Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Climate change refers to the gradual shifts of weather and temperature over time. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges for people and the environment. This is related to broad and scientific impacts, such as changes in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and global temperatures, and other similar phenomena. Changes in global temperature which are increasing every decade can bring drastic weather changes, and an increase in the frequency of natural disasters such as floods, drought, heat and so on.
Scientific studies have shown that over the last 200 years earth has increased its warmth up to 11°C. As a result, weather temperatures have risen over time. Greenhouse gasses contribute significantly to the earth’s temperature rise which is mainly caused by carbon dioxide and methane. Daily activities such as gas operations contribute to methane emissions while driving cars and motorcycles contribute significantly to carbon dioxide emissions. Indonesia has become one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the world, totaling over 651.671 Mt CO2 in 2022. Unless quick measures are taken, earth temperature is expected to rise 2.5°C-2.9°C in this century, well above safety limits.
The primary goal of implementing adaptation and climate resilience technologies is to enhance the capacity of systems, communities, and ecosystems to cope with, recover from, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Specifically, the objectives include reducing the vulnerability of communities to climate disasters, enhancing infrastructure to withstand extreme weather changes, promoting sustainable agriculture by introducing technologies that are adaptive to changing climate conditions, ensuring that the most vulnerable groups, such as low-income communities, have access to the resources needed to adapt to climate change, and increasing global adaptation capacity through international cooperation and technology transfer.
Strategies in adaptation can vary depending on the specific needs of communities, business, and government. There isn’t only one single solution for everyone, as adaptation can range in creating flood defenses, early warning systems, and revising communication systems, business operations, and government policies. Many places are already taking steps to become more resilient, but more ambitious actions are needed to effectively manage risks now and in the future.
Despite the varying conditions of different places, there are measures to take and proven to increase climate resilience and adaptability. Firstly, ending fuel usage, energy generation from coal, oil and gas contribute vastly to the rising temperature of earth. Thankfully with the growth of technology the usage of renewable energy such as wind and solar increasingly contribute to energy generation every year. Next, Sustainable buildings: houses and homes should add insulations to their attic and walls to decrease its carbon dioxide emissions. Businesses should also fuel burning systems
to clean energy ones.
- Sustainable transportations: the sales of electric vehicles (EV) is predicted to contribute to over 50% of vehicle sales by 2035.
- Sustainable agriculture and forestation management: changes in policies and global consumption need to happen to prevent unauthorized deforestation. Countries should also increase their adoption of regenerative agriculture which include practices such as reducing use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Instead doing rotational grazing and compost.
In conclusion, climate change poses a significant challenge to both humanity and the environment in the 21st century, with wide-ranging scientific impacts. The rise in global temperatures over time has led to more frequent extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heatwaves. Greenhouse gasses, particularly carbon dioxide and methane, are key contributors to this warming, with human activities such as gas operations and the use of motor vehicles playing a significant role. Indonesia, as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, is also a major contributor to this global issue.
International cooperation and technology transfer are also urgently needed to increase collective adaptive capacity, address environmental justice, and ensure that no group is left behind. Indonesia, as a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, needs to take proactive steps to reduce the impact of climate change while strengthening the resilience of its society. With an integrated and collaborative approach, we can build a future that is safer, more sustainable, resilient to the threat of climate change, and inclusive for all.
References
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October 12, 2024, from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change - United Nations. (n.d.). Adaptation and Resilience. The United Nations. Retrieved October 12, 2024,
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