Climate change, divorced from the political rhetoric, is a concrete phenomenon affecting multiple systems. The economic and social ramifications of climate change are ancillary to its measurable physical effects. However, the measurable physical effects vary depending on geographic factors. Climate change has a direct effect on water at all levels of the hydrological cycle. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2014), "we will continue to witness changes to the amount, timing, form, and intensity of precipitation and the flow of water in watersheds, as well as the quality of aquatic and marine environments," (p. 1). Because of the impact of climate change on water quality and availability, additional problems could arise with regards to protection of water resources and the prolonged need to treat water with chemicals. Because of health risks, social justice issues, the economy, and politics, water is one of the most important casualties of climate change.
Climate change affects what is known as the hydrologic cycle. The hydrologic cycle refers to the fact that water is continually being recycled, in a sense. Water evaporates from the ocean's surface around the world, and generally, evaporation occurs more rapidly in warmer temperatures. As water evaporates, it enters the earth's atmosphere as vapor and forms clouds, which move on wind currents and jet streams. Enough condensation leads to precipitation, a key element of the hydrological cycle. Precipitation is the method by which water is delivered back to earth in fresh water format. Much precipitation seeps into the ground, contributing to the underground water supplies known as water tables or ground water. The ground water gradually percolates and seeps into water sources like rivers, lakes, and streams, which return water to its ultimate oceanic source. It is...
Because the hydrological cycle is a global one, changes in one region of the planet may lead to water changes in a completely different part of the planet. For this reason, climate change is always a global concern.
Essentially, climate change refers to global rises in surface temperatures. This does not mean that temperatures rise evenly and uniformly across all parts of the planet, which is why the term "
global warming" is a misnomer. Rather, climate change shows that increases in overall
temperature can actually lead to more severe winters in certain climatic-geological zones. Temperature changes have an immediate effect on water at every stage of the hydrological cycle, and can contribute to the entire climate change cycle. Rises in atmospheric temperature will result in increases in precipitation, which could result in
flooding as well as droughts ("The Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources," n.d.).
In particular, "Areas that rely on snowmelt as their primary freshwater source could increasingly experience water shortages, like having low water supplies by summer's end," ("The Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources," n.d.). Rising temperatures that result in melting of snowcaps and glaciers also contribute to a slow but meaningful rise in sea levels. This means that coastal areas around the world may be prone to devastating flooding and erosion. The human and economic consequences of climate change cannot be underestimated. The problem is that these problems are slow to emerge, and the responses to climate change are political in nature due to the differing opinions on what can and should be done.
There is "robust evidence" that climate change is already causing irreversible reductions in snow and ice masses ("Linking Climate Change and Water Resources," n.d.). The impact is not only to be felt in coastal regions or in regional water supplies, but also in such areas as
tourism. Glacier retreat will, for instance,…
