The Challenge of Natural HazardsTopic Summary
Topic Summary: Climate Change
Part of Climate Change and Hazard Response — GCSE Geography
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: Climate Change within Climate Change and Hazard Response for GCSE Geography. Revise Climate Change and Hazard Response in The Challenge of Natural Hazards for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 14 of 14 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 14 of 14
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
Topic Summary: Climate Change
Key Terms
- Enhanced greenhouse effect — human GHG emissions trap more heat
- Mitigation — reducing causes of climate change
- Adaptation — coping with effects of climate change
- Carbon sink — system that absorbs more CO₂ than it releases
- Positive feedback — warming amplifies further warming
- Milankovitch cycles — natural orbital changes over 20,000–100,000 years
- Phenology — study of seasonal biological events as climate indicators
Must-Know Statistics
- CO₂: 421 ppm (2023) — highest in 3 million years; pre-industrial: 280 ppm
- Temperature: 2023 was 1.45°C above pre-industrial baseline; hottest year on record
- Sea level rise: 21–24 cm since 1880; currently rising 3.7 mm/year
- Rhône Glacier: lost 1.4 km in 20 years
- Methane: 28× more potent GHG than CO₂; nitrous oxide: 265×
- Fossil fuel emissions: 38 billion tonnes CO₂/year (2022)
- World Bank climate migration projection: 216 million by 2050
Named Examples
- Paris Agreement (2015): 196 countries; 1.5°C target; NDCs every 5 years
- Germany Energiewende: 59% renewable electricity by 2023
- Norway EVs: 80% of new cars electric in 2023
- Sleipner CCS (Norway): 1M tonnes CO₂/year stored since 1996
- Maldives: $500M sea wall; Hulhumalé island at 2m elevation
- Bangladesh: Floating gardens; BINA Dhan 11 (14 days submerged; 2M farmers)
- Netherlands: Room for the River €2.3bn; 100+ amphibious homes in Amsterdam
Exam Must-Know Points
- Natural causes exist but CANNOT explain modern warming (too slow; wrong direction)
- Mitigation = reduce causes; adaptation = cope with effects — never confuse these
- Always give statistics — "sea levels are rising" scores nothing; specific figures score marks
- Link physical effects to human consequences (sea level → displacement; drought → food insecurity)
- HIC vs LIC adaptation: Netherlands (€2.3bn engineered) vs Bangladesh (low-cost traditional) — both valid but wealth determines scale
- Climate justice: LICs most vulnerable, contributed least to emissions
- Level 3 = named example + specific evidence + supported judgement