1.4.6

Effects of Climate Change on People

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Effects of Climate Change on People

Current policies are expected to lead to 2.8-3.2°C of warming by 2100.

Illustrative background for More deaths due to heat exhaustionIllustrative background for More deaths due to heat exhaustion ?? "content

More deaths due to heat exhaustion

  • More people are likely to die from heat exhaustion (but some people could be saved from freezing too).
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Problems with water sources

  • Between 2018 and 2019, Cape Town suffered from a drought.
  • Hotter temperatures may mean droughts are more common and also happen in new areas. Changing precipitation patterns may lead to more droughts.
  • There could be wars between countries trying to secure access to water sources and fertile farmland.
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Lower crop yields

  • Climate change may increase temperatures making it harder to grow crops in many countries. Producing less crops per square metre would be the 'crop yield' decreasing.
  • People may die of starvation or malnutrition because of this.
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More extreme weather events

  • More extreme weather events not only directly threaten human lives, but also have financial consequences. Hurricane Katrina cost the USA roughly $125bn.
  • Cyclones or tropical storms would become more serious and would be more common.
  • The cost of predicting extreme weather events and preventing them from doing damage will likely be large.
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Loss of coastal areas

  • Rising sea levels could lead to low-lying coastal areas becoming uninhabitable.
  • In a world with temperatures 4 °C higher, London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Shanghai would be underwater.
  • This will force migration, overcrowded living conditions, poverty and potentially, wars.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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