What are the effects of climate change on the environment and health?
Today, the effects of climate change on the planet are undeniable. Whether you're in Canada, France or Australia, the effects will differ due to the different climates, infrastructures, economies and measures taken by the governments.
In Canada, all the provinces are affected by the phenomena, but each one undergoes different environmental and sanitary consequences.
Over the entire Canadian territory
Over the second half of the century, the Northern hemisphere experienced its highest temperatures of the last millennium. Since 1948, the Canadian climate has gotten warmer by 1.3 degrees Celsius and the changes have been most obvious in the western and arctic regions.
Warming has been so pronounced in the Arctic that the layer of snow and the spread of sea ice have considerably diminished, the permafrost has been degraded, and the glaciers and ice caps have receded.
In the southern part of the country, winter snow melts earlier and glaciers disappear. The water levels of the Great Lakes have decreased and sea levels have increased. Plants tend to develop earlier, their distribution zones have extended and the vegetation period lasts longer.
In the same time, other factors specific to each species can also affect its The southern Quebec region is the most densely populated, so therefore the impacts will affect more people. The St. Lawrence eco-systems will be affected, heat waves will be more frequent and intense, new infectious disease vectors will appear and the air quality will change. There will also be increased risks linked to water supply. The agriculture, transport and tourism industries will be affected. zone of geographic distribution and certain animal species are moving northwards.
If Canada gets too warm, there will be major consequences on the quantity and quality of available water; thereby the population could have problems for the irrigation of crops, the raising of livestock, and also simply for access to potable water in certain rural regions.
Quebec
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Quebec has experienced episodes of warming alternating with light periods of cooling.
Quebec's climate became warmer from the beginning of the century until the 1940s. A period of cooling followed until the mid 1970s.
From then on, the climate has been getting gradually and more noticeably warmer.
Over the whole period, Quebec's temperatures have increased by 0.6°c. Quebec became warmer because of the increase of daily maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the province.
Quebec is divided into 4 zones, which are each affected differently by climate change
- The Arctic region is probably the zone most affected by climate change, namely with the melting of permafrost. The melting of permafrost directly endangers buildings that cannot resist the thaw. Part of the population will have to relocate to less dangerous areas. Finally, ecosystems and traditional practices (such as fishing and hunting) will be modified.
- The Centre-du-Quebec region (or resource region): its large reservoirs and forestry operations are threatened by climate change. For the forest industry, the effects will be both positive (faster tree growth and productivity) and negative (increase of harmful insects, violent winds, drought, fires, diseases or other extreme climatic events).
- The maritime region is already experiencing coastal erosion problems due to the higher sea levels, the reduction of the ice period and the amplification of storms. The population, living mostly on the coasts, will be directly threatened, along with transportation infrastructures and also the region's economy, largely based on tourism.
- The southern Quebec region is the most densely populated, so therefore the impacts will affect more people. The St. Lawrence eco-systems will be affected, heat waves will be more frequent and intense, new infectious disease vectors will appear and the air quality will change. There will also be increased risks linked to water supply. The agriculture, transport and tourism industries will be affected.