitive indicators for climate change (Dong et al., 2013; Kargel et al., 2005; Haeberli and Beniston, 1998). In the glacial areas, the melting of glaciers modeled the alpine landscape (O’Neel et al., 2014; Theurillat and Guisan, 2001). Overall, the global warming affects the glaciers and several surveys have indicated the negative impact of global warming on the glaciers’ mass reduction (Oerlemans, 2005; Shahgedanova et al., 2005; Kennedy et al., 2006; Painter et al., 2013). Most of the glaciers are retreating during climate warming, but some of them are expanding in area due to the surge of glaciers (e.g., Caucasian glaciers) and melting of ice (Holobâcă, 2013). These affected components include natural landscape, surface- and groundwater, soil, and air.

Figure 1.2 McKinley Peak 6,194 m and alpine chain of Alaska Range, Central Alaska. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

1.3 Climate change and land use impacts on the artificial systems

The land use is perceived as modified land cover in various scopes, more of these scopes are coming to support the human life and economy. In terms of sustainability, the land use is more helpful for the human economy, but the quality of the environment is neglected in most of the cases. Thus, together with the climate change pressure, the land use contributes nowadays with a negative impact on the environmental components.

Climate change, mostly the warming of certain regions, also has a negative impact on human health. Most of harms related to the climate change and human health refer to skin cancer.

In various regions of the globe, the infrastructure and civil engineering sites (Fig. 1.3) are negatively affected by climate change in terms of heavy rainfall and intense snowfall (Rahardjo et al., 2019). Thus in the tropical zone, the frequency and intensity of rainfall may directly affect the transport infrastructure and indirectly affect commercial and residential buildings due to the rainfall-induced landslides near cities. Cracks in roads and damage to tailings dams have been observed in the polar zones due to the snow and seasonally frozen soil (Jin et al., 2019).

Figure 1.3 Vajont landslide activated by heavy rainfall and negative affected hydrological system. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

At the same time the land use practices (Fig. 1.4) contribute to the negative impact on the quality of land, water, and green space. Together, the climate change and intense land use have a high impact on the agriculture, water resources pollution, and on biodiversity.

Figure 1.4 Intense land use practices in the agriculture field. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

1.4 Climate change and land use implications for natural hazards

The climate change and land use have, in most cases, direct implications to natural hazards. The increased frequencies of extreme rainfall, drought, heat waves, and floods are mainly the hazards that occur due to the climate change. Changes in the forest pattern and agriculture areas could influence biodiversity. In addition, forest fires have major implications on the vegetation and landscape changes. The intense pollution of soil, water resources, and air are also consequences of the land fires during drought periods.

Heavy rainfall influences landslides and slope failures (Fig. 1.5), land subsidence, erosion, and flooding (Fig. 1.6) all over the globe. In the tropics, slope stability and tree stability are dependent on rainfall regimes (Rahardjo et al., 2019). These problems imply costs and damages but also harm to human life. Together with climate change, the land use is contributing to hazards and catastrophes in several regions (Nistor, 2019, 2020). These hazards include landslides, long periods of drought, low discharge of springs, flooding, and sea level rise (Aguilera and Murillo, 2009).

Figure 1.5 Slope failure under extreme rainfall event in Singapore. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

Figure 1.6 Flooding induced by heavy rainfall in Apennines Mountains, Italy. Photo courtesy: M.M. Nistor.

1.5 Conclusions

The general implications of climate and land use changes were expressed in this chapter. In most cases, the climate change has negative impacts on the natural and artificial systems in terms of hazards, water resources, human health, and glaciers. The land use is mandatory for human life with the use of land for agriculture, industry, and infrastructure implementation. The pollution of soil, water, and air is the main factor coming from the land use practices.

Several programs and projects regarding the mitigation of climate change and land use modification have been implemented at regional, continental, and global level. These regulations are useful to reduce the impact of climate and land use change on the environmental components. Thus the monitoring of water demand for different uses, mainly in the drought periods, contributes to water resources protection and sustainability practices for long-term periods with respect to water demand in agriculture and industry. The changes in land use, in all mountains, hills, and plains may produce imbalances in terms of pollution, flooding, landslides, and many other impacts, in the tropical, temperate, and/or polar zones. In the latter, the climate change influences directly the melting of ice mass and glacial retreat. Due to the higher naturality of the polar zones, the impacts of climate and land use changes do not affect the human and artificial systems in all cases. However, the melting of large ice masses contributes to the modification of ecosystems and sea level rise.

The common objectives of the main consortium of researchers in climate and environmental studies have major implications for highlighting the importance of such kinds of surveys to governmental organizations, to regional and local administrators, and, if it could be implicated, to the universities and stakeholders from the affected territories. Thus the mitigation of climate and land use change impacts on natural and artificial systems and future plans will lead to the protection of our environment and consolidation of sustainability.

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