Hundreds of millions of people in the poorest regions of the world will face water shortages, flooding, hunger and disease because of global warming over the coming century, a UN main advisory body on climate change has warned. Liam Reid, Environment Correspondent, reports from Brussels
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that millions of people in coastal areas, especially small islands and large river deltas, could lose their homes due to flooding.
This will be prompted by increases in sea level due to ice melting in polar regions and other glacial fields and more intense storms.
Hundreds of millions of others face water shortages due to the contamination of fresh water due to sea flooding and severe droughts in other regions, especially sub-Saharan and north Africa.
Between 20-30 per cent of animals and plants will be under threat of extinction because they will be unable to adapt to rapidly-rising temperatures.
Temperature rises of more than three degrees will also prompt a decrease in agricultural productivity in many of the poorer regions of the world, which will increase the risk of food shortages.
In addition, more humid and warmer conditions will see the spread of tropical diseases such as yellow fever and malaria. The report warns mortality rates from heat stroke will also rise.
It says some of the impacts of climate change are now unavoidable.
The report has found evidence that climate change is already having an impact on all parts of the globe after IPCC scientists examined 29,000 sets of data on the natural environment from around the world.
The report was finalised in Brussels yesterday morning following all-night negotiations on the final wording of the 23-page summary, which is based on a longer 1,500-word document drafted by more than 200 scientists.
Yesterday, Prof Martin Parry, who co-chaired the negotiations which began last Monday, denied the summary had been watered down due to demands by various governments keen to play down the impact of climate change.
"I don't think that's true...not in terms of the broad thrust of the report," he said.
A number of findings, including the predictions on the numbers affected by flooding and the strength of the evidence on the causes of climate change, were omitted from the summary.
However, Dr John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth and one of the review editors of the report, said he was "disappointed that some of the strongest scientific findings have been removed".
"Having said that, the report does underline the seriousness of the problem, and the need for governments to take action on a short-term timescale and not be timid in their approach."
Pat Finegan, of the Greenhouse Ireland Action Network, who was a delegate at the IPCC negotiations, said the report showed that Irish voters "concerned about climate change should insist on Irish action on climate change as being at the very top of the list of things to do for the next government".
Speaking to journalists yesterday, IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said the report showed a "clear consensus" among scientists and nations about the likely effects of climate change.
"It's the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people even in prosperous societies, who are going to be the worst hit."
However, the report has dismissed concerns of a mini ice age for Ireland and parts of Europe because of a shift by the Gulf Stream, the body of warm water that drifts northeast across the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico and keeps northwest Europe, including Ireland, temperate.
The report predicts the stream will be unaffected by climate change this century.