New research reveals that if global warming reaches 3 degrees Celsius, approximately 90% of the Himalayan Region could face drought lasting over a year. The study, published in Climatic Change, emphasizes the critical importance of adhering to the temperature goals outlined in the Paris Agreement to mitigate climate change risks. Led by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK, the study quantifies how climate change hazards escalate on a national scale with increasing levels of global warming.
The research, encompassing eight studies focusing on countries including India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana, underscores the alarming consequences of rising temperatures. The findings reveal heightened risks of droughts, flooding, crop yield declines, and biodiversity loss with each additional degree of global warming. Specifically, the study highlights significant reductions in pollination, increased exposure of agricultural land to severe droughts, and economic damages due to fluvial flooding.
Efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could mitigate many of these risks. Limiting warming to this threshold would substantially decrease exposure to severe droughts, reduce economic damages from flooding, and safeguard biodiversity. The research underscores the urgent need for robust climate policies aligned with the Paris Agreement’s objectives to avert widespread climate change risks. Moreover, it advocates for expanded protected area networks and ecosystem restoration to enhance climate resilience and mitigate the impacts of global warming on natural systems.
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