Climate Changes in Developing Nations - Essay Example

Climate Change and Developing Countries Name Institution Course Professor Date Climate Change and Developing Countries Introduction Development involves various aspects including infrastructure, industrial, financial, and poverty elimination. Gilbert explains that it encompasses the improvement of the human life regarding the environment, social, and technological bits (2002, p. 70). Research into the phrase development identifies different meaning associating with various trends in global ideas and power shifts. Moreover, through the research, there is a significant number of ways to measure development and poverty that leads to the categorization of different nations. About the challenges facing the developing countries, in particular, African countries, key contributing factors include political conflict and health related problems. Matters of health relate to the environmental degradation challenges that further affect the livelihoods of individuals. Poor environments reduce the personal productivity towards economic growth and sustainable developments. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the primary challenges of climate change in developing nations. Moreover, it is necessary to recognize the contribution of the government in finding solutions to the problems. Climate Changes in Developing Nations According to Klein, industrialization contributes significantly towards the development and growth of a nation. However, the growth of industries is not without disadvantages especially, those involving climate degradation (2014, p. 2). The challenges in climatic changes will produce drastic economic disasters and contribute to the significant loss of wealth. Klein (2014, p. 3), identifies capitalism as the primary contributing factor towards the climatic degradation, especially to the developing nations. Arguments presented by Klein identify two principles of capitalism that threaten the flourishing of the humans. The important principles include the thought that nature is a slave of man and capitalism relies on extractives activities. About the first principle, it is evident that humans’ current over exploits nature to achieve their desires. Moreover, the human idea of controlling nature provides them with power to destroy the environment through carrying out non-environmentally friendly activities (Klein 2014). An example of the effects of environmental changes is the sharp decline in species, with a significant percentage of those already extinct or about to become extinct. About extractive, it occurs from the extraction of natural resources to manufacture various products. Consequently, the extraction process produces massive amounts of wastes polluting the environment (Klein 2014). Current trends in industrialization point towards an increase in mining and discovery of natural resource. Natural resources influence power and economic growth making their discovery a substantial source of revenue. It is evident the utilization of these resource leads to massive destruction of lands, leaving the lands bear and unproductive. Developing countries depend on agricultural boost to supplement for the economic thrive (Agarwal 2010). The farm sector heavily relies on climate and weather patterns to determine its success. However, with climatic changes such as global warming and unpredictable rainfall patterns, agriculture continues to experience stiff challenges. The failure of agricultural success particularly as it provides the rural communities with a source of income results to the rural-urban migration (Ramisch 2014). An increased in migration to urban areas contributes to the development of slum as unemployment reduces in the towns. A characteristic of slum structures includes poor living condition, environmental pollution, and the outbreak of various diseases. Food insecurity and deficiency in the nation contributes to unhealthy populations and a decline in population growth. It is relevant to mention the increase in social tension resulting from the food and water shortages fueling conflicts. Conflict negatively impacts the economic development of the countries. Industrial pollution remains relevant event with the current environmental laws on regulating and recycling waste. With globalization and competition to acquire market control, governments are encouraging more investors to build industries and increase the trade outputs (Mkandawire 2005). Consequently, an upsurge of industries interprets to a much more generation of air pollutants and hazards. These harmful substances deplete the quality of the natural environments leading to much adverse health related problems. It is important to realize the even greater challenges to the developing nations despite the fact that their contribution to environmental degradation remains minimal. Studies indicate how industrial revolutions contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. As a result, there is the issue of global warming and a decline in agricultural productivity. Industrial pollution influences the occurrence of the acid rains whose impacts is most felt by the farmers. Nevertheless, the acid- rain leads to the loss of aquatic life, which is a significant source of food and economy to many developing nations. Based on Guha, human migration from the poorer countries to the more developed countries is a consequence of climatic challenges (2010, p. 288). The global spread and development of industrialization emit poisonous substances to the environments. Moreover, the economic policies strongly support the growth of industries with little energies directed towards the conservation of the environment. The rise of industrialization exhausts the natural health of the ecology more rapidly than the measures put in place to replenish it. As a consequence, the adverse climatic effects generate poverty and deprivation of the value and quality of life (Guha 2010). With increased poverty, the nation loses its human