Regular droughts could become the Mediterrenean's ‘new normal’ due to climate change

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Mediterranean region is experiencing critical drought conditions, with around 17% of EU territory affected
• The European Drought Observatory’s latest update highlights the severity, noting that over 1% of the territory is at the highest drought warning level

🔭 The context: Andrea Toreti of the Copernicus European and Global Drought Observatories points to a trend of recurrent drought events over the last three years, exacerbated by high temperatures and low rainfall
• Regions like Sicily and Sardinia in Italy, and even parts of North Africa, are facing significant water shortages, with Sicily declaring a state of natural disaster

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The drought conditions in the Mediterranean signify a potential shift in climate patterns, threatening agriculture, water supply, and energy generation from hydropower
• These conditions also increase the risk of desertification and impact biodiversity and ecosystems

⏭️ What's next: Seasonal forecasts predict warmer temperatures, which, coupled with inadequate precipitation recovery, could worsen the drought situation
• The lack of snowfall and subsequent snowmelt to replenish water sources is a growing concern, indicating a need for immediate global action to mitigate climate change impacts and adapt to new precipitation regimes

💬 One quote: “If we don’t take better global action right now, Europe is going to face much higher risk connected with drought. We’ll deal with heat waves but also with heavy precipitation,” (Andrea Toreti, Copernicus European and Global Drought Observatories)

📈 One stat: Around 17% of EU territory is now facing serious drought conditions, indicating the widespread impact of these climatic changes across the region

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