Environmental Effects
Environmental Changes and Projected Effects
The International Panel on Climate Change predicts the following effects are likely, very likely, or virtually certain changes in extreme events and associated effects between now and 2100 (IPCC, 2007):
Projected Change |
Agriculture and Forestry |
Water Resources |
Human Health/Mortality |
Industry/Settlement |
Warmer, more hot days, nights over most land areas
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Increased yields in colder environments; decreased yields in warmer environments
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Effects on water resources relying on snowmelt
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Reduced human mortality from decreased cold exposure
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Reduced energy demand for heating; increased demand for cooling; declining air quality in cities; reduced effects of snow, ice
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Increased warm spells, heat waves over most land areas
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Reduced yields in warmer regions due to heat stress at key levels; increased fire danger
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Increased water demand; water quality problems; algal blooms
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Increased risk of heat-related deaths
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Reduced quality of life for people in warm areas without air conditioning; impacts on elderly and very young
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Increased heavy precipitation events for most areas
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Damage to crops; soil erosion, inability to cultivate land, waterlogging of soils
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Adverse effects on quality of surface and groundwater; contamination of water supply
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Increased deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, allergies, and dermatitis from floods and landslides
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Disruption of settlements, commerce, transport, and societies due to flooding
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Increased areas affected by drought
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Land degradation, lower yields, crop damage and failure; livestock deaths
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More widespread water stress
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Increased risk of food and water shortage and wildfires; increased risk of water- and foodborne diseases
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Water shortages for industry and societies; reduced hydropower generation potential
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Increased number of intense tropical cyclones
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Damage to crops
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Disruption of public water supply because of power outages
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Increased risk of deaths, injuries, water and foodborne diseases
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Disruption by flood and high winds
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Increased number of high sea levels
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Salinization of irrigation and well water
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Decreased freshwater availability due to saltwater intrusion
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Increase in deaths by drowning in floods; increase in stress-related disease
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Costs of coastal protection versus costs of land use; relocation
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