Overview of Climate Change and its impacts in Iran

Abstract

Climate change negatively affects the environment and human life in many respects. The evidence for climate change is strong and convincing enough. Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, severe changes in annual precipitation patterns, and detectable increases in global warming are the main indications. Research findings reveal that since the middle of the 20th century, human effects have been the main cause of changes. The disproportionate use of fossil fuels has resulted in a rapid increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If the greenhouse gases are not reduced, the increases in the average temperature of the world can reach 6.4 °C by 2100, and the related disaster hazards will gradually increase. Iran is among the countries that experience the effects of climate change on the environment and society with significant increases. While less than 100 disasters were reported annually between 1900-1980, the number of disasters reached 300-400 annually between 2000-2019. Studies show that climate change is the main reason for an effective increase in floods, storms, droughts, subsidences, and forest fires in Iran. With approximately 687 million tons of CO2 production, Iran is the first country responsible for climate change in the Middle East and the sixth country in the world. If precautions are not taken, climate-related hazards and disasters will be more severely affected in the next ten years.