The Human Cost of Climate Change: Global South Perspective

It is beyond doubt that the issue of climate change is far beyond the mitigation phase, and adapting to a changing climate is indeed a defining issue of our time.

From shifting weather patterns that threaten food security to the risk of catastrophic floods, rising sea levels and temperatures are both global in scope and unprecedented in scale, and without swift action now, adapting to their impacts in the future will be so difficult and costly.

The Global South is a term often used to describe a group of countries typically located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with average to lower living standards than countries in the Global North. They are politically and socioeconomically distinct from the Global North, which comprises countries in Europe and Northern America.

The global south region is characterized by the C4 photosynthetic pathway, characterized by tropical and warm-temperate regions. This region also contributes almost half of the worldwide forest cover, making it a crucial global pith for carbon sequestration.

The intersection between agriculture and climate change is an issue of significant concern in the global South, as Agriculture is an important economic activity in this region. Agriculture is a contributor and also a victim of climate change. The agriculture sector is vulnerable to weather and climate hazards and significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and land use changes that propel climate change (Ruane & Rosenzweig, 2022). Historically, deforestation is motivated in large part by the demand for more land for crop production and grazing pastures for animals, and agricultural systems do not emit greenhouse gases; source on account of the interchanges with nitrogen and carbon stocks in soils and manure as well as methane from paddy rice and livestock enteric fermentation. The agricultural sector contributes about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions (Ruane & Rosenzweig, 2022). These greenhouse gases cause global warming, resulting in climate changes that affect food security for vulnerable regions such as developing countries as they fail to cope with climatic changes due to a lack of economic capacity. Agricultural practices also result in soil depletion and degradation, contributing to climate change.

Despite the Global South’s minimal contribution to greenhouse emissions, communities face the harsh reality of escalating climate impacts, and the consequences of this changing climate are impacting lives and livelihoods, making them bear the brunt of climate change’s devastating effects. Developed nations historically responsible for most emissions must take the lead in providing financial and technical support to developing nations in adaptation efforts. Sustainable agricultural practices must be prioritized to promote climate-resilient farming and reduce the Agricultural sector’s contribution to climate change. Dealing with this matter calls for collective effort that will be arrived at through global solidarity and commitment to climate action.