GPY 203:Relevance of

Climatology
Presented By
Prof. T. O. Odekunle,
Department of Geography,
Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile-Ife.
Introduction

• The question is, ‘why are we studying climatology?’

• Climatology, like any other earth science, plays vital roles of
paramount significance to humanity.
• In the first instance, it attempts to answer innate questions about the
environment of man. In the past, this role of climatology made it
worthwhile.
• In recent years, however, the study has obtained a new dimension
which attracted its attention and to which governments of many
countries have reacted.
Relevance of Climatology
• The climate of the earth and its variability may contribute to the
future direction of a society. This is so in the sense that:
 it controls the very necessities of life such as water, air, food
fibre, energy, transportation health, and so on;
 in an era where the population is increasing exponentially
and consequently, a decrease in the size of arable land, the
socio-economic behaviour of a nation may be well
determined by how successful it is in understanding,
assessing and predicting climatic elements and their
variations (e.g. climate-smart agriculture);
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

• climate-related problems are global and recognise no national boundaries,

as they affect the health and well-being of all countries (developed,
developing or underdeveloped). However, the most critically affected are
the poorest and least developed countries. As a matter of fact, relatively
minor fluctuations in climate, typical of those that have occurred in the
past with little or no repercussions may now lead to crisis because of
ever-increasing demand brought about by the growing population and the
consequent pressure on the various earth resources. For instance, it was a
tragic event of this nature that was responsible for the spread of famine in
the part of south-east Asia and India in 1974 and in the Sahel region of
Africa over the past several years;
Relevance of Climatology Coint.
• the affluent countries are also adversely affected by the various tragic
events emanating from climatic variabilities. For instance, there have been
variations in both domestic and foreign crop yields of the affluent nations
as they are called upon to supply the foods necessary to sustain the
countries experiencing critical shortages associated with adverse climatic
characteristics. Exemplifying this tendency was the increased food prices
in the United States following the inadequate Soviet grain production in
1972 and the subsequent sale of wheat by the former to the latter.
Similarly, in 1976, a considerable proportion of potato crops were exported
by the United States to Western Europe when the latter was experiencing
some of the hottest and driest summers in modern history. Events of this
nature may become the rule rather than the exception; and
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

• the need to study climatology assumed a more

indispensable dimension in modern history, given the
trends in global warming and the changes in the
concentration of atmospheric ozone.
• Presently, there is accelerated global warming as a
result of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions,
mainly from anthropogenic or anthropic activities.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts
a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next
century. It was predicted that increases in global mean
temperature will range between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius above
1990 levels and will produce beneficial impacts in some regions
and harmful ones in others. Below are some of the regional
impacts of global change forecast by the IPCC:
• North America: Decreasing snowpack in the western mountains; 5-20
percent increase in yields of rain-fed agriculture in some regions;
increased frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in cities that
currently experience them.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

 Latin America: Gradual replacement of tropical forest by savannah in

eastern Amazonia; risk of significant biodiversity loss through
species extinction in many tropical areas; significant changes in
water availability for human consumption, agriculture and energy
generation.
 Europe: Increased risk of inland flash floods; more frequent coastal
flooding and increased erosion from storms and sea level rise; glacial
retreat in mountainous areas; reduced snow cover and winter tourism;
extensive species losses; reductions of crop productivity in southern
Europe.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

 Africa: By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are

projected to be exposed to increased water stress; yields from
rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 percent in some
regions by 2020; agricultural production, including access to
food, may be severely compromised.
 Asia: Freshwater availability is projected to decrease in Central,
South, East and Southeast Asia by the 2050s; coastal areas will
be at risk due to increased flooding; death rate from diseases
associated with floods and droughts is expected to rise in some
regions.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

