Climate change is among the most threatening global environmental issues affecting people in rural and urban areas, especially in developing countries. Climate change causes food scarcity by destroying crops, destroying transportation networks, and other essential infrastructure in urban areas. This paper examines the impact of climate change on livelihoods.
Effects on Livelihoods in Rural Areas
Climate change has enormous impacts on people living in rural areas because they are closer to natural resources, and they depend on local ecosystem services for them to survive (Kabir & Serrao-Neumann, 2020). People who are poor in rural areas in many nations rely on the income they obtain from agriculture. Apart from the farming communities, families that stay close to forests in developing nations are less adaptive to climate change(Anand, 2013). Therefore, in developing countries, many communities suffer from the impacts of disasters on their crops and damage to forest resources. Natural calamities such as floods do not just destroy crops and seed stores in various countries that depend on agriculture. Still, they also trigger the hiking of food prices in rural communities.
In remote parts within the rural areas, specific communities without access to the market, and transportation can have food crises when climate change affects their local production (Anand, 2013). In the Philippines, Kabir & Serrao-Neumann (2020) discovered a reduction in the consumption of food in remote rural parts of the country with reduced precipitation. However, people living near the highway were not affected by rainfall failure (Anand, 2013).
Effects on Livelihoods in Urban Areas
Extreme climatic conditions destroy roads and transport infrastructure, reduce food distribution, and hinder people from accessing markets to sell their produce.
In urban areas, change in climate affecting livelihoods is complex, and it is normally related to extreme weather events. Extreme events like floods can destroy water, houses and transport infrastructure and result in unemployment (Anand, 2013).
Studies have also shown that heat waves affect performance and the health of workers in manual jobs and badly affect their financial positions. Climate change damages roads connecting urban and rural areas, cause disruption in food distribution networks cut short food supply.
A study by Anand et al. (2013) investigated the impact of natural hazards the levels of poverty in Mexico. They concluded that droughts and floods cause an increase in poverty.
Recommendations
In order to reduce climate change, it is recommended that people should use wind power in place of fossil fuels. Since wind turbines are driven by wind, it has no much impact on the environment (Anand, 2013).
Another strategy is the use of green buildings. The use of light bulbs that require less energy and cooling and heating systems that are of higher efficiency helps to cut down CO2 emissions.
The third strategy is cutting down on methane leaks. Methane is emitted from petroleum systems and natural gas. To reduce methane leaks it is important to upgrade the equipment used in the transfer, storage and production of gas and oil (Kabir & Serrao-Neumann, 2020).
Conclusion
To conclude, climate change adversely affects the lives of people in both rural and urban areas by destroying farms and transport infrastructure that connects urban areas with rural areas and markets with farms. To deal with climate change people should use wind power, green buildings and reduce methane gas leaks.