Belgium
Climate change impacts
Il faut seulement 224 jours pour le Canadien moyen de produire la même quantité de gaz a effet de serre qu’un Belge produira au cours de l'année entière. Par conséquent, le 12 Août (224 jours dans l'année) est la journée des Impacts du Changement de Climat dans la Belgique.
Pour la Belgique, la conséquence probable du changement de climat est une augmentation significative des températures d'ici 2050, autant en hiver qu'en été. Entre la fin du 20ème et la fin du 21ème siècle, l’élévation de la température hivernale serait d'entre 1,7°C et 4,6°C. Pour l’été, l’élévation de température serait d'entre 2,4°C et 6,6°C. De plus, le réchauffement du climat aura un impact significatif sur la présence d’espèces vivant en Belgique: une partie de ces espèces disparaîtra. La structure des écosystèmes, c'est-à-dire la répartition et l'abondance relative des différentes espèces, ainsi que leurs relations, pourrait être profondément altérée.
Pour plus d'informations, continuez à lire le document de Greenpeace: Impacts des changements climatique en Belgique.
It takes 224 days for the average Canadian to produce as much greenhouse gases as the average Belgian will produce over the course of the entire year. Therefore, August 12th (224 days into the year) is "Climate Change Impacts in Belgium Day."
For Belgium, climate change is expected to result in a significant temperature rise by 2050 in both summer and winter. A Greenpeace report explains that “at the end of the 21st century, the rise in temperature in relation to the end of the 20th century would be 1.7 to 4.9°C in winter and 2.4 to 6.6°C in summer.” Climate change is expected to result in a more extreme climate for Belgium. While the likelihood of severe heat waves is expected to increase, Belgium may also “experience more frequent episodes of heavy rain.”
For more information, see Greenpeace’s report, Impacts of Climate Change in Belgium.
Story
"I am Marc Bormans from Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher in the province of Liège. I am a vet, specialised in cattle breeding and I also work as a farmer. I have been doing both jobs for almost 20 years.
I have noticed that the average temperature has increased over the years. Because of global warming, ruminants can graze for longer; the grass starts to grow earlier and is also available for longer in the autumn. This is also beneficial for crops that require a lot of warmth, such as maize. However, there are also disadvantages that arise from this situation.
Since the 1990s there have been more heat waves accompanied by periods of drought. These heat waves have serious consequences for crops such as peas, beans and carrots. We have had years when the yield of these vegetables has dropped by more than 50%. I fear that we will see more of this sort of weather pattern in the future, causing our harvest to suffer even more. ”
To read the rest of Marc’s story, visit WWF’s Climate Change Witness site.
Photo credit: WWF-Belgium / Ine Dehandschutter
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