Europe Faces Drought And Flood Burden: Climate Scientist

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First published in Sanctuary Asia, Vol. 31 No. 4, April 2011

 

"There are some robust areas like Siberia, we know what the climate will be, another robust area is the Mediterranean, because the models tell the same story," said Zbigniew Kundzewicz, review editor of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) chapter on freshwater resources.

 

"Climate change will pose two major water challenges in Europe: increasing water stress in southern Europe and increasing floods elsewhere," he added during a workshop organised by the UN Economic Commission on Europe.

 

"Current water management practices may be inadequate to reduce adverse impacts of climate change."

 

The Polish scientist said southern Europe would be more affected than northern Europe, with evidence already of hotter weather and longer drought leading to water shortages, harm to agriculture, a 20 to 50 percent decrease in hydro-electric power and denser water pollution. Read the full report here.

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