#ClimateChange Is Intensifying the #Water Cycle, New IPCC Report Finds — Circle of Blue #ActOnClimate

From Circle of Blue (Laura Gersony):

The climate crisis will jeopardize key sources of fresh water and make extreme weather events more severe. But experts say there’s still time to prevent the worst outcomes.

Extreme droughts affecting agriculture and ecosystems are already more frequent and intense than they were last century. This trend will continue as glacial melting, decreased rainfall, and a “thirstier” atmosphere jeopardize sources of freshwater in some parts of the globe.

Heavy rainfall will also become more common and more powerful.

There are a handful of high-impact “tipping points” that could drastically change global or regional water cycles. These events are unlikely in our current climate—but the warmer Earth gets, the bigger the risk becomes.

With swift, drastic action, warming could still be limited to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius, avoiding the worst-case scenarios for freshwater.