Climate researcher warns droughts will spread and intensify

Austria could face longer and more extensive dry spells, climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb warned, ORF reported on Monday. If the country does not get a very snowy winter, the current dry conditions could persist into next year, she said.

Although wetter years will continue to occur, Kromp-Kolb expects droughts to become more severe, affect larger areas and last longer.

She is also concerned that global average temperatures have risen significantly faster since about 2015 than in the previous five decades. The reasons for the acceleration are not yet fully understood, but Kromp-Kolb said she considers it unlikely to be a temporary anomaly.

Higher temperatures also increase the risk of extreme rainfall. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapour, allowing more rain to fall in a short period. For each degree of warming, precipitation could increase by at least 7 percent, and probably by 10 to 15 percent, she said.

At a two-week world climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, political, business and scientific representatives are discussing measures to tackle global warming. Kromp-Kolb said she does not believe international climate policy will stall because of economic interests and geopolitical conflicts. She pointed to China’s climate programme and long-term outlook.

Kromp-Kolb said action by governments, businesses, the media and individuals could help address environmental problems. Climate protection, she said, can mean healthier and longer lives and a better quality of life, even if not a higher standard of living.