Climate change is making weather events more intense than ever. According to a new study, around 70% of the world’s population will face the consequences of this extreme weather in the next 20 years.
Billions of people expected to be harmed by extreme weather
According to the researchers, around 1.5 billion people are expected to be directly affected. The team stresses that this number would only decrease if urgent measures were taken to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Even so, there would be significant impacts on parts of the planet. They explain that the actions needed to “clean” the air, for example, would trigger accelerated increases in the summer monsoons in Asia. Despite this, the consequences would be less than what is to come. The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The effects of greenhouse gases on the climate are dramatic (Image: DesignRage/Shutterstock)
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Extreme events may occur in succession or even simultaneously
The new warning suggests that climate change will happen even more rapidly in the coming years. Scientists suggest this increases the chances that more dangerous extremes of temperature, rainfall and wind could occur in succession or even simultaneously.
For example, increased dry lightning combined with greater drought conditions is creating more frequent and intense wildfires around the world. In 2022, a severe heatwave in Pakistan was immediately followed by unprecedented flooding, impacting millions of people.
Increased chances of wildfires are expected to impact (Image: Christian Roberts-Olsen/Shutterstock)
Brazil itself can be used as an example. In the first half of this year, Rio Grande do Sul faced historic floods. Now, much of the country is facing the worst drought in decades.
Researchers say heatwaves can cause heat stress and excess mortality in people and livestock, stress on ecosystems, reduced agricultural productivity, difficulties in cooling power plants and disruption of transportation. Similarly, precipitation extremes can lead to flooding and damage to settlements, infrastructure, crops and ecosystems, increased erosion and reduced water quality.