The General Current and future consequences of Global

Warming effects can be summarised as follows:
 Many nations around the world will experience the effects of rising
sea levels, which could displace millions of people. At present, some
46m people live in areas at risk of flooding due to storm surges.
Scientists estimated that a 50cm rise in sea level would increase this
number to 92 million and a 1m rise would put 118 million in peril.
 Cold days, cold nights and frost become less frequent over land areas.
 Heat waves are more frequent over most land areas.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

 Contraction of snow cover areas, increased thaw in permafrost

regions and decrease in sea ice extent.
 Increased frequency of hot extremes, heat waves and heavy
precipitation.
 Increase in intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic.
 Precipitation increases in high latitudes.
 Precipitation decreases in subtropical land regions.
 Climate change and variability are likely to impose additional
pressures on water availability, accessibility and demand.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

 Warmer temperatures along with associated floods and

droughts can extend the geographical range and season for
some organisms, leading to increases in diseases like malaria,
dengue fever, diarrhoeal, yellow fever and many infectious
diseases.
 Widespread loss of biodiversity. The composition and range of
many ecosystems will shift as species respond to climate
change. Species loss and endangerment are rising along with
global temperatures.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

 The costs associated with climate change rise along with the
temperatures. Severe storms and floods combined with agricultural
losses cost billions of dollars in terms of damages, and money is also
needed to treat and control the spread of disease.
 Decreasing global agricultural productivity (especially, cereals) and
thus reduced food security. Climate change will be likely to reduce
the length of the growing season as well as force large regions of
marginal agriculture out of production
 Declining amounts of quality food, water and land may be leading to
an increase in global security threats, conflict and war.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.
• As for the atmospheric ozone, processes resulting in the reduction of its
concentration may affect life forms on Earth directly through related
changes in the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.
• Given the above, climatology has become a dynamic branch of science
with a broad range of functions and applications. New techniques are
being developed and investigations are being undertaken to study the
application of climate in many fields, including agriculture, forestry,
ecosystems, energy, industry, production and distribution of goods,
engineering design and construction, human well-being, transportation,
tourism, insurance, water resources and disaster management, fisheries,
and coastal development, to mention but few.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.
• To improve the ability of climatologists to inform and advise users and
to answer a myriad of questions about climate, there is a continuing
need for viable and useful research programmes on the climate system
and its broad influence, and on the applications of climate knowledge
for societal benefits.
• The crucial roles of climate data and climate predictions in
planning for disaster mitigation and sustainable development, and
in addressing all the consequences of climate change, are now
firmly established within various conventions and protocols, such
as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol and Montreal Protocol.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.
• Climatological services are designed for a variety of public,
commercial and industrial users. Assessments of the effects of
climate variability and climate change on human activities, as well as
the effects of human activities on climate, are major factors in local,
national and global economic development, social programmes, and
resource management.
• Current interest in the impact of economic development and other
human activities on climate and how climate variability and change
influence human societies, highlights the need for further research
into the physical and dynamical processes involved in the climate
system, as well as the need for their statistical description.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

• Understanding of natural climate variability, appreciation of

climate sensitivity to human activities, and insight into the
predictability of weather and climate for periods ranging from
days to decades is fundamental to improving our capability to
respond effectively to economic and societal problems.
• Improving the prediction of climate is now a substantial
global activity. Initially, predictions were based on empirical
and statistical techniques, but more and more now, they
derive from expanded numerical weather prediction
techniques.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

• Increasingly complex models that represent and couple together

the atmosphere, oceans, land interface, sea ice, and atmospheric
aerosols and gases are being developed.
• The models can be used to simulate climate change over several
decades and also to predict seasonal or inter-annual variations in
climate.
• The need for more accurate and timely information continues to
increase rapidly as the diversity of users’ requirements continues
to expand.
Relevance of Climatology Coint.

• In sum, we study climatology to explore its beneficiary

opportunities and forestall its negative consequences.
• Although the foregoing is clearly indicative that it will
take courage and ingenuity to mitigate and adapt to
climate-related problems, hope resides in me like a
citadel that the acumen of the current and coming
generations of climatologists and other scientists will
take adequate care of it.
THE END