Globally, what is the major cause of famine? pests flood armed conflict ozone depletion drought9/26/2023 ![]() ![]() Climate change is making certain regions drier.This creates the need for expanded water storage during drought years and increased risk of flooding and dam failure during periods of extreme precipitation. Some climate models find that warming increases precipitation variability, meaning there will be more periods of both extreme precipitation and drought.Because snow acts as a reflective surface, decreasing snow area also increases surface temperatures, further exacerbating drought. Likewise, certain ecosystems also depend on snowmelt, which supplies cold water for species like salmon. This is because many water management systems rely on spring snowpack melt. Decreased snowpack can be a problem, even if the total annual precipitation remains the same.Warmer winter temperatures are causing less precipitation to fall as snow in the Northern Hemisphere, including in key regions like the Sierra Nevada of California.Climate change is also altering the timing of water availability.This makes periods with low precipitation drier than they would be in cooler conditions. Warmer temperatures enhance evaporation, which reduces surface water and dries out soils and vegetation.How climate change contributes to drought: Southwest, where droughts are expected to get more frequent, intense, and longer lasting, are at particular risk. Drought and Climate ChangeĬlimate change increases the odds of worsening drought in many parts of the United States and the world. A drought is “a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time (usually a season or more), resulting in a water shortage.” Indicators of drought include precipitation, temperature, streamflow, ground and reservoir water levels, soil moisture, and snowpack.
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