April 2, 2018
Weather extremes caused by moderate climate change could starve the planet, scientists warn, because it could destroy all the crops.
The study, led by the University of Exeter, examined how climate change could affect the vulnerability of different countries to food insecurity.
April 2, 2018
Weather extremes caused by moderate climate change could starve the planet, scientists warn, because it could destroy all the crops.
The study, led by the University of Exeter, examined how climate change could affect the vulnerability of different countries to food insecurity.
Scientists looked at the difference between global warming of 1.5 C and 2 C and revealed the effects would be worse for most countries at 2 C.
The study looked at 122 developing and least-developed countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America.
Professor Richard Betts, Chair in Climate Impacts at the University of Exeter said: "Climate change is expected to lead to more extremes of both heavy rainfall and drought, with different effects in different parts of the world.
"Such weather extremes can increase vulnerability to food insecurity.
"Some change is already unavoidable, but if global warming is limited to 1.5 C, this vulnerability is projected to remain smaller than at 2 C in approximately 76% of developing countries."
Global warming is expected to make it rainier, which would flood vast swathes of crop-producing land.
Wetter conditions are expected to have the biggest impact in South and East Asia.
Areas worst affected by droughts are expected to be southern Africa and South America – where flows in the Amazon are projected to decline by up to 25 per cent.
The team included researchers from the Met Office, the European Commission, the Technical University of Crete, Cranfield University and the Rossby Centre in Sweden.
CourtesyThe paper, published in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
