et al., 2019). The concept of tipping points is usually associated with large-scale components of the climate system that could be pushed past an irretrievable threshold as a result of human-induced climate change , such as the deterioration of Antarctic ice sheets . Social tipping points refer to similar mechanisms of destabilisation resulting from impacts of climate change on human societies at multiple scales and the societal context conditions in which these impacts occur. They are reached when climate change impacts force destabilising social transformations from one state to another : from sporadic losses due to climate change to chronic losses and impoverishment, from peace to violence, from a democracy to an authoritarian regime, from adequate food provisioning to famine, or into forced migration. For example, small variations in the rainfall or temperature can jeopardise livelihoods that are dependent upon subsistence agriculture, which can lead to migration or tensions around resources . Social tipping points can also occur when intangible elements that ensure the survival of individuals and communities are eroded or removed. This is the case, for example, when the social fabric of a community falls apart. The Millennium drought in Australia led to higher rates of male suicide, especially among farmers, and droughts in Ghana led to similar outcome when people were forced to drink from the same water source as their animals, which they perceived as robbing them off their human dignity .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report