Climate Change And Greenhouse Effect In Costa Rica

Climate change and greenhouse effect in Costa Rica

To understand the concept of climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CMNUCC) defines it in the first article as follows “change of climate directly or indirectly attributed to human activity that alters the composition of the atmosphere World and that adds to the natural variability of the climate observed for periods of comparable time ”(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, N.d., p.3).

According to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), it defines climate change as an alteration in the identifiable climate state from a change in the average value or in the variability of its properties, which persists for a prolonged period, usually encrypted in longer temporary blockages or blockages. (IPCC, 2014). Global warming is one of the causes caused by climate change, since it is attributed to an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere, by the use of fossil fuels from the industrial revolution.

The greenhouse effect is a mechanism through which the atmosphere of the earth is heated, in normal conditions when the sunlight reaches the earth’s surface, it can be reflected back towards space or absorbed by the Earth. Although the atmosphere lets it pass, a third of this energy is reflected by the clouds back to space without heating anything and the rest of the energy reaches the surface, which absorbs it and warms, subsequently, it is sent back to the return to the heat -shaped space.

The GHGs catch part of this infrared radiation, which avoids heat loss towards space and returns to the surface giving the greenhouse effect (Molina, Belausteguigoitia, Velasco, Becerra, Ortega, Vázquez … Skwierinski, P.28).

According to the World Meteorological Organization (OMM), the levels of greenhouse gases that catch heat in the atmosphere have reached an unprecedented new maximum, showing that carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and Nitrous oxide (N2O), were 405.5 ± 0.1 ppm for CO2, 1859 ± 2 ppb for CH4 and 329.9 ± 0.1 ppb for N2O, which represents, respectively, 146 % , 257 % and 122 % of pre -industrial levels (before 1750).

In the third national statement of the Framework Convention of the Nations Units on Climate Change, for the year 2010, the Inventory of Greenhouse Gases covers all sources and sinks, as well as all the gases that appear in the IPPC guidelines of 2006. GHG emissions were carried out in four emission categories, defined by the IPCC, resulting in as follows: in the energy sector with a 7081.20 gg CO2, industrial processes and use of 802.72 gg CO2 products, agriculture, agriculture , Silviculture and other uses of the Earth -473.29 GG CO2 and the waste 1378.21 GG CO2, with an uncertainty of the inventory corresponding to 8.5%

Due to the country’s geographical location, Costa Rica is exposed to different impacts climate change, therefore it is necessary to define policies and measures to prepare against natural events, the National Climate Change Strategy (ENCC) and its respective Action Plan, Action Plan, as well as the advances in the Climate Change Framework Law, which are initiatives that have been promoted in the country for the fulfillment of the objectives in this area (ENCCC, 2009).

It is said that the mitigation of climate change is the reduction of the emissions of anthropogenic origin and to improve carbon sinks. (Molina … et al, p.37). In the case of adaptation (IPCC, 2013), it is defined as an adjustment in human or natural systems in response to current or expected climatic stimuli, which moderates damage or exploits opportunities. In the framework convention of the units on climate change, it indicates that mitigation and adaptation are mandates, and in article 2 of the same indicates, that it is required to stabilize the emissions of greenhouse gases at a level that avoids human interference dangerous with the climatic system and that allows the human being to adapt to climatic changes.

The CMNUCC, in its article 4 indicates on the member parties or countries of the Convention they must reduce their emissions, to return individually or collectively GHG in 1990 and mentioned below:

“Each of these parties adopt national policies and take the corresponding measures to mitigate climate change, limiting its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting and improving its sinks and greenhouse gas deposits. These policies and measures showed that developed countries are taking the initiative in regards to modifying the longest tendencies of anthropogenic emissions in a manner according to the objective of this Convention, recognizing that the return before the end of the current decade at the previous levels of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal protocol… ”(p. 6)

As effects of climate change and anthropogenic global warming, various short, medium and long term impacts are projected, for which risk management comes to generate a response capacity for that important to know some concepts. According to the IPPC (2013), the vulnerability defines the degree to which a system is susceptible or unable to face adverse effects of climate change, including the variability and ends of the weather.

A disaster can be defined as an event or event that occurs, in most cases in a sudden and unexpected way, causing intense alterations, represented in the loss of life and health of the population. The threat or danger represents a latent danger associated with a physical phenomenon of natural or technological origin that can occur in a specific site and a certain time producing adverse effects on people. In the case of risk, it occurs as the result of relating the threat or probability of occurrence of an event and the vulnerability of the exposed elements or internal selectivity factor of the severity of the effects on these elements (Cardona, 1993).

