Prepare for the worst

Climate change is already having a “widespread and discernible impact” on the
planet, according to a new report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. “The most widespread direct risk to human settlements is
flooding and landslides, driven by rainfall, sea-level rise and tropical
storms,” says the report. Around 700 scientists contributed to the report.
Within 25 years, says the panel, major water shortages will afflict 5 billion
people, especially in southern Africa, around the Mediterranean and in central
Asia, which is currently hit by drought.