Climate models warn of more extreme weather events as the world’s ocean surface temperature hits record high

Climate change is not a vague and distant threat anymore, it is happening now, and its consequences are becoming more severe and frequent with each passing day. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and natural disasters have become commonplace worldwide. According to the latest reports from around the world, climate change is wreaking havoc on the global weather system, and the news paints a bleak picture of what’s to come.

Examples of these are already all around us. The U.S. state of California has been relentlessly hit by severe weather conditions, including heavy rain, strong winds, and thick snow, over the past three months. The state was previously facing a drought, but these recent events have led to devastating floods, and blizzards that have paralyzed the region, and numerous deaths.

Recently released data indicates that the state has received the most significant snowpack on record. This has prompted discussions with atmospheric and climate scientists, who shed light on the factors driving the surge in wet weather and how the state could be affected by a warmer future.

Add to this scientists’ warning on devastating tornadoes that have ripped through parts of the eastern and southern US could be a sign of the damage that will become more common due to global heating. Over a period of two weeks, more than 50 people have lost their lives due to tornadoes and thunderstorms, with the latest storm system causing widespread destruction in states such as Alabama, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

And this is just the United States, many other countries are facing similar weather-related catastrophes like the dry European winter drying canals in Venice and the African coast being hit by the longest-lasting tropical cyclone. US government data has now indicated that the temperature of the world’s ocean surface has reached a record high since the beginning of satellite records, leading to marine heatwaves across the planet.

According to preliminary data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature at the ocean’s surface has been 21.1C since the start of April, surpassing the previous record of 21C set in 2016 (figure above). Climate scientists warn that this is a concerning trend and could have severe consequences for marine ecosystems and the planet as a whole.

The oceans’ temperature is a particular cause of concern, with recent reports indicating that the world’s ocean surface temperature is headed off the charts. The oceans absorb a significant amount of the heat that is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases. The rising ocean temperatures are not just a threat to marine life and habitats but also have serious implications for human health and food security.

And this is where it makes it scary, all these events are interconnected. Hotter oceans not only have a limited capacity to absorb atmospheric heat, but they also provide more energy for storms, as well as putting ice sheets at risk and pushing up global sea levels, caused by salt water expanding as it warms. Thus the gigantic atmospheric rivers that poured down over California and devastating tornadoes over the mid-western U.S.

And talking about ice sheets, Global warming is accelerating the melting of ice in Antarctica, and the increased amount of freshwater flooding into the ocean is disrupting the flow of the Antarctic overturning circulation. As a result, a major ocean circulation that forms around Antarctica could be headed for collapse, risking significant changes to the world’s weather, sea levels, and the health of marine ecosystems.

Why is this important? You see, the Antarctic overturning circulation is a vital component of a worldwide system of currents that transport heat, oxygen, and nutrients across the planet (figured below). In the vicinity of Antarctica, frigid, saline water descends to depths surpassing 4,000 meters. The descent of the dense, oxygenated water stimulates the deepest movement of the overturning circulation. The water flows north, carrying oxygen and nutrients to the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. A comparable process also takes place off the coast of Greenland.

However, indications suggest that the overturning circulation is decelerating, disrupted by the rising volume of meltwater originating from Antarctica, which is diluting the waters, making them less salty and, therefore, less dense, causing them to sink with reduced force. Additionally, the melting process is intensifying due to elevated levels of greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly from burning fossil fuels, that are heating up the atmosphere and oceans.

And now Climate scientists are also indicating an increased likelihood of an El Niño emerging later this year — a phenomenon characterized by Pacific Ocean warming that can heighten the chances of devastating weather events across the planet. Certain models are suggesting the potential emergence of an extreme, or “super El Niño,” later this year. This variety is distinguished by exceptionally high temperatures in a central area of the Pacific encircling the equator.

The previous super El Niño in 2016 was a contributing factor in driving global temperatures to unprecedented levels, exacerbated by human-induced global warming that triggered floods, droughts, and epidemics. In a recent report, the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia stated that all seven models it evaluated, including those from weather bureaus in the US, Japan, and the UK, indicate that ocean surface temperatures will surpass the El Niño threshold by August.

Needless to say, the latest news from around the world paints a grim picture and highlights the urgent need for action to mitigate the effects of climate change and transition to a more sustainable future. Governments, corporations, and individuals all have a role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adopting sustainable business practices, and reducing our environmental footprint. It is time for us to take action to secure the future of our planet.

 Faisal Khan / Medium

The Albanian government has declared the Vjosa River as the first wild river national park in Europe, following an almost decade-long campaign by environmental NGOs. The Vjosa River is one of the last free-flowing waterways in Europe and is home to over 1,000 animal and plant species, including the critically endangered Balkan lynx and the endangered Egyptian vulture. The river flows 168 miles from the Pindus mountains in Greece through narrow canyons, plains, and forests in Albania to the Adriatic coast.