According to Unisdr (2012), disaster risk management is the process of designing, applying and evaluating strategies, policies and measures aimed at improving disaster risks, encouraging disaster reduction and transfer of disaster risks, and Promote continuous improvement in the practices of preparation, response and recovery for disaster cases, with the explicit objective of increasing human security, well -being, quality of life, resilience and sustainable development. In Law No. 8488 of Costa Rica, risk management is understood as a:

“Process by which the vulnerability conditions of the population, human settlements, infrastructure, as well as vital lines, productive activities of goods and services and the environment and the environment. It is a sustainable and preventive model, to which effective criteria for disaster prevention and mitigation are incorporated into territorial planning (PT), sector and socioeconomic, as well as the preparation, attention and recovery against emergencies.”(CNE, Page. eleven)

Risk management presents different areas of intervention: from national, regional and sector to local, community and family. In addition, it requires the existence and functioning of organizational and institutional systems and structures that represent these areas and that meet, under established coordination modalities, their agreed differentiated roles, their collective instances of social representation of the different actors and interests that participate in the Risk construction and in their reduction, forecast and control, they must be properly defined (Mora and Barrios, 2001).

The identification and analysis of threats can be defined as, a potentially harmful physical event, phenomenon, or human activity that can cause loss of life or injuries, damage to property, social and economic interruption or environmental degradation (ISDR, 2004 , Annex 7, P. 3).”In the case of vulnerability evaluation, it is understood as‘ the condition determined by physical, social processes, economic and environmental factors that increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of threats (ISDR, 2004.). In the case of a preparative and emergency response plan, it can be said that it is a document in which the policies, organization and methods are defined, which indicate how to prepare and address an emergency or disaster situation both in what general as in particular. [Institute of Technical Standards of Costa Rica (Inteco) and National Emergency Commission (CNE), P.10].

It can be defined as resilience to the ability of a person or organization, exposed to a threat to resist, absorb, adapt and recover from its effects in a timely and effective way, which includes the preservation and restoration of their basic structures and functions. (Inteco and cne, p.10). According to Guinderson, Lance and Holling, (2002) define resilience as an existence of multiple stable states in ecological systems has been widely documented by many researchers around the world, identifying three important characteristics of ecological systems. Resilience can also be defined to the ability of groups and communities to cushion external and disturbance tensions as a result of social, political and environmental changes (IPCC, 2013).

It can be said that a resilient city is where there is a solid leadership, and coordination and responsibilities related to disaster risk management are clearly defined, it has updated knowledge about hazards, there is an adequate financial plan, urban planning is carried out Once on the basis of updated information on the risk, all the relevant institutions for the city’s resilience are strengthened, an effective response is guaranteed in disaster cases creating preparation and updating plans on a regular basis. (Unisdr, 2017)

In 2010, the campaign “Developing resilient cities: my city is preparing!”, With the aim of supporting sustainable urban development by promoting resilience activities and increasing the understanding of risk at the local level (UNISDR, 2013). In 2015, with the objective of supporting the application of the new framework for disaster risk, along with a group of more 100 cities and outstanding associated experts updated the ten essential aspects to promote the urban resilience mentioned below: organize to Resilience to disaster , strengthen the institutional capacity for resilience, understand and strengthen social capacity, increase infrastructure resilience, ensure an effective response to disasters and accelerate recovery and rebuild better. The importance of these points is to cover the different issues that cities must address in order to increase resilience and the application of essential aspects serves that cities can establish a reference measurement of their current level of resilience against disasters Regarding each essential aspect (Unisdr, 2017).

We are a group of health and occupational safety professionals, so this action plan we want to focus on how climate change is affecting the health of working people in our canton (Cañas, Guanacaste). As we have mentioned, the increase in temperatures and the decrease in rainfall in the region has affected all people equally. But, people who develop their outdoor work, with temperatures of more than 30 OC and the appearance of non -traditional chronic renal disease (ERCNT) in these workers, have called the attention to health personnel and who we take care of to prevent injuries or diseases in the workplace. According to the data provided in Table 1, 24.9% of the economically active population develops their work in the primary sector, mostly agriculture. Wesseling et al, (2015) mention that the entire province of Guanacaste, due to weather conditions outdoor workers can develop the ERCNT but the necessary measures are taken for that. The Occupational Health Council (CSO) in the field of occupational health and safety in Costa Rica, issues the Regulation for the Prevention and Protection for the Prevention of Workers Persons exposed to heat thermal stress Executive Decree 39147-S-MTSS of the September 18, 2015, where it provides the guidelines for establishing protocols for hydration, shadow and rest in workers who perform their outdoor work.

From this perspective, what can we propose as occupational health and safety professionals to increase resilience and decrease in threats from the occupational point of view and taking into account all the edges of the main concepts of climate change in the canton of Cañas, that It is our challenge in this action plan.