Global temperature has risen by more than 1°C since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, as confirmed by scientific research and long-term observations. Even this seemingly small increase is already leading to serious consequences — including more frequent extreme storms, wildfires, heatwaves, and droughts, as well as shrinking glaciers and rising sea levels. These changes affect not only natural ecosystems but also have significant impacts on people’s lives, health, well-being, and security worldwide. For example, melting Arctic ice caused by climate change is already contributing to growing geopolitical tensions in the region.
In addition to global warming, rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere are causing another major problem — ocean acidification. Around 30% of CO₂ emitted by human activities is absorbed by the oceans, disrupting the chemical balance of marine systems and threatening the survival of many species.
If current trends in greenhouse gas concentrations continue, the average global temperature could rise by up to 4°C by 2100. Ukraine is among the regions experiencing some of the fastest increases in average annual air temperature. Since the beginning of meteorological observations in the late 19th century, the average temperature in Ukraine has already risen by more than 3°C — and the rate of warming continues to accelerate.
Without urgent global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels could rise by nearly one meter by the end of the century. This could lead to the flooding of almost 2 million hectares of coastal land in Ukraine and the displacement of around 75,000 people. Ukraine is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including droughts and heatwaves. Projections also indicate that river water availability in the south of the country could decrease by up to 50% over the next decade.
An important part of Ecoaction’s work is researching and communicating the consequances of climate change in Ukraine:
🌀 Special project “Water Is Coming” — a study on sea level rise in Ukraine caused by climate change
🌀 Study “Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Ukraine’s Water Resources”
🌀 Map of climate anomalies in Ukraine