All articles tagged with #water availability
A new study warns that if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C, nearly 2 billion people could face irreversible disruptions in rainfall patterns due to shifts in the intertropical convergence zone, potentially impacting water resources, agriculture, and ecosystems worldwide, with effects possibly lasting decades.
A comprehensive assessment shows that snowpack across the Northern Hemisphere is shrinking due to climate change, with many communities facing a "snow-loss cliff" as temperatures rise. Once average winter temperatures for a watershed exceed a certain threshold, even modest increases can significantly speed up snow loss. This has complex ramifications for water availability, particularly in regions heavily dependent on snowpack. The study reveals the impact of human-induced emissions on snow trends and highlights the vulnerabilities of communities, especially in the Southwestern and Northeastern US, and central and eastern Europe, where snowpack has diminished by as much as 20 percent per decade.
A new federal climate report warns that dependably snowy winters may be in jeopardy due to climate change. The report projects that rising temperatures will lead to more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow, and the snowpack will stick around for a shorter period of time. This could result in a decrease in overall snow water volume and disrupt water infrastructure and hydropower in the Southwest. While some areas may experience more precipitation, overall precipitation totals could decrease, leading to more extreme events causing flooding over a day or two but fewer normal rainy or snowy days.