Balkans | The climate crisis increases droughts and floods

A new study shows that droughts and floods have increased in the past 20 years as global temperatures have risen to record levels.

According to a CNN report, a new study by NASA scientists reveals that more frequent, widespread and severe droughts and floods are linked to the climate crisis.

In the study, he stated that such disasters will increase with the acceleration of the climate crisis.

Matthew Rudel, lead author of the study, analyzed the magnitude, duration and intensity of extreme water-related events on Earth by looking at 20 years of NASA satellite data from 2002 to 2021.

In this context, 505 extreme precipitation events and 551 severe drought events were examined, of which about 70 percent lasted six months or less and about 10 percent lasted more than a year.

Scientists found that the intensity and frequency of these extreme events have increased since 2015, when the record temperature trend began.

“We thought it might be related to global warming because we know that the highest temperatures have been recorded in the last seven years,” Rudel said. There was a significant correlation between the global recurrence of these events and the rise in temperatures,” he said.

Pointing out that they conducted analyzes to ensure the accuracy of this conclusion in the study, Rudel said that as a result of the analyses, they found that the effects of the climate crisis were stronger than other natural indicators.

Rudel said he hopes the study will help people understand that every small increase in global temperature matters and that the increase in pollution that is warming the world must be contained.

Details of the research have been published in the journal Nature Water.

AA