Global Warming Effect 6: Drought

While some parts of the world may find themselves deluged by increasing storms and rising waters, other areas may find themselves suffering from drought. As the climate warms, experts estimate drought conditions may increase by at least 66 percent [source: Scientific American]. An increase in drought conditions leads quickly to a shrinking water supply and a decrease in quality agricultural conditions. This puts global food production and supply in danger and leaves populations at risk for starvation.

A village northeast of Nairobi.
Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
Worldwide droughts, like that in a village northeast of Nairobi, expose rural communities to food shortages.


Today, India, Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa already experience droughts, and experts predict precipitation could continue to dwindle in the coming decades. Estimates paint a dire picture. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that by 2020, 75 to 250 million Africans may experience water shortages, and the continent's agricultural output will decrease by 50 percent [source: BBC].

Dust Bowl
In the United States in the 1930s, mismanaged agricultural practices and climate conditions collided, plunging parts of the country into drought conditions now referred to as the Dust Bowl. Climatologists predicted recently that a new dust bowl could be in the cards for the Southwestern United States if the arid conditions persist unabated.