capital as the population migrate to other better-developed countries for employment opportunities. Lack of human capital is a major stressor towards development, especially if the migration affects the people of skilled laborers. Government Solutions to Climatic Challenges The adverse and life threatening consequences of climate change necessitates the need to develop workable solution aiming at protecting and conserving the environment. In regards to Robinson, it is important to develop more human rights policies and rules (2005, p. 2). The inclusion of more human rights protection clauses will adequately improve the developmental practices. Moreover, the use and application of the rules should also include strict reinforcement from the governments to ensure all industries observe them and practice them. It is important for the developed countries to enhance the application of both the human and environmental preservation since they significantly contribute to the levels of pollution and environmental degradation. Agarwal provides an excellent research on how women have always been at the forefront of raising awareness about conserving the environment (2010, p. 31). In particular, important groups advocating on forest conservation for improved agriculture and ecosystems continue to sensitize the public on conservation measures. In Africa, for example, the green belt movement founded by Professor Wangari Mathai, encourages the communities to plant trees as a means to reduce pollution and its effects. Therefore, the government can enforce and support the policies of the conservation bodies. Women also contribute to the fight for global social justice and eco-sufficiency (Brownhill and Turner 2009). The main issues in the campaign involve the addressing globalization and its effects on the climate change. The activists identify how human relate to nature and therefore question the political-economic policies that fail to observe environmental ethics. The government should, therefore, enact policies that follow environmental laws and act to protect them despite the quest to increase industrial output. It is a common practice in agriculture today to apply the greenhouse models in increasing production. Consequently, the new design further affects the climate, especially increasing the levels of carbon dioxide production. A likely solution would be the application of the carbon market instruments. The international government should, therefore, contribute effectively by supporting the use of carbon market models in reducing emissions. Developed countries should be at the forefront in reducing the rates of the carbon emissions owing to their significant contribution to the emission of these gasses (Guha 2010). The government can establish recycling plants, in particular to the urban areas where environmental pollution is higher about that in the countryside. Moreover, it can encourage the urban population on the importance of clean surrounding in preventing the outbreak of disease or their spread. It is of particular important for the government to upgrade the conditions in the slums as a means to improve the quality of the environment and the benefits of a safer ecosystem. About improving the living standards in the urban slums, some of the efficient ways include providing clean tapped water; improve waste collection, and providing active sewerage systems to prevent the human contact with waste. The government could develop a plan involving the development of the rural areas as a means to prevent the rural-urban migration as well as migration into other more developed nations. Conclusion It is evident that the climatic changes result in multiple challenges to the countries. It is especially more challenging for the developing countries than the more developed nations to mitigate the problems. In identifying the how climate change impacts the developing countries critical areas revolve around agricultural decline resulting in food shortages and a malnutrition population. Consequently, the reduced food availability gives rise to conflicts pushing further growth and development. Rural-urban migration and the growth of slums point to an increase in poor living surrounding encouraging the spread of diseases. Following the greater socioeconomic challenges of climatic changes, the government should support climate smart industrialization through enacting and enforcing conservation laws. Moreover, the governments in developed nations should be at the forefront of environmental support campaigns through funding and facilitate their activities. Models such as the carbon markets instruments need to emphasize as their application allows industries to regulate their levels of pollutants. References Agarwal, B., 2010. Gender and green governance: the political economy of women's presence within and beyond community forestry. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, pp. 31-54. Brownhill, L. and Turner, T.E., 2009. Women and the Abuja Declaration for Energy Sovereignty. Eco-Sufficiency and Global Justice, pp.230-50. Guha, R., 2010. ‘How Much Should a Person Consume?’ in How Much Should a Person Consume?, Hachette Press, New Delhi, pp. 284-324.  Klein, N., 2014. ‘Introduction: One Way or Another, Everything Changes’ in This Changes Everything, Allen Lane, London, pp. 1-25. Mkandawire, T., 2005. ‘Maladjusted African Economies and Globalisation’, Africa Development, vol. 30, no 1/2, pp. 1-33. Ramisch, J.J., 2014. ‘We will not farm like our fathers did’: Multilocational livelihoods, cellphones, and the continuing challenge of rural development in western Kenya. Rural livelihoods, regional economies, and processes of change, pp.10-35. Rist, Gilbert., 2002. ‘The Invention of Development’ in The History of Development, Zed Books, London, pp. 69-79. Robinson, M., 2005. ‘What Rights Can Add to Good Development Practice,’ in Human Rights and Development: Towards Mutual Reinforcement, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 1-18. Read More