Global warming increases temperatures and reduces rainfall in many countries.  Increased evaporation will worsen the effects of the droughts.  Droughts are increasingly likely to persist for years in regions that previously enjoyed rainy seasons.  Water sources such as natural springs, oases and mountain streams are drying up; and inland seas and lakes are disappearing.  With summers lasting longer and becoming warmer, water shortages are affecting millions of people, plants and animals.  Conflict over ever scarcer water and food resources is bound to increase.

The effects of droughts are widespread.  Droughts lead to crop failures, food shortages and famines; whilst increasing the area of unproductive desert.  These human disasters also lead to mass migration with corresponding social upheaval and tragedy.  Droughts also lead to an increase in forest fires further adding to the problems of global warming.  In addition water shortages lead to the extinction of plant and animal species.

Conversely, there will be higher rainfall in other areas.  Rainfalls are becoming more intense, eroding the land and causing flooding – even in sheltered Europe.  However, the flooding of river deltas in low lying areas is a major cause of concern.  These areas are often highly populated and even now serious flooding is causing thousands of deaths, alongside famines, diseases and loss of livelihood.  We must adapt to these climatic events and put plans in place to combat global warming.

The technologies introduced by Treepak to enable mass reforestation aim to reverse this trend.  Forests stabilise the land, reducing the consequences of global warming through less flooding.  And the natural evaporation of forests helps to reduce the effects of droughts.