The 'extreme' drought gripping Iraq, Syria and Iran would not have occurred without climate change caused primarily by burning fossil fuels, scientists said Wednesday, warning that punishing dry spells will become more intense as the world warms.
The"extreme" drought gripping Iraq, Syria and Iran would not have occurred without climate change caused primarily by burning fossil fuels, scientists said Wednesday, warning that punishing dry spells will become more intense as the world warms.
It found that existing vulnerability from "years of conflict and political instability" also reduced people's ability to respond to the drought, sparking a"humanitarian disaster". "After quite good rains in 2020 and good harvests, three years of very low rainfalls followed with very high temperatures led to a drought with very severe impacts on agricultural access to potable water," said co-author Friederike Otto, of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.In an online briefing, co-author Mohammad Rahimi from Iran's Semnan University, called for better resource management.
"We anticipate that we will have more evaporation and transpiration from the plants so am not so optimistic for the future," he added. In Iran, water shortages have "led to tensions with neighbouring countries" and soaring food prices, the statement said.
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