Climate Change:
Europe to face severe droughts
Drought is a major natural disaster that can have considerable impacts on society, the environment and the economy. These results, by researchers from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the University of Kassel in Germany, were published on Friday.
In Europe alone, the cost of drought over the past three decades has amounted to over 100 billion Euros.
LONDON: Droughts in Europe would become more frequent and intense due to climate change and increased water use by the end of this century, weather predictions released on Friday said. Southern parts of the continent will be the most affected.
Stream and river minimum flow levels may go down by up to 40% and periods of water deficiency may increase up to 80% due to climate change alone in the Iberian Peninsula, south of France, Italy and the Balkans.
Higher temperatures not only result in more water being evaporated from soils, trees and bodies of water, but also lead to more frequent and prolonged dry spells, reducing water supply and worsening droughts.
The emission scenario used in the study predicts that average global temperature will increase by up to 3.4°C by 2100, relative to the period 1961-1990. But the authors warn the warming projected for Europe, particularly its southern regions, is even stronger.
