Emma Klingensmith

MUN position paper #1- impacts of climate change

Recently in South Africa and around the world, climates have been changing,
causing rapid shifts in economies and lives. In some places, these changes are
positive but sadly in other places lots of them become fatal to the countries
development and population. Those countries still underdeveloped (like South
Africa) often struggle to keep jobs and health stable.
There are many factors that can completely change a countries population,
lifestyle, economy, and income. Most of them arent thought about by most people
and seem minor until the devastating effects set in. Temperatures are rising in
South Africa, causing more ground-level ozone gasses, droughts, malaria, lung and
heart dieses, and other epidemics. The droughts make the agriculturally sustained
economy crash so there isnt money for treatments, sanitizing water, or creating
jobs.
Malaria related death is projected to rise due to the sporadic, yet violent rain.
The dry season is becoming longer and the rare precipitation South Africa receives
is usually as a flood. The effects of the flood last and a burst of mosquitoes and
bacteria take their course on the civilizations around it, taking lives of families
riddled with poverty and no way to treat the potentially fatal illnesses. People
commonly get water from these area because there isnt another option in a water
stressed developing country. They take in tons of bacteria without even knowing it
then fall ill with no way to get a cure. These countries are in a cycle and theres no
easy way to break it.
South Africas dependence on coal is sustainable in no way due to the fact
that emissions of carbon and various fossil flues are becoming dangerous to the
health of those in the country. The government has taken steps to reduce this issue
but cannot succeed in this alone. They are signed on to the Paris Treaty, use all
resources regarding the white papers as possible, and partner with the
Environmental Justice Network.
There isnt a way the United Nations could solve this many countries
individual issues with one simple solution, especially if those countries arent

working to end this amount of pollution or adapt individually. A world-wide

movement is called for but distribution of resources is so unevenly spread, the world
would have to completely shift and many countries would not be willing. The
wealthier countries would have to give up a large amount of the development and
take steps back to help other countries but world peace isnt an option due to what
everyone wants. At this point awareness is powerful within countries. Once they
realize the climate changes, they see how to adapt but the road to get there is fatal.
Underdeveloped countries, like South Africa, could greatly benefit but it would cost.
Working within its self, countries can change their own environment and adapt to a
changing climate but time and awareness change everything. Those two things
coud change the course of a country completely.