Scientists at the University of New South Wales (Australia) have concluded that global warming will lead to prolonged droughts and shortages of fresh water. This was announced in a press release on Phys.org.
The researchers analyzed data from 43,000 meteorological stations and 5,300 river flow monitoring sites in 160 countries. It turned out that, despite the fact that climate change provokes frequent extreme precipitation, the water level in large rivers becomes lower, which can provoke droughts.
Experts explain this paradox by drying out the soil. Waterlogged soils allow excess moisture (36 percent of total precipitation) to drain into rivers, but dry soil absorbs more rainwater, reducing runoff. Soils lose moisture due to an increase in air temperature. This poses a threat to the water supply to cities and farms around the world. At the same time, excess rainfall leads to flooding in populated areas, making it impossible to effectively replenish fresh water reservoirs.