advantages and disadvantages of global warming essay

Is There Any Upside to Global Warming?

Even Best-Case Scenario, the Cons Outweigh Any Possible Pros

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We've heard the dire warnings about global warming—even if we have yet to heed them—but could there possibly be any advantages to climate change?

The United Nations has been studying climate change and working to combat its effects since the first Earth Summit in 1992. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel, human activities, particularly through the emissions of greenhouse gases, have "unequivocally caused global warming," leading to widespread adverse impacts on food and water security, human health, and economies.

So if there are advantages, could the upsides possibly outweigh the downsides? Well, the short answer is no. Here's why.

Advantages of Global Warming?

The so-called advantages of climate are out there—if you're really looking—but do they compensate for the disruption and destruction wrought by the disadvantages? Again, the answer is no but for die-hard fans of the global warming trend, advantages might include the following suspect scenarios:

• The Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia, and other frozen regions of the earth might experience more plant growth and milder climates.
• The next ice age could possibly be prevented.
• The  Northwest Passage through the formerly icy Canadian Arctic Archipelago could arguably open up to transportation.
• Fewer deaths or injuries would occur due to arctic conditions.
• Longer growing seasons could mean increased agricultural production in some areas.
• Previously untapped oil and gas reserves might become available.

Disadvantages: Ocean Warming, Extreme Weather

For every minutely possible advantage to climate change, there is a much more profound and compelling disadvantage. Why? Since the oceans and weather are highly interconnected and the water cycle has an impact on weather patterns (think air saturation, precipitation levels, and the like), what affects the ocean affects weather. For instance:

• Changes in ocean circulation and the resulting warmer temperatures disrupt the world's normal weather patterns, bringing about more extreme weather and an increased frequency of severe and  catastrophic storms , such as hurricanes and typhoons. The increase in severe storms leads to a more frequent occurrence of such things as "100-year floods," decimation of habitats and property, not to mention, loss of life—human and otherwise.  
• Higher sea levels  lead to flooding of lowlands. Islands and coastlines are engulfed by water leading to death and disease due to flooding.
• The acidification of warming oceans leads to a loss of coral reefs. Coral reefs protect shorelines from heavy waves, storms, and floods and while they only cover about 0.1% of the ocean floor, reefs provide a habitat for 25% of the ocean's species. Demolished reefs lead to increased erosion, coastal property damage, and the extinction of species.
• Warming ocean waters means increased melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Smaller ice sheets form each subsequent winter, which has a devastating impact on the habitat of cold-climate animals and the Earth's reserves of freshwater. (According to the United States Geography Survey [USGS], 69% of the Earth's ice is locked in ice and glaciers.)
• Less sea ice, warmer water, and increased acidity are catastrophic for krill which forms the base of the ocean's food web and feeds whales, seals, fish, and penguins. The plight of polar bears due to the loss of Arctic ice is well documented, but at the other end of the globe, in 2017 as a result of local climate change, in a colony of 40,000 Antarctic Adélie penguins, only two chicks survived. In 2013, in the wake of a similar event, none survived. Emperor penguin colonies are also expected to decline due to the loss of sea ice and rising temperatures.

Disadvantages: Land Desertification

As weather patterns are disrupted and droughts intensify in duration and frequency, agricultural sectors are particularly hard hit. Crops and grasslands can't thrive due to lack of water. With crops unavailable, cattle, sheep, and other livestock don't get fed and die. Marginal lands are no longer useful. Farmers who find themselves unable to work the land lose their livelihoods. In addition: 

• Deserts become drier, leading to increased desertification and resulting in border conflicts in already water-scarce areas.
• Decreased agricultural production leads to food shortages.
• Starvation, malnutrition, and increased deaths result from food and crop shortages.

Disadvantages: Health, Social, and Economic Impact

In addition to climate change affecting weather patterns and food production, climate change can also hurt people's pocketbooks, the economy of an area on a larger scale, and health in general: 

• Insect-borne diseases increase. For example, if insects don't die off because an area no longer reaches the cold temperatures it once did, diseases those insects may carry—such as Lyme disease—can proliferate more easily.
• People from poorer, drier, hotter, or low-lying countries may attempt to emigrate to wealthier or higher-elevation locales seeking better (or at least non-deadly) conditions, causing tension among the existing population.
• As climates warm overall, people use more energy resources for cooling needs, which will lead to a rise in air pollution and deaths from increasingly hot weather conditions that cannot be mitigated.
• Allergy and asthma rates go up due to pollution exacerbated by the earlier and longer blooming of plants.
• Cultural or heritage sites are destroyed due to increased extremes and acid rain.

