Human-Induced Global Warming Takes Center Stage
A recent study has identified human-induced global warming, rather than El Niño, as the primary catalyst behind the severe drought that afflicted the Amazon last year. The drought, characterized by record-low river levels and widespread ecological impacts, saw the collaboration of climate change and El Niño, both contributing equally to reduced rainfall. However, the research, conducted by World Weather Attribution, emphasized that elevated global temperatures played a more significant role in intensifying the drought.
Agricultural Impacts of the Drought
The agricultural implications of the drought were profound, combining diminished rainfall with heightened temperatures that led to increased evaporation of moisture from plants and soil. The severity of the drought was largely attributed to this heat-driven evaporation. Study co-author Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, highlighted that the current one-in-50-year event would have been less likely in a world 1.2 degrees cooler. Continued climate warming, Otto warned, could make the combination of low rainfall and high temperatures even more frequent.
Methodology and Climate Change Connection
The research employed a widely accepted method involving computer simulations of weather events, comparing outcomes in a hypothetical world without global warming to the actual occurrences. The Amazon, as the world’s largest rainforest crucial for storing carbon dioxide, experienced the drought amid the hottest recorded year. The findings underscore the urgency of addressing climate change, bringing the Earth dangerously close to the 1.5 degrees Celsius increase from pre-industrial times, a threshold nations aimed to avoid for mitigating severe climate consequences.
Ecological Impact and Human Consequences
The drought in the Amazon had far-reaching ecological consequences. Water temperatures in Brazil’s Tefé Lake reached alarming levels, likely causing the deaths of over 150 pink and tucuxi river dolphins. Along the Amazon River, crops withered, fish vanished, and residents faced challenging conditions with low rivers hindering travel. The study highlighted the significance of the Amazon in the fight against climate change, emphasizing the forest’s role as a critical land-based carbon sink.
Amazon’s Crucial Role in Climate Change Battle
Study co-author Regina Rodrigues, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, emphasized the importance of protecting the Amazon. She stated that preserving the forest’s integrity would ensure its continued role as the world’s largest land-based carbon sink. However, allowing human-induced emissions and deforestation to push it past a tipping point could release substantial amounts of carbon dioxide, complicating global efforts against climate change. While the study supports the scientific consensus on escalating climate variations in the region, some experts caution about the complexity of interactions among oceans, the atmosphere, and the forest.
SOURCE: Ref Image from en Peru
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