There are strong implications from scientific climate models that global warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions has been associated with the more frequent occurrence of extreme climatic events, and that humankind is the cause of global warming.

As the Earth warms, land and sea surface temperatures increase enabling it to retain more water moisture in the atmosphere resulting in initial decrease in precipitation. The combination of a decrease in rainfall and increased evaporation will lead to more severe and longer-lasting droughts in some areas. It also mean rampant flooding, when precipitation finally occurs.

Thus, while one part of the world is experiencing searing drought, the other part of the world will be experiencing serious flooding, as is happening in China, Australia and Africa in 2009.

Warming is expected to pose serious challenges to global security and stability. Sub-Saharan Africa will be worst hit by impacts of climate change. In the Sahelian region of African, warmer and drier conditions have led to shorter growing season and reduced crop harvests. Longer dry seasons and more uncertain rainfall are prompting adaption measures in Africa.

Fires to Follow Floods as Wild Weather Hits Australia: Feb 06 2009 AFP
Eastern Australia braced for more fires and floods; as the south faced extreme heat and heavy rain threatened to swell floodwaters ravaging the north. A once-in-a-century heatwave was forecast to intensify over the weekend with high temperatures and dry winds producing the worst wildfire conditions in 25 years, authorities said.

Drought in southern Australia declared ‘worst on record’ - Climate Progress

If you want to know what the U.S. southwest faces in the coming decades if we don’t reverse greenhouse gas emissions trends quickly, just look to Australia. Temperatures were running at about one degree “above any previous comparable drought. That is substantially hotter, and that one degree is a global warming signal.”

Data collected shows widespread drying from the 1970s to the early 2000s over much of Europe and Asia, Canada, western and southern Africa, and eastern Australia. The United States has on the other hand, become wetter overall during the last 50 years.

Extremes may also occur at a particular place, but at different times. For example the summer of 2002 in Europe brought widespread floods but was followed a year later in 2003 by record-breaking heat waves and drought. Over recent years within China (for example 2008), droughts occur in the north while floods occur frequently in the south.


Washbasins to help irrigate crops in China 2009 (AP Photo)		China's worst drought in five decades hitting eight wheat-growing provinces (2009)

Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops
Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops in a field at Hejie village in Xuchang in China's Henan province Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. The People's Liberation Army deployed over 1,000 soldiers to help irrigate crops in Xuchang.

China has declared the highest-level emergency for the first time to combat the country's worst drought in five decades that has hit eight wheat-growing northern provinces and left more than 4 million people without proper drinking water. AP - Hier,

Effects of these extremes will bring costly consequences

Frequent droughts will adversely affect sea and land ecosystems, coastal systems, freshwater security, food security and land degradation.

The impacts incurred on environmental and ecological systems during the 1999 drought in the United States may provide a clearer picture of the probable drought effects. Shortage of fresh water increased the salinity of river waters posing risks to river habitats. It also created stress on fresh water supplies for consumption and agriculture. As future sea level rise shifts the saltwater-freshwater boundary farther inland, droughts will exacerbate the geographic extent and impacts of saltwater encroachment into coastal aquifers.

Global warming may increase the intensity and frequency of wildfires. Forest fires can have adverse effects on climate change. Fire accounts for about 50% of greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and about 20% of anthropogenic emissions from report in the journal Science. Besides the emissions effect and reduced carbon sink effect, a number of criteria pollutants which can have a substantial impact on human health. The fires will also seriously affect future vegetation activities on the same spot.

In 1997 and 1998 unprecedented forest fires broke out in Indonesia. 24.1 million acres of forest were destroyed, releasing 0.81 - 2.57 Gt of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is equivalent to 13-40% of the mean annual global carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and contributed greatly to the largest annual increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration detected since records began in 1957.
The accompanying underground peat fires made it almost impossible to put off the fire. Consequential haze covered the neighboring countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Sumatra, Sabah and Sarawak, creating health hazards for months before the fires were finally put off with international help and efforts. There were many other forest fires in Java and Sulawesi on the same year. Nature: Forest Fires in Indonesia 1997

Forest fire haze brings misery to Indonesia and beyond
Malaysia had to declare a "haze emergency" , closing schools in several areas...and five fire engines were sent to Indonesia to help tackle the fires!

A report, Global Warming Contributes to Australia's Worst Drought by WWF-Australia and leading meteorologists has shown that human-induced global warming was a key factor in the severity of the 2002 drought. Comparison with other major droughts found higher temperatures caused a marked increase in evaporation rates from soil, watercourses and vegetation.

References and related news:

China Struggles With Drought - Feb 05 2009 Beijing (AFP)
Los Angeles: Worst Drought Ever Recorded - Climate Progress
Brutal Drought Where It’s Normally We - Climate Progress
Warming Will Worsen Water Wars - Climate Progress

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Drought in southern Australia declared ‘worst on record’ - Climate Progress

Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops in a field at Hejie village in Xuchang in China's Henan province Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. The People's Liberation Army deployed over 1,000 soldiers to help irrigate crops in Xuchang.

Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops
Chinese soldiers use washbasins to help irrigate crops in a field at Hejie village in Xuchang in China's Henan province Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. The People's Liberation Army deployed over 1,000 soldiers to help irrigate crops in Xuchang.