Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
as anti-science. The nature of scientifi c proof is complex, open and always provi-
sional. In turn, this can lead to a deep disassociation between EWS development and
the public understandings and acceptance of it. For these reasons, the exploration of
the infallibility and validity of science must be coupled with sound ethical argu-
ments for action. The sad reality is the public often sees science as sterile, reductionist,
closed and arbitrary. The public may well be quite ready to accept a much deeper
form of uncertainty than institutional science is able to acknowledge, if arguments
are not built on data alone. Ethics may well have much to offer on this front.
15.10
EWS: A Duty to Vulnerable Populations
As described earlier in this topic, vulnerability is the probability of communities to
suffer adverse effects when impacted by climate-induced hazards such as fl oods,
droughts, cyclones and wildfi res. A signifi cant aspect of why these communities are
vulnerable is often due to their reduced capacity to respond to such threats.
Vulnerability to climate change can be extended to include both socioeconomic
as well as geographic factors with some areas and environments being strongly and
disproportionately affected. Many environments are already under severe stress
from current environmental, health and socioeconomic pressures. Additional threats
from rapidly changing global climates are likely to compound these current chal-
lenges - further impacting several livelihoods (Kasperson et al.
2005
). Furthermore,
there are greatly affected subpopulations often cited as being more vulnerable in the
face of climate change. These include children, pregnant women, seniors, individu-
als with chronic conditions, outdoor workers and those in low-lying coastal zones
(Balbus and Malina
2009
).
The effects of climate change on vulnerable populations are disproportionate
because the capacity to respond to related emergent social and economic situations
is greatly inhibited or reduced. In many areas of Africa, fl oods and droughts often
are associated with higher incidence of signifi cant health effects such as cholera
and diarrhoea. In 2012, for example, a fi erce cholera epidemic spread through the
coastal slums of West Africa, killing hundreds and sickening many more in one of
the worst regional outbreaks in years (Nossiter
2012
). An exceptionally heavy rainy
season fl ooded the communities in Freetown and Conakry, the capitals of Sierra
Leone and Guinea, respectively, and contributed to this outbreak. A rise in global
temperatures leading to increased sea levels could make other diseases more preva-
lent. The impact of climate change on the many dimensions of human well-being
should lead us to analyze the ethical judgements that underpin current climate pol-
icy frameworks and seek comprehensive ways by which the harm from a higher
incidence of climate-related shocks can be avoided or signifi cantly reduced.
Although it may be easier to spot injustice than determine what justice requires, a
strong argument for the protection of the vulnerable from environmental calamities
can be built, especially since natural disasters appear to be increasing in frequency.
The obvious paradox is that many developed countries are in a far better position to
Search WWH ::
Custom Search