Climate change in the Greater Mekong
Hanoi Bay of Vietnam in 2050 (cartoon)
© WWF/ Thomas Redregoo
© WWF/ Thomas Redregoo
Some of the short-term effects from global warming include:
- the spread of disease
- the early arrival of Spring
- changes in the population of plants and animals and shifts in the range of their habitat
- the bleaching of coral reefs
- downpours and flooding
- droughts and fires
Some of the long-term effects from global warming include:
- heat waves and periods of unusually warm weather
- ocean warming
- a rise in sea levels
- coastal flooding
Sankampaeng solar powered electricity-generating station. Chiang Mai Thailand.
© WWF-Canon / Adam OSWELL
© WWF-Canon / Adam OSWELL
Although developing countries are not the main polluter and the ones causing climate change, the energy issue could lead to poverty eradication and a better quality of life.
This could be done through the switch from coal to cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, biomass, and small hydro. These resources are plenty in the region, but have yet to be explored.
By using these natural renewable resources to generate energy, it could help reduce the impacts of climate change, and at the same time help increase income to communities and enhance the quality of lives of the people.
Responding to a warming world
Even with the best case scenario, that all countries in the Mekong region are using cleaner and sustainable sources of energy, people will still have to live in a warming world.
Therefore addressing and identifying impacts of climate change, especially those that are closely related to the way people are living, will help in understanding the issue and lead to adaptation to impacts of climate change.
Alternative energy solutions could also help protect the Mekong River >>
What can we do now?
If we wait 10 years, 20 years or even longer to do something about climate change and global warming, the problem will be much greater and more difficult to address-and the consequences of our inaction will be much worse.Reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases
The governments of Lao PDR, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam can:
- encourage the use of renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar power) rather then continuing with coal fired power plants
- eliminate subsidies that encourage the use of coal and oil by making them artificially cheap
- protect and restore forests, which serve as important storehouses of carbon.
The people of the Greater mekong can:
- use more efficient sources of electricity
- drive more fuel efficient and less polluting motorbikes and cars use energy efficient appliances
- promote and implement more sustainable farming practices to preserve and maintain valuable forest reserves.
The businesses of Lao PDR, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam can increase efficiency and save money by doing the same things as above but on a larger scale. And utilities can avoid building expensive new power plants by encouraging and helping customers to adopt efficiency measures.
There are solutions to global warming available to us today, and it is time we put them to use. These solutions will reduce the amount of heat trapping gases that we emit into the atmosphere.
