The Effects of Climate Change
Key Takeaways
Climate change is wreaking havoc across the globe. With rising global temperatures, extreme weather events are becoming more common and leading to loss of lives and an increase in poverty around the globe, especially in many developing Muslim countries.
Climate change is also impacting other species. Global biodiversity is under threat with the destruction of land and sea habitats.
We must act now if we are to help save the Ummah, and all life placed under our care as Stewards of the Earth, from the devastating effects of climate change.
Previously, we had discussed the causes of climate change and how our present way of life is contributing to environmental degradation, as well as being against the spirit of Islam. Here, we shall focus on the effects that our actions have brought upon the world.
Most Muslim countries are categorized as developing nations and thus have far lower levels of consumption and greenhouse gas emissions than developed ones. And yet they are among the most at risk of the effects of climate change.
Let us have a look at these effects and the devastation they have brought and will continue to bring throughout the Muslim Ummah and the world at large.
Increasing Natural Disasters
An ever-increasing number of devastating natural disasters continue to strike different parts of the world. Muslim countries are facing the brunt of these extreme weather events, with heat waves across the MENA region, droughts in Africa, and severe flooding in South Asia causing countless deaths and affecting the lives of millions of people.
Such extreme weather events and natural disasters are expected to increase in frequency in the coming years and will have a significantly higher impact on low-income countries, which more than half [1] of the world’s Muslim countries are classified as.
Rising Global Temperatures
One of the most well-known effects of climate change is global warming. Global temperatures are constantly on the rise; the previous decade (2011-2020) was the warmest ever recorded. A further surge is expected in the next five years, taking global temperatures to record heights.
These higher temperatures will lead to a rise in heat-related illnesses and fatalities, especially among vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, children, and the working-class populace who have to work outdoors.
Heat waves and wildfires are also expected to increase, as well as glacial melting leading to a rise in sea levels globally, threatening millions with flooding.
Loss of Biodiversity
Allah (SWT) has beautified this Earth with diverse fauna and flora.
Not only does the incredible biodiversity of the Earth enhance its aesthetic beauty, but all of these innumerable lifeforms are part of the balance (mizan) upon which Allah (SWT) has created this world.
However, our actions and way of life are destroying this beautiful balance and threatening life on Earth.
For example, through the expansion of agricultural land, deforestation destroys a wooded area the size of 27 football pitches each minute. If current trends continue, around one million animal and plant species face the risk of extinction.
The consequences for disturbing this mizan are such that humans themselves are at great risk due to the loss of these habitats. Coastal habitats, which help decrease the impact of extreme weather events, are disappearing due to climate change, leading to 100-300 million people being at risk of floods and hurricanes.
Health Risks and Increasing Poverty
Climate change has incredibly dangerous human consequences, in terms of health risks and increasing poverty around the world.
In East Africa, for example, around 40 million people are now facing food shortages and climate-induced hunger. It is estimated that globally, climate change will result in the deaths of about 250,000 people per year during 2030-2050, due to heat stress, malnutrition, and other diseases.
An especially worrying fact for the Ummah is that developing countries, which most Muslim countries are classified as are more at risk of facing the harsh effects of climate change compared to their developed counterparts. For example, climate change reduces economic growth in developing countries, and people in such countries are four times more likely to face displacement due to extreme weather events than those in developed ones.
A Duty to Do Better
Regardless of where our Muslim brothers and sisters may be, there is a duty upon us to care for them.
Each one of us must act now if we are to help save the Ummah, and all life placed under our care as Khulafah, from the devastating effects of climate change.
If you’d like to know how you can help play your part in reducing the effects of climate change through everyday acts, see our Green Living Guide. Or if you’d like to raise your voice and inspire others to join the cause, see our Advocacy Tool-kit today!
[1] Saatçioğlu, B., Sandikci, Ö., & Jafari, A. (2016). Poverty and socioeconomic injustice in Muslim geographies. In A. Jafari, & Ö. Sandikci (Eds.), Islam, Marketing and Consumption: Critical Perspectives on the Intersections. (Critical Marketing Series). London: Routledge.
