Global Warming May Cause Extreme Droughts In India, World Bank Warns

[Sidhu...Sidhaarth Roy]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]WASHINGTON: [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Global-Warming"]Global warming[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] could lead to more extreme droughts in [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF !important][font=georgia][size=4][u]large parts of India[/u][/size][/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4], resulting in widespread food shortages and hardship in the country, in the next few decades, a new [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/World-Bank"]World Bank[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] report warned today. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]The impact of a possible global temperature rise of 2 [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF !important][font=georgia][size=4][u]degrees Celsius[/u][/size][/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] in the next few decades threatens to trap millions of people in poverty, according to the report. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]The soaring temperatures will also drive regular food shortages in [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF !important][font=georgia][size=4][u]Sub-Saharan Africa[/u][/size][/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]Shifting [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF !important][font=georgia][size=4][u]rain patterns[/u][/size][/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] in [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/South-Asia"]South Asia[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] due to warming could leave some parts under water and others without enough water for power generation, irrigation, or drinking, the report said. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]"Events like the devastating [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Floods"]Pakistan floods[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] of 2010, which affected more than 20 million people, could become [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF !important][font=georgia][size=4][u]common place[/u][/size][/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]. More extreme droughts in large parts of India could lead to widespread food shortages and hardship," the report said. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]Another impact of climate change could be degradation and loss of reefs in South East Asia possibly resulting in reduced fish [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Stocks"]stocks[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4] and coastal communities, while cities could be more vulnerable to increasingly violent storms, it said. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]The new report builds on a World Bank report released late last year, which concluded the world would warm by 4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century if we did not take concerted action now. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4]This new report looks at the likely impacts of present day, 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius warming on agricultural production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and cities across Sub-Saharan [/size][/font][/color][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Africa"]Africa[/url][color=#3F3F3F][font=georgia][size=4], South Asia and South East Asia.[/size][/font][/color]