Environmental developments worldwide in October 2021

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Several reports on climate change and its growing impact were released in October, while some positive steps and pledges for the reduction of carbon emissions were also witnessed.

Here is a list of environmental developments, reports, events and stories compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Oct. 1:

- Turkey plans to take a series of fresh steps on the environment after ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement later this month, according to the country’s environment and urbanization minister

Oct. 4:

- The drought in Kenya, which was declared a national disaster after ravaging 12 of its 47 counties, is worsening, with the country’s weather department warning that the dry spell may affect farm production and food security.

- Turkey plans to organize a council at the beginning of next year to combat climate change, said the country's environment and urbanization minister.

Oct. 5:

- The number of people suffering water stress is expected to soar, aggravated by a population increase and dwindling availability, the head of the world's climate organization said, releasing a new report.

- An estimated 14% of the coral reefs across the globe have been wiped out in less than a decade, according to a study released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Oct. 6:

- The Turkish parliament ratifies the Paris Climate Agreement to contribute to the global efforts against climate change.

Oct. 7:

- Rapid international steps taken to tackle methane emissions from oil, gas and coal operations would have an immediate impact on combating short-term global warming, said the International Energy Agency.

- A new era in climate policy is beginning in Turkey after it ratified the Paris Agreement, according to a joint statement released by 15 environmental groups in the country.

Oct. 8:

- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes Turkey's ratification of the 2015 Paris climate accord, saying Ankara should rapidly present its national plan to combat climate change.

- The Climate Afflictions Report of the World Bank finds a link between the shifting climatic conditions and the increase in respiratory, waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases as well as mental health issues in Bangladesh.

Oct. 9:

- Turkey urges G20 countries —which have 70% of the world population and most of the global economic opportunities— to take further action against climate change.

Oct. 10:

- The head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said two parts of the world have been warming more than the global average -- the Arctic, followed by the Mediterranean region.

Oct. 11:

- Turkey renames the Environment and Urbanization Ministry to the 'Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.’

Oct. 12:

- Climate and health are intimately linked, so countries must set ambitious commitments to sustain a healthy and green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, said the World Health Organization.

Oct. 13:

- Climate-related disasters in the US cost more than $100 billion in the first nine months of 2021, according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

- The European Union calls for an end to oil, coal and gas exploitation in the Arctic region to support the fight against climate change in its Arctic policy.

Oct. 14:

- The world's richest nations, which are responsible for around 75% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius despite raising ambitions, according to the Climate Transparency Report 2021.

- A ruling by the Paris Administrative Court ordered France to fix climate deterioration that occurred in four years of neglect.

Oct. 19:

- Three months after deadly floods swept through Western Europe, experts warn that natural disasters may become more frequent and diverse in the future.

- Glaciers found on only three mountains in Africa – Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya and the Rwenzori Mountains – are expected to melt entirely in the near future, according to a new UN-backed report.

- The British government publishes its strategy to hit net zero by 2050.

Oct. 20:

- Governments worldwide plan to produce more than double the quantity of fossil fuels by 2030 than what would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C despite more climate ambitions and net zero commitments, said the 2021 Production Gap Report.

Oct. 21:

- The Biden administration releases a series of detailed reports outlining the increasing threats to US national security posed by climate change and its growing effects on migration.

- Climate change is leading to an unabated rise in health hazards, particularly in communities exposed to food and water insecurity, heatwaves, and the spread of infectious diseases, according to the Lancet Countdown report.

Oct. 23:

- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launches the kingdom’s Green Initiative forum with investment of 700 billion riyals ($186.9 billion) to confront the challenges of climate change.

Oct. 25:

- The abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record last year, with the annual rate of the rise above the 2011-2020 average, said the World Meteorological Organization.

- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells schoolchildren at an event in Downing Street that he was “very worried” the COP26 summit would not be a success.

Oct. 26:

- A growing number of Americans believe that climate change is a significant problem whose troubles are increasingly mounting, according to a poll.

- The world is on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century, according to a report, with the UN chief saying world leaders can still work for a greener future.

- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says that in the absence of urgent climate change adaptation action, Africa's GDP risks contracting by up to 30% by 2050.

Oct. 27:

- Amnesty International urges the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to combat the effects of drought in Madagascar as "1 million people are at risk of starvation."

- Turkey is set to receive $3.157 billion from the Green Climate Fund, established to support climate actions in developing nations, under a recent agreement, says the country's president.

Oct. 29:

- The heads of the World Meteorological Organization and nine other international organizations call on governments to prioritize integrated water and climate action given the all-pervasive impacts on sustainable development.

Oct. 30:

- Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, once the center of trade and business and a modest settlement to a provincial Mughal capital thanks to its long river routes, is now suffering due to extreme river pollution.

Oct. 31:

- The past seven years are on track to be the warmest on record, with the global sea level rise accelerating since 2013 to a new high in 2021, according to the World Meteorological Organization's latest report.

Oct. 31:

- The UN Climate Change Conference, also knowns as COP26, begins in Glasgow, Scotland, with new pledges expected to be announced in the fight against climate change.