World's major cities to face 'unknown' climate conditions by 2050
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A fifth of the world's major cities will face "unknown" climate conditions by 2050, researchers warned on Wednesday, as rising temperatures heighten the risks of drought and flooding.
Climate scientists at the Crowther Lab, a research group based at ETH Zurich, a science and technology university, analyzed 520 cities across the world, including all capitals and most urban centers with a population of more than 1 million.
Looking at current climate conditions in these cities - including precipitation and seasonal data - scientists projected what would happen as temperatures rise another half degree, to near the lower 1.5 degree Celsius target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.
It showed that 22% of the cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions by 2050, such as more intense dry and monsoon seasons, said Jean Francis-Bastin, the lead author of the report.
"It is a change in climate conditions that is likely to increase the risk of flooding and extreme drought," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It is unknown conditions."
Almost 70% of the world's population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2050, according to the United Nations.
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