NASA scientists predict an increase in floods and droughts in the world due to climate change

NASA scientists predict an increase in floods and droughts in the world due to climate change



Over the past two decades, the intensity of disasters related to water and drought has increased in the world. Scientists predict an increase in natural disasters in the future. This is due to the fact that global temperatures have risen to record levels, which leads to either prolonged droughts or severe floods. This is stated in a study by NASA scientists published in the journal Nature Water, CNN reports. Scientists predict that the number of water disasters will increase as the climate crisis accelerates. Photo: 2mmedia/Depositphotos Although scientists have predicted that climate change will increase the frequency of droughts and floods, measuring this has been difficult. Matthew Rodell, lead author of the study and a hydrologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, analyzed 20 years of satellite data from 2002 to 2021. The study identified 505 extreme water-related events and 551 drought-related events. About 70% of disasters lasted six months or less, and about 10% lasted more than a year. Scientists have found that the intensity and frequency of extreme climate events has increased since 2015, when air temperatures began to rise on record. “We thought maybe it was related to global warming because we know the last seven or so years have been the hottest on record,” Rodell said. The scientist, in order to be sure of the conclusion, conducted a study to exclude other climatic indicators, including El Niño – the most pronounced manifestations of interannual climate variability on a global scale. In the end, the researcher was convinced that the signal of climate change is stronger than other natural indicators. “What I feel more confident about is that as the world warms, we will see a greater global intensity of all wet and dry events, meaning they will be more frequent, larger and more severe overall,” Rodell said. The scientist hopes that the study will help people realize that every small increase in global temperature matters and that the world must curb the relentless increase in pollution on the planet. “The research is another way for people to understand that climate change affects everyone. It’s not just about average global temperature increases, but actual weather events that have a serious impact on people, and that may be increasing in intensity and frequency.” – he said. The most extreme flood during the study period occurred in 2020 in Africa, where months of intense rain increased the volume of Lake Victoria to its highest level on record. The flood flooded houses and affected the state of drinking water, the work of medical facilities and hydroelectric power plants. The most intense droughts were recorded in Brazil and Venezuela from 2015 to 2016. The drought seriously threatened the operation of hydroelectric plants, drained critical reservoirs and reduced crop yields. Although 2022 was not included in the study period, last year vast areas of the world were affected by extreme natural events, including a deadly flood that submerged a third of Pakistan, and a severe European drought that saw water levels in some rivers drop to historic lows. the minimum Read also: Climatologists recorded the lowest level of ice around Antarctica in 45 years



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