While Europe floods, the Sahel Will Be Green Again!
Recent research indicates that the past century of human-induced warming has heightened rainfall variability across more than 75% of the Earth's land area, especially in regions such as Australia, Europe, and eastern North America. The study, conducted by Chinese scientists and the UK Met Office and published in the journal Science, offers the first systematic observational proof that climate change is intensifying the volatility of global rainfall patterns.
Climate models had anticipated an increase in variability due to climate change. However, recent findings indicate that rainfall variability has already intensified over the last century. By 2050, certain regions are expected to experience tropical-like rainfall patterns, including Europe, Central Africa, the Sahel, East Asia, and particularly Australia.
Climate change is leading to higher temperatures, increased fire danger, more frequent droughts and floods, rising sea levels, and drier winters and springs in southern and eastern Australia, among other impacts. These shifts are exerting additional strain on the natural environment, communities, infrastructure, and sectors such as agriculture, finance, and tourism. In the low-lying coastal regions of Australia, where a significant number of Australians reside, homes, infrastructure, and ecosystems are at risk of damage or loss due to rising sea levels, unless there is sufficient funding for mitigation and adaptation efforts.
For Australia, climate change brings unwelcome stresses and disruptions, making it more challenging to produce food profitably and sustainably. Intensified heat and drought will place yet more stress on our rural communities, particularly in Australia’s south-west, south and east. Cultural knowledge, practice and archaeological evidence show us that Australia's First Nation original people have lived through climate change before – and listening to their voices could help Australians to understand how to live through climate change again. Instead, the majority of Europeans in Australia show disdain and perpetrate a great cultural divide and lack of acceptance for their indigenous population.
The growing evidence suggests that Australians, along with wildlife, will face more fatalities and health issues due to heatwaves. Present climate models show that escalating temperatures will amplify the Earth's water cycle, leading to greater evaporation. This increase in evaporation is expected to cause more regular and severe storms, but also to contribute to the drying of certain land regions. Consequently, regions impacted by storms may see more rainfall and a heightened risk of floods, whereas areas distant from storm paths may receive less rainfall, elevating the risk of extreme drought.
Learn more at climate.nasa.gov
Comments