Disadvantages: Nature Out of Balance

The environment around us is affected by climate change in a multitude of ways. The parts of any ecosystem normally must maintain a delicate balance, but climate change is throwing nature out of whack—in some places more than others. Effects include: 

• Increase in the number of species of animals and plants heading toward extinction.
• Loss of animal and plant habitats causes animals to move into other territories, disrupting ecosystems that are already established.
• Because the behaviors of many plants, insects, and animals are dependent on temperature, a change in climate can cause an imbalance in the ecosystem itself. For example, say the availability of food for a particular insect no longer coincides with the time when the offspring of the natural predator for that insect is born. Uncontrolled by predation, the insect population booms, resulting in an overabundance of that pest. This, in turn, leads to increased stress on the foliage the insects eat, which ultimately results in a loss of food for larger animals in the food chain that also depend on those plants for sustenance.
• Pests such as viruses, fungi, or parasites that usually perish at a certain low temperature no longer die off, which may lead to an increase in disease among plants, animals, and humans.  
• Melting of permafrost leads to flooding and greatly increases the release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere which only serves to exacerbate climate change. In addition, ancient viruses long held in stasis by the permafrost are allowed to escape into the environment. 
• Rainfall increases in acidity.
• Earlier seasonal drying of forests leads to forest fires of increased frequency, size, and intensity. Loss of plants and trees on hillsides leaves them more vulnerable to erosion and landslides and may lead to an increased probability of property damage and loss of life.

IPCC. " AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023 ."

" Coral Reefs ." World Wildlife Fund.

" Where is Earth's Water? " USGS Water Science School. United States Geological Survey. 

Bittel, Jason. " The Complicated Story Behind 18,000 Dead Penguin Chicks ." onEarth Species Watch, 9 Nov 2017. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

Ropert-Coudert, Yan et al. " Two Recent Massive Breeding Failures in an Adélie Penguin Colony Call for the Creation of a Marine Protected Area in D'urville Sea/Mertz. " Frontiers in Marine Science , vol. 5, no. 264, 2018, doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00264

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10 Global Warming Pros and Cons

Comedian Dennis Miller once made the observation that global warming might not be that big of a deal. Many people feel like they’re a little cold anyway, so an extra degree or two might solve that problem.

That observation might draw a laugh, but the science behind global warming shows us that it is no laughing matter. More than 95% of scientists agree that the data being collected about our planet’s climate show that recent warming trends are being artificially influenced. If the warming trend continues, sea levels will continue to rise. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, since 1963, sea levels in Galveston, Texas have risen 12.5 inches since 1963.

Much of the information about global warming focuses on the negatives, but there are some potential positives to examine as well. One of them is that northerly climates would receive longer growing seasons. That would allow for better agriculture opportunities at high latitude regions.

Here are some additional global warming pros and cons to think about as well.

List of the Pros of Global Warming

1. Winter-related deaths will decrease globally. According to Antonio Gasparrini of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, cold weather is 20 times more deadly than hot weather. It’s not extreme high or extreme low temperatures that cause the most deaths. It is the climates that offer moderate cold that are the most dangerous. More than 74 million deaths were analyzed by Gasparrini and 5.4 million were related to cold, while only 311,000 were related to heat.

2. It would open more shipping routes. Global warming would create warmer water temperatures in the Northwest Passage. This would provide a shortcut for shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that wouldn’t require the use of the Panama Canal. That would allow for a faster of transport of goods between nations, giving consumers a greater variety of choice that may not be available to them currently.

3. It could increase the plankton biomass. Plankton is the foundational element in many marine food chains. With warmer temperatures, there is the potential of an increased plankton biomass in subtropical locations. In some areas, it could be one of the dominant influences for marine biodiversity, allowing for species to be healthier or offer endangered species a chance to recover.

List of the Cons of Global Warming

1. Global warming is the primary cause of current sea levels rising. Glaciers are shrinking. Ice sheets are melting. This water must go somewhere and it is filtering down into our oceans. At the same time, emissions are allowing heat-trapping gases to accumulate. Since the 1880s, human activities have helped to increase global temperatures by 1.4F. 52% of the rising water levels are attributed to melting land ice.

