Water shortages – Some areas of the world will have increased rainfall while other areas will experience more droughts. This is because changing temperatures will affect the weather systems that cause rain. Different rainfall patterns could cause problems for the water supplies used for drinking and watering crops.
Sea level rise – It is possible that sea levels could rise by 40cm over the next century. Warmer temperatures will melt more water from glaciers and the polar ice caps. The higher water levels could completely cover low-lying islands and put many at risk of flooding.
Health – The heat wave in 2003 killed thousands across Europe, and it is predicted that there could be 1,000 more heat-related deaths each year by the 2020s, mainly among sick and older people. Warmer conditions allow diseases to spread more easily, and there has already been an increase in the incidence of malaria and bubonic plague in Europe.
Wildlife – Wildlife may not be able to adapt to cope with rising temperatures, and it is likely that habitats will be affected. For example, rainforests are threatened by future changes to temperature and rainfall which would endanger their unique ecosystems.