The creation of the national park is the result of a collaboration between the Albanian government, international experts, NGOs from the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and outdoor gear company Patagonia. The 12,727 hectare (31,500 acre) park aims to ensure that the Vjosa River and its unique ecosystems are safeguarded. The park has been given IUCN category II park status, a high level of protection similar to that of a wilderness, covering “large-scale ecological processes”, species and ecosystems, crucial to ensuring dams and gravel extraction are banned. It is expected to be operational in 2024.

The creation of the national park has been described as a “truly historic moment” for nature as well as social and economic development by Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama. He announced the park at a ceremony at Tepelenë castle overlooking the river, attended by stakeholders and ministers. Rama emphasized that “protecting an area does not mean that you enshrine it in isolation from the economy”, citing that national parks attract 20% more tourists compared with non-protected areas. Albania hopes to regenerate villages in the Vjosa region through ecotourism. The country attracted 7.5 million visitors last year, more than twice its 2.8m population.

The park will encompass the 118 miles of the Vjosa River in Albania, three main tributaries, and some land, including areas at risk of flooding. Phase II will add other tributaries. Unlike the IUCN’s Wilderness Protected Areas, which limit the number of visitors, it will allow recreational tourism and some other activities such as local fishing, particularly for 60,000 residents in the catchment.

The Albanian government is also starting a joint process with the Greek authorities to create the Aoos-Vjosa transboundary park, aiming to protect the entire river across both countries, who agreed in January to sign a memorandum of understanding specifying the next actions.

Boris Erg, director of the European office at IUCN, commended the Albanian government for its leadership and ambition and invited other governments to show similar ambition to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. Europe has the most obstructed river landscape in the world, with barriers such as dams, weirs, and fords, estimated to number more than a million, according to a 2020 EU study in 28 countries. Fragmenting of rivers affects their ability to support life.

Ulrich Eichelmann, a conservationist and founder of Riverwatch and part of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign, praised the creation of the national park as a blueprint for wild rivers elsewhere. He stated that most people in central Europe have never seen a wild, living river, free from human interference, that isn’t diverted or dammed or built up with embankments and where biodiversity is low as a result. In contrast, the Vjosa River is full of complexity and without interference.

Karen McVeigh/The Guardian

The largest river and wetland restoration initiative in history was launched at UN Water Conference 

A coalition of six countries, namely Colombia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Mexico, and Zambia, have launched the Freshwater Challenge, the largest ever initiative to restore degraded rivers, lakes, and wetlands to tackle the world’s worsening water, climate, and natural crises.

The coalition aims to restore 300,000km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030, with freshwater ecosystems providing a wealth of benefits to people and nature, including mitigating and adapting to climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

A third of the world’s wetlands have been lost over the past 50 years, with rivers and lakes the most degraded ecosystems in the world, pushing fish populations, many of which are vital for community food security, to the brink.

The initiative calls on all governments to commit to clear targets in their updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, National Determined Contributions, and National Implementation Plan for the SDGs to urgently restore healthy freshwater ecosystems.

The Freshwater Challenge is a country-driven initiative with an inclusive, collaborative approach to implementation, where governments and their partners will co-create freshwater solutions with indigenous people, local communities, and other stakeholders.

A breeding pair of Eurasian beavers are set to return to west London's Paradise Fields, Ealing, marking the first time in 400 years that beavers will inhabit the area. The conservation groups behind the project received £40,000 from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to create a publicly accessible reintroduction site. This initiative, which is part of the urban rewilding project, aims to challenge perceptions and demonstrate how beavers can be managed in an urban setting while monitoring the flood mitigation effects. 

The project is viewed as an important step in rewilding efforts as wild beaver populations in Kent and Oxfordshire move closer to London. The wetland will provide an opportunity to study how beavers interact with an urban river catchment and with urban communities. The chair of the Ealing Wildlife Group, Dr Sean McCormack, hopes that the project will encourage people to remember how close they once lived alongside these ecosystem engineers.

The Rewild London Fund has supported 22 projects across the capital, including this beaver reintroduction initiative. Khan stated that he is committed to reversing the trends of declining biodiversity and the destruction of nature and that rewilding is an exciting way to create healthier ecosystems and allow humans and wildlife to live together more harmoniously.

Beavers have hunted to extinction in Britain 400 years ago for their fur, glands and meat. However, they have begun to reappear in the country through government-licensed beaver releases within enclosures, as well as illegal releases. In 2022, beavers were given legal protection in England, as they are now recognised as native wildlife. Environmentalists hope that the upcoming beaver strategy will pave the way for these animals to be released to roam wild.

The Guardian