2. It decreases human access to needed water supplies. Even though global warming encourages ice to melt and sea levels to rise, humans have less access to freshwater supplies because of global warming. With less water access, there is the increased potential for ecosystem change. One of the most likely outcomes is to see new or expanded desert biomes appearing across the planet. There is also an increased frequency of fires expected with global warming.

3. Rice yields would decline. Warmer temperatures won’t just affect daytime climates. It will also create warmer temperatures at night. Because global warming would create a warmer minimum temperature during the night, this would affect rice yields from around the planet. This would impact the more than 1 billion people who use rice as their primary staple food. At the same time, grasslands and shrubs would encroach on fields, further reducing the yield potential for this essential crop.

4. Dangerous infectious diseases would spread with ease. Global warming would encourage a higher rate of production for mosquitoes. This deadly insect would be able to populate larger areas of the planet for longer periods of time as well. That means there would be a likely spread of Dengue fever and malaria around the world. Places like the United States, which rarely sees localized infections of these diseases, would begin to face the same problems that other nations already face because of the mosquito.

5. It would create more icebergs. Although global warming could improve the number of available shipping lanes, it would also create more obstacles that could negatively impact shipping. Because ice would be less compacted, there would be more floes and mobile icebergs that could move into common shipping lanes. At the same time, the ice melting in arctic and Antarctic regions would release more methane, which would further enhance the problems associated with global warming.

6. It would encourage ocean acidification. Oceans uptake more carbon dioxide when it is available. That may encourage more plankton blooms and moderate future global warming issues, but it also offers substantially negative impacts to many marine ecosystems. In some waters, plankton blooms would cease because the waters are too warm. It could threaten fish populations and disrupt the normal carbon cycle. Even sea urchins would see higher mortality levels.

7. It would damage current infrastructure. Rising sea levels would create billions of dollars in damage to the current public infrastructure. Because of this damage, there is an increased risk of human conflict over less access to resources. Those who would suffer the greatest economic damage would be the nations that are poor and located in low latitude areas. Hundreds of millions of people would find themselves being displaced.

No matter how one feels about global warming, the facts show us that it is happening. Whether it is a natural event or a man-made problem, we must pay close attention to these global warming pros and cons. It may not be too late to change the course of history.

Lisa Hupp/USFWS

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Are the Effects of Global Warming Really that Bad?

Short answer: Yes. Even a seemingly slight average temperature rise is enough to cause a dramatic transformation of our planet.

The Missouri River encroaches on homes in Sioux City, Iowa, during a 2011 flood

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Five and a half degrees Fahrenheit. It may not sound like much—perhaps the difference between wearing a sweater and not wearing one on an early-spring day. But for the world in which we live—which climate experts project will be at least 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by 2100 , relative to pre-industrial levels (1850–1900), should global emissions continue on their current path—this small rise will have grave consequences. These impacts are already becoming apparent for every ecosystem and living thing, including us.

Human influences are the number one cause of global warming , especially the carbon pollution we cause by burning fossil fuels and the pollution capture we prevent by destroying forests. The carbon dioxide, methane, soot, and other pollutants we release into the atmosphere act like a blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm. Evidence shows that the 2010s were hotter than any other decade on record —and every decade since the 1960s has averaged hotter than the previous one. This warming is altering the earth's climate system, including its land, atmosphere, oceans, and ice, in far-reaching ways.

More frequent and severe weather

Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters, including storms, heat waves, floods, and droughts. A warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and unleash more water, changing weather patterns in such a way that wet areas become wetter and dry areas drier.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2021, there were 20 weather and climate disaster events in the United States—including severe storms, floods, drought, and wildfires—that individually caused at least $1 billion in losses . “Disasters in 2021 had a staggering total price tag of $145 billion—and that’s an underestimate because it excludes health damages,” says Vijay Limaye , senior scientist at NRDC. “These climate and weather disasters endanger people across the country throughout the entire year. In fact, more than 4 in 10 Americans live in a county that was struck by climate-related disasters in 2021.”

The increasing number of droughts, intense storms, and floods we're seeing as our warming atmosphere holds—and then dumps—more moisture poses risks to public health and safety too. Prolonged dry spells mean more than just scorched lawns. Drought conditions jeopardize access to clean drinking water, fuel out-of-control wildfires, and result in dust storms, extreme heat events, and flash flooding in the States. Elsewhere around the world, lack of water is a leading cause of death and serious disease and is contributing to crop failure. At the opposite end of the spectrum, heavier rains cause streams, rivers, and lakes to overflow, which damages life and property, contaminates drinking water, creates hazardous-material spills, and promotes mold infestation and unhealthy air. A warmer, wetter world is also a boon for foodborne and waterborne illnesses and disease-carrying insects, such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.

