The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the climate crisis could afflict billions of people, especially the poor, with food and water shortages, drought and flooding. “For the first time, we are no longer arm-waving with models; this is empirical data,” explained one of the panel’s leading scientists.


BBC:

Key findings of the report include:

* 75-250 million people across Africa could face water shortages by 2020

* Crop yields increase could increase by 20% in East and Southeast Asia, but decrease by up to 30% in Central and South Asia

* Agriculture fed by rainfall could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020

* 20-30% of all plant and animal species at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C

* Glaciers and snow cover expected to decline, reducing water availability in countries supplied by melt water

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