Droughts lasting more than two years will become the norm... even if the 1.5C warming limit is met, according to new research. Rising temperatures point to rain shortages across the planet - affecting plants and animals in both hot and mild climates.
Project head Professor Rachel Warren at the University of East Anglia said: "Not only does the area exposed to drought increase with global warming, but it also increases the length of the droughts. "In Brazil, China, Ethiopia, and Ghana droughts of longer than two years are projected to occur even in a 1.5C warming scenario."
A modest hike of 1.5C - the Paris Agreement's goal - will spell serious consequences in India, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Brazil and Egypt. The six countries were selected for study as they provide a range of contrasting sizes and different levels of development.