Higher death rates

Today's scientists point to climate change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. It's a threat that impacts all of us—especially children, the elderly, low-income communities, and minorities—and in a variety of direct and indirect ways. As temperatures spike, so does the incidence of illness, emergency room visits, and death.

"There are more hot days in places where people aren't used to it," Limaye says. "They don't have air-conditioning or can't afford it. One or two days isn't a big deal. But four days straight where temperatures don't go down, even at night, leads to severe health consequences." In the United States, hundreds of heat-related deaths occur each year due to direct impacts and the indirect effects of heat-exacerbated, life-threatening illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Indeed, extreme heat kills more Americans each year, on average, than hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and lightning combined.

Dirtier air

Rising temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground-level ozone smog, which is created when pollution from cars, factories, and other sources react to sunlight and heat. Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, and the hotter things get, the more of it we have. Dirtier air is linked to higher hospital admission rates and higher death rates for asthmatics. It worsens the health of people suffering from cardiac or pulmonary disease. And warmer temperatures also significantly increase airborne pollen , which is bad news for those who suffer from hay fever and other allergies.

Higher wildlife extinction rates

As humans, we face a host of challenges, but we're certainly not the only ones catching heat. As land and sea undergo rapid changes, the animals that inhabit them are doomed to disappear if they don't adapt quickly enough. Some will make it, and some won't. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report , the risk of species extinction increases steeply with rises in global temperature —with invertebrates (specifically pollinators) and flowering plants being some of the most vulnerable. Moreover, a 2015 study showed that vertebrate species (animals with backbones, like fish, birds, mammals , amphibians, and reptiles) are also disappearing more than 100 times faster than the natural rate of extinction, due to human-driven climate change, pollution, and deforestation.

More acidic oceans

The earth's marine ecosystems are under pressure as a result of climate change. Oceans are becoming more acidic, due in large part to their absorption of some of our excess emissions. As this acidification accelerates, it poses a serious threat to underwater life, particularly creatures with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, including mollusks, crabs, and corals. This can have a huge impact on shellfisheries . In total, the U.S. shellfish industry could lose more than $400 million annually by 2100 due to impacts of ocean acidification.

Higher sea levels

The polar regions are particularly vulnerable to a warming atmosphere. Average temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere on earth, and the world's ice sheets are melting fast. This not only has grave consequences for the region's people, wildlife, and plants; its most serious impact may be on rising sea levels. By 2100, it's estimated our oceans will be 1.6 to 6.6 feet higher, threatening coastal systems and low-lying areas, encompassing entire island nations and the world’s largest cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, as well as Mumbai, India; Rio de Janeiro; and Sydney, Australia.

But this isn’t the end of the story

There’s no question: Unchecked climate change promises a frightening future, and it's too late to fully turn back the clock. We've already taken care of that by pumping a century's worth of pollution into the atmosphere. “Even if we stopped all carbon dioxide emissions tomorrow, we'd still see some dangerous effects,” Limaye says. That, of course, is the bad news.

But there's also good news. By aggressively reducing our global emissions now, “we can avoid a lot of the severe consequences that climate change would otherwise bring,” says Limaye. While change must happen at the highest levels of government and business, your voice matters too: to your friends, to your families, and to your community leaders. Together, we can envision a safer, healthier, more equitable future—and build toward it. You can join with millions of people around the world fighting climate change and even work to reduce fossil fuels in your own life .

This story was originally published on March 15, 2016, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Global warming.

The causes, effects, and complexities of global warming are important to understand so that we can fight for the health of our planet.

Earth Science, Climatology

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Ash spews from a coal-fueled power plant in New Johnsonville, Tennessee, United States.

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Global warming is the long-term warming of the planet’s overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels . As the human population has increased, so has the volume of fossil fuels burned. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas, and burning them causes what is known as the “greenhouse effect” in Earth’s atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect is when the sun’s rays penetrate the atmosphere, but when that heat is reflected off the surface cannot escape back into space. Gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels prevent the heat from leaving the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide , chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor , methane , and nitrous oxide . The excess heat in the atmosphere has caused the average global temperature to rise overtime, otherwise known as global warming.

Global warming has presented another issue called climate change. Sometimes these phrases are used interchangeably, however, they are different. Climate change refers to changes in weather patterns and growing seasons around the world. It also refers to sea level rise caused by the expansion of warmer seas and melting ice sheets and glaciers . Global warming causes climate change, which poses a serious threat to life on Earth in the forms of widespread flooding and extreme weather. Scientists continue to study global warming and its impact on Earth.

