As you surely already know, since fossil fuels took the energy initiative on our planet, greenhouse gas emissions have only increased. As a consequence, a global phenomenon has arisen that is threatening to devastate our planet and has become the first global threat to human beings. It's about climate change. This change in the global climate does not affect all countries in the same way. Therefore, in this post we are going to emphasize how climate change affects Spain.
Do you want to know what are the effects, causes and consequences of climate change in Spain? Keep reading because this post is loaded with interesting information 🙂
Origin of climate change in Spain
Greenhouse gases have the ability to retain heat in the middle layers of the atmosphere. This heat that is retained and, therefore, does not go out into outer space is making the average temperatures of the whole planet in 0,6 degrees. As a consequence of this, a process very feared by the scientific community and by humanity has begun that had such an impact on society that it fueled a very famous film such as the Day After Tomorrow. It is about the melting of the polar ice caps.
It is true that the disappearance of the ice at the north pole will not cause a rise in sea level, since the ice floats on water and already occupies a volume. Simply, that volume will be replaced by liquid water. However, the water contained in the polar caps of Antarctica and the mountain glaciers throughout the world have, until now, sea level has risen 10 to 12 centimeters.
In Spain, climate change threatens with an increased risk of fires, lack of drinking water, floods and droughts, loss of crops, etc. All of this is getting closer to its frequent appearance. Today we are already realizing the increase in temperatures and drought.
Rain levels have dropped by 15% in the hydrological year 2016-2017 and, in addition, it has been the sixth warmest year since temperatures are recorded.
Devastating effects of climate change
The possibility that the sea level reaches an increase in height of 3 meters is increasingly real. You just have to think about the retreat that glaciers are suffering every year. Rainfall in the form of snow is getting lower and higher and temperatures higher. If the scenario of sea level rise continues like this, by the year 2100 large areas of land across the planet could be lost. In Spain, a large part of Barcelona, Santander, Malaga and A Coruña would be totally flooded. Doñana National Park would not exist as such and the Ebro delta would disappear.
All this would have serious repercussions for Spanish society. Where would the people living in the flooded areas live? What about the coastal economy, the beaches, tourism, and all the homes? It would really be a catastrophe.
Not only the increase in sea level affects Spain and is worrying scientists. According to the data that the Ministry of the Environment has, in Spain we find 74% of the land in the process of desertification. It is also expected that 20% of the land that is healthy today, is in danger of desertification within 50%. This is a serious problem for crops given the reduction of arable area and the growing world population.
Extremadura, Castila La Mancha, Andalusia and practically the entire Levante area have a large proportion of soil that is susceptible to degradation. As expected, this impact will have serious consequences for agricultural activities and all ecosystems will be negatively affected.
Species vulnerability
By losing the number of hectares with fertile land as it is happening, we find an irreversible process that increases the vulnerability of species. We think that it only affects animal and plant species, but it also affects human beings. And it is that the desertification of an area not only has negative effects on soil fertility and agricultural activities.
The rural exodus to the big cities is increasing. Millions of people migrate to cities after the fall of traditional agriculture on impoverished soils. All this leads to the natural resources of the areas around the cities being overexploited by an excess of population. These resources are also hydric and causes a depletion of water and a rise in pollution levels.
All this means that the effects of climate change continue to increase more and more and the only thing we are doing is feeding it back and making it bigger and more dangerous.
As we have mentioned before, the high temperatures that cause acidification of the oceans and the change that marine currents experience with it, is causing changes in the distribution of species. This is understood as the process of tropicalization of species. It is a total affection to 60% of Spanish fishing and aquaculture.
Climate change, aquatic systems and invasive species
Climate change makes aquatic ecosystems not permanent, but seasonal. The biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands, lakes and mountain streams is not like before. In general, they have always had a constant activity over time with all the biodiversity in them. However, they now begin to fluctuate intermittently, depending on what season of the year they are in.
Increased temperatures and CO2 in the atmosphere they trigger various alterations in the winds of aquatic ecosystems. We remember that the winds have a great impact on fishing outcrops and causes an increase in the evaporation of water.
Finally, climate change favors the expansion of invasive species that increasingly displace and destroy native species.
Climate change is a serious problem worldwide and it must be stopped.