A recent study revealed that a three-year drought, resulting in water scarcity for millions in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, can be attributed to human-induced climate change.

A recent study conducted by a group of global climate experts at World Weather Attribution has revealed that the west Asian drought, which began in July 2020, is primarily caused by unusually high temperatures causing rapid evaporation of already scarce rainfall.

According to lead author Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, if the world had not warmed 1.2 degrees Celsius (or 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid-19th century, there would not be a drought currently.

The research has determined that climate change has exacerbated naturally occurring drought conditions, resulting in a humanitarian crisis where people are suffering from thirst, hunger, and displacement. The study has not yet been subjected to peer review, but it utilized scientifically sound methods to identify the effects of global warming.

The researchers studied temperatures, rainfall, and moisture levels and compared the past three years to various computer simulations of a world without human-induced climate change.

According to Mohammed Rahimi, a climatology professor at Semnan University in Iran and co-author of the study, the impact of human-caused global climate change is already significantly affecting the lives of millions in West Asia. As temperatures continue to rise, countries like Syria, Iraq, and Iran will face even greater challenges for their inhabitants.

According to Otto, computer simulations did not detect noteworthy climate change indicators in the decreased precipitation, which was below average but not exceptionally rare. However, she noted that the evaporation of water from lakes, rivers, wetlands, and soil was significantly higher than it would have been without the influence of rising temperatures caused by climate change.

The research team determined that the severe droughts in Syria and Iraq can be attributed to climate change, making them 25 times more likely to occur. In Iran, the likelihood of drought has increased by 16 times due to climate change.

According to Kelly Smith, who is the assistant director of the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska and was not involved in the study, the findings are logical.

According to co-author Rana El Hajj from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in Lebanon, the Middle East region frequently experiences drought and ongoing conflict, such as Syria’s civil war, exacerbates the situation. This is due to deteriorated infrastructure and compromised water management.

Otto expressed concern that this situation is pushing some individuals to their limits of adaptability. As long as we continue to use non-renewable energy sources and issue permits for the exploration of new oil and gas reserves, these types of disasters will only intensify and adversely affect people’s means of living and contribute to high food costs. This is not just a localized issue, but a global problem that affects us all.

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Source: wral.com