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Are there positive benefits from global warming?

Yes, there will probably be some short-term and long-term benefits from global warming. For example, the flip side of increased mortality from heat waves may be decreased mortality from cold waves.

In the short term, farmers in some regions may benefit from the earlier onset of spring and from a longer warm season that is suitable for growing crops. Also, studies show that, up to a certain point, crops and other plants grow better in the presence of higher carbon dioxide levels and seem to be more drought-tolerant.  [ 1 ]  But this benefit is a two-edged sword: weeds, many invasive plant species, and insect pests will also thrive in a warmer world. Water availability will be impacted in drier agricultural areas that need irrigation. At some point, the benefits to crops of increased carbon dioxide will likely be overwhelmed by the negative impacts of heat stress and drought.

In July 2017, Finnish icebreaker, MSV Nordica , photographed here in 2011, set a new record for the earliest transit through the Northwest Passage. Photo CC license by JV Virta .

In the long term, shipping commerce will benefit from the opening of the Northwest Passage for longer periods of the year due to the loss of Arctic sea ice. However, in the long run, if a "business as usual" approach to emitting heat-trapping gases is maintained at the present rate, or faster, then the negative costs and impacts of global warming are very likely to far outweigh the benefits over the course of this century, with increased potential for catastrophic impacts from more extreme events.  [ 17 ]  In part, this is because any substantial change, whether warmer or colder, would challenge the societal infrastructure that has developed under the current climate.

IPCC (2012): Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation . A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, 582 pp.

USGCRP (2017). Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume 1 [Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp, doi:  10.7930/J0J964J6 .

Hoegh-Guldberg, O., D. Jacob, M. Taylor, M. Bindi, S. Brown, I. Camilloni, A. Diedhiou, R. Djalante, K.L. Ebi, F. Engelbrecht, J.Guiot, Y. Hijioka, S. Mehrotra, A. Payne, S.I. Seneviratne, A. Thomas, R. Warren, and G. Zhou. (2018). Impacts of 1.5°C Global Warming on Natural and Human Systems. In: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W.

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What is global warming and its effects?

Global warming is the long-term heating of the earth's surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities. The main cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal. When burnt, these fuels release carbon dioxide into the air, which traps greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere causing it to heat up. 

What are the effects of global warming?

Global warming results in climate change such as droughts, sea level rise, prolonged heatwaves, mass forest fires, and the disruption of weather patterns. These effects are not felt equally, with certain regions and people suffering more than others. Global warming is the greatest environmental challenge we as a species have faced, and without action the consequences of it will ultimately affect every person on earth. 

Environmental effects of global warming

Extreme heat and droughts  

Due to global warming, the earth’s temperature is rising. Recent years have seen an increase in unseasonal and prolonged heatwaves, with 2023 confirmed the hottest year ever recorded globally . Extreme heat not only has detrimental health effects on the population, it also contributes to droughts and wildfires.  

Ice melting and sea level rise  

Global warming leads to glacial melting, not only in the artic region but also in mountain ranges such as the Himalayas. Melting artic glaciers results in sea level rise globally, flooding coastal areas and eroding the land. In Himalayan countries such as Afghanistan , the melting of mountain ice can lead to increased flooding, risk of landslides, and lower agricultural yields. 

Disruption of weather patterns   

Warmer temperatures also influence weather patterns, such as rainfall. With additional moisture in the atmosphere, rains can be heavier and less predictable, resulting in flooding . In extreme situations, warm ocean temperatures can also lead to stronger and more deadly

Economic effects of global warming

Increasing inequality   

Global warming exacerbates existing inequalities, both within individual countries and on a global scale. Those who are most vulnerable to climate change have the least resources to recover from extreme weather conditions. Families who are already living in poverty do not have the ability to rebuild a home if it’s damaged in a flood or purchase new livestock if their herd dies during a drought.  

Damage to GDP   

The effects of global warming on day-to-day life also have an impact on a country’s economy. In Kenya, the GDP (which measures the value of goods and services produced in a country) could drop by 7.25% in less than thirty years if climate change continues at its current level. Droughts, heatwaves, and floods have a severe impact on agriculture and tourism, two of the leading economic sectors in the country. Kenya is just one example of how a nation’s economy could be hurt by climate change. 

