Gabrielle Anderson 20

April 8, 2018

Policy Paper: People’s Republic of Lebanon

Climate Change in the Republic of Lebanon

Climate change is a global issue that puts a threat to societies and environments.

Without urgent action, countries and communities around the world experience impacts of

climate change. As human activities such as pollution and overpopulation increase, so does the

level of greenhouse gases emissions being released into the atmosphere. Climate change

threatens global poverty and creates natural disasters that destroy assets and livelihoods. Which

in the long run could put an additional “100 million people into poverty by 2030”. According to

the United Nations titled “Climate Change”, ecosystems such as the Amazon rainforest and

Arctic tundra are approaching drastic changes though warming and drying. “Mountain glaciers

are in alarming retreat and the downstream effects of reduced water supply in the driest months

will have repercussions that transcend generations”. The amount of human activity and use of

greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and fluorinated gases, will drive the

increasement of rising sea levels, floods, droughts and other natural disasters. If the people do

not take action, adapting will become more difficult and costly.

As conditions of climate change begins to rise. The Republic of Lebanon is a “developing

country with few water resources and high population density in the coastal areas”. According to

documents titled "Lebanon's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution". As Lebanon is a

diverse natural environment that each have a biodiversity and ecosystems that are affected by

climate change. The effects caused by climate change threatens the process and quality of food

production, reduction of snow, and an increase of flooding. Which could affect the tourism and

have to adapt to the rising sea levels, warm temperatures and a decrease in the snow. "To reduce

these adverse impacts on environmental, economic and social systems, Lebanon will promote

climate change adaptations through mainstreaming and building institutional capacity. [...]

these should be pursued simultaneously to avoid working in silos through collaboration between

multiple governments,ministries and agencies and other relevant stakeholders." Lebanon aims

to “reach land degradation neutrality by 2030”.

Furthermore, the Delegates of the United Nations, including the Republic of Lebanon

should reduce the emissions into the atmosphere that could potentially drive global warming.

The United Nations should enforce the "Cap and Trade", using this method will drive and limit

emissions and lower levels worldwide. This will give other companies that cut emissions to sell

allowances to companies that pollute more. In an article titled "How cap and trade works" it

states "In the United States, California is pioneering its own system, which has led to a steady

decline of the state's carbon dioxide pollution in the last 10 years". Through efforts, the number

of emissions being released into the atmosphere will decrease, which will not put a large number

of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Slowing the rate of climate change.
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http://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/

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2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zELiIqv4YMM