Global Scans · Climate change · Weekly Summary

A global catastrophic risk is a hypothetical future event that has the potential to damage human well-being on a global scale. Some events could cripple or destroy modern civilization. Any event that could cause human extinction is known as an existential risk.

• The Asian Development Bank estimated that developing countries in Asia-Pacific require US$ 26 trillion up to 2030 to really look at poverty eradication, climate change, healthcare challenges. The Business Times
• The Middle East and Africa are experiencing significant growth due to rapid industrialization and severe climate change impacts like water scarcity and extreme heat, and increasing regulatory scrutiny over modern environmental hazards. Precedence Research
• China's and the United States' abilities to adapt to climate change will have significant consequences for a key driver of future economic growth: artificial intelligence. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• In the economic and technological competition between China and the United States, the country that is better able to adapt to climate change will gain substantial advantages over its rival. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• As the world grapples with climate change, pandemics, geopolitical tensions, technological disruptions, economic instability, and emerging social challenges, there is a growing need for evidence-based strategies that can help communities and policymakers prepare for the future. Opportunities for Youth
• SAI geoengineering might provide some emergency protection against climate-change. Geoengineering.global
• The Ministry of Climate Change & Environment created the UAE National Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan (2019-2030) to spur the shift to a circular economy at the federal level. Grc
• Environment and Climate Change Canada is monitoring the ice island's movement, as it has done following previous Arctic ice shelf calving events, while evaluating potential risks to vessels and offshore infrastructure. ScienceDaily
• The kind of increasingly frequent heatwaves we have experienced and greatly reduced rainfall that we could see over successive summers with climate change, plus a projected increase in demand for water, have raised the prospect that England could at some point run out of water. BBC News
• Deadly landslides and floods in the Himalayas, where the recent Nepal-Tibet floods occurred, are becoming more frequent due to accelerating glacier melt caused by climate change, threatening lives and infrastructure. The Straits Times
• Catastrophic floods in Nepal may have resulted from a hazard cascade that may have been amplified by climate change. Live Science
• Without climate change mitigation, fires will increase in all vegetation types by the end of the 21st century. Live Science
• Regenerative agriculture will be a key adaptation and mitigation measure for climate change related to agricultural raw materials. FoodNavigator.com
• Carbon pricing could affect agricultural raw materials, with the estimated impact ranging from ¥0.9 bn-¥4.1bn under the Sustainable Scenario to ¥2.2 bn-¥8.1bn under the High Degradation & Climate Change Progression Scenario. FoodNavigator.com
• Declining agricultural yields could have a financial impact of ¥0.9 bn-¥2.6bn by 2050 under the Sustainable Scenario, rising to ¥3.1 bn-¥12.1bn under the High Degradation & Climate Change Progression Scenario. FoodNavigator.com
• A powerful El Nino is expected to push global temperatures temporarily higher, but scientists emphasise that El Nino and human-driven climate change are different processes. Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, trave
• Launched at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, the Global Cooling Pledge unites about 75 countries and 70 non-state actors in the objective to cut down cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050, while ensuring equitable access to sustainable cooling solutions to address extreme heat. IIFIIR
• PubMed Central classifies the emergence of an unknown pathogen, also known as Disease X, as a constant biological threat due to zoonotic spillovers, climate change and global travel. Yahoo Health
• Global investment requirements remain substantial, with the world estimated to need US$ 6.3 trillion in annual investment through 2030 to avoid the most severe effects of climate change, compared with current annual investment of US$ 2.3 trillion. GCC BUSINESS WATCH
• Water and food security will form another major pillar of WGES 2026, reflecting the growing pressure that climate change is placing on essential resources. GCC BUSINESS WATCH
• Copernicus warns of 'unprecedented strain' on world's oceans as El Nino and climate change drive up sea surface temperatures. Al Jazeera
• Climate change will triple the number of days over 105 F in the US. Live Science

Last updated: 01 November 2026