Spending on rebuilding  

After an extreme weather event caused by global warming, nations must spend money on repairing and rebuilding destroyed areas and infrastructure. One study estimates that the damage created by extreme weather costs 13 million pounds an hour. As these events become stronger and more frequent, governments will struggle to fund the necessary restorations and more communities may be forced to go without shelter, electricity, and/or running water. 

Effects of global warming on the world's poorest communities

Loss of livelihoods  

The effects of global warming can destroy livelihoods for many families. Unpredictable weather patterns can disrupt the growing and harvest seasons as farmers struggle to keep crops and livestock alive through heatwaves and drought. Flooding can wipe out herds that families rely upon for food and trade, and destroy property such as bicycles or vehicles that they use to travel to work or make deliveries.  

Increasing hunger  

With loss of livelihoods, more people struggle to afford daily essentials and hunger becomes more widespread. Even for those who can normally afford to buy food, the scarcity cause by extreme weather events means that fresh goods are harder to come by and the price of what’s available skyrockets. Some families can end up spending 75% of their income on food alone. 

Destruction of homes and displacement  

In addition to destroying livelihoods, extreme weather events can also lead to mass destruction of homes. Wildfires, floods, and storms often push people out of the areas they’ve inhabited for decades, displacing entire communities. The UNHCR estimates that 21.5 million people are displaced annually, leading to a growing number of “climate change refugees” – people who no longer have a safe place to live due to global warming. 

Effects of global warming on children

Malnutrition   

As hunger increases due to global warming, more children are at risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is life-threatening, and has long-term effects on children. This includes stunted physical and mental development, along with a weaker immune system, leaving them vulnerable to other illnesses in the future.  

Missing school   

Global warming can have an impact on a child’s education in several different ways. If a family loses their livelihood, they may no longer be able to afford their child’s tuition fee. Children who are hungry may not have the energy or concentration to travel to school and spend a day learning. Additionally, the destruction of property and subsequent displacement mean children may be out of school for months at a time, as schools need to be rebuilt or families relocate to temporary camps. 

Poor health   

Along with malnutrition, global warming also places children at risk of other health problems. Heatwaves, smog, and smoke from wildfires can make it difficult for children to breathe, while storms and flooding can pollute clean water supplies, resulting in the spread of illness.  

What is Concern doing in response to global warming

Climate-smart agriculture  

Concern is helping communities learn new skills to adapt to the effects of global warming and continue farming. This includes climate-smart agriculture. For example, in Bangladesh Asma is using climate smart techniques such as the harvesting system and raised seedbeds . With this training, Asma has been able to earn her own income and send her children to school.     

Watershed management  

Watershed management helps control the pollution of the water and other natural resources. In Afghanistan, where melting glacial ice places communities at risk of flooding and erosion, Concern supports watershed management projects such as measuring erosion statistics and implementing soil and water conservation to replenish the water table.  

Rebuilding livelihoods  

Mitigation techniques are valuable, but vulnerable communities need greater support to recover from the effects of global warming. Following extreme flooding in Pakistan, many families lost livestock, their main source of income. Concern supported a livestock market so that families could once again have goats, enabling them to sell milk and, in future, the goats’ offspring.   

How can you help people living with the effects of global warming

As you can see, communities from Kenya to Bangladesh are already putting their own solutions in place to protect their farms, water sources and livelihoods, just as they have for generations. By raising money and campaigning we can give them the support they need to succeed.  

We use expert techniques to work with communities to build resilience, improve farming and access to food. For 50 years Concern has long fought against extreme poverty and we know firsthand that climate change is now part of that fight. 

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global warming summary

Learn about the causes and effects of global warming.

global warming , Increase in the global average surface temperature resulting from enhancement of the greenhouse effect, primarily by air pollution . In 2007 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecast that by 2100 global average surface temperatures would increase 3.2–7.2 °F (1.8–4.0 °C), depending on a range of scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions, and stated that it was now 90 percent certain that most of the warming observed over the previous half century could be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities (i.e., industrial processes and transportation). Many scientists predict that such an increase in temperature would cause polar ice caps and mountain glaciers to melt rapidly, significantly raising the levels of coastal waters, and would produce new patterns and extremes of drought and rainfall, seriously disrupting food production in certain regions. Other scientists maintain that such predictions are overstated. The 1992 Earth Summit and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change attempted to address the issue of global warming, but in both cases the efforts were hindered by conflicting national economic agendas and disputes between developed and developing nations over the cost and consequences of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.