It is widely recognised that the earth is getting warmer and it will continue to do so in the future, creating a wide range of impacts that include sea-level rise, extreme weather conditions, seasonal changes, droughts, and heat waves. The key question that is often posed is: how fast and how severe the impacts will be and whether we can adopt policies for mitigating and adapting to these impacts?
Despite minor controversies, climate change is the greatest long-term challenge facing human development. Climate change is one of the most pressing world issues affecting all mankind and natural environment in today’s world. It is not just our biggest environmental, economic and social challenge; it is also a cultural challenge, that raises ethical questions. Much of the discussion around climate change is about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but preparing for the effects of climate change is just as critical.
For all countries, especially for the most vulnerable ones, climate change is a major challenge which needs to be addressed at every level and in all sectors of society. Accordingly, all kind of specialists in sectors such as education (formal and non-formal), engineering, economics/business, health, agro-forestry, law and politics, need to be ready to tackle the climate change challenges. This will necessitate to be equipped with climate change and sustainability policy knowledge, skills and attributes to minimise threats and maximise opportunities for climate change adaptation. With recent projections suggesting that climate impacts could be even more severe than previously predicted, it is urgent for policy makers, planners and managers in the public and private sectors to understand and assess potential climate impacts in decision making.