Water is the primary medium through which climate change influences the earth’s ecosystem. The combined data for average global land and ocean surface temperature shows a warming of 0.85 (0.65 to 1.06) °C, over the period 1880–2012.
Continued temperature variations are projected to affect the availability and distribution of rainfall, snow melt, river flows and groundwater, and further deteriorate water quality. UNESCO states that major threats arising from climate variability and change include droughts, floods, storms, rising sea levels and greater uncertainty in agriculture.
Authors
