Rising global temperatures do not necessarily condemn Europe to more and more intense droughts. If we achieve zero net emissions, we can hope to maintain current levels of precipitation. Any delay in stabilising the climate will weigh at least five centuries.
This is according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters that analyses the future evolution of droughts