Climate Change: An Evaluation of Its Impacts and the Encountered Challenges

This study examines climate change within the framework of two dimensions: its impacts and the challenges faced. The extent of climate change’s effects involve categories such as structural changes to ecosystems; water security and food production; human health and welfare; and cities, settlements and infrastructure. When making a globalassessment, complex impacts (negative and positive) appear to exist in the category of water security and food production, with the general point of view stating that negative impacts occur at high levels in the other categories. Sharing responsibilities fairly and determining goals ethically are discussed within the scope of adapting to and combatting climate change. However, global initiatives target decisions based on countries’ dominant positions as well as their political and economic strength. Other challenges have appeared due to the inefficient scope of policies, the goals determined according to global initiatives being unclear, and efforts carried out based on voluntary contributions.