8 February 2010
The greatest impact of climate change will be felt on water levels and competition for global supplies is likely to cause conflicts, United Nations experts warn. Zafar Adeel, chair of UN-Water, which coordinates work on water among 26 UN agencies, told news agency Reuters yesterday that desertification, flash floods, melting glaciers, heat waves, cyclones and water-borne diseases such as cholera are among the impacts of global warming expected to threaten farming and fresh water supplies around the world. The UN experts said that up to 250 million people in Africa could suffer extra stress on water supplies by 2020. Water shortage has already contributed to the Darfur conflict in Sudan. Adeel called for cooperation efforts and mentioned past initiatives in the Indus and Mekong rivers as good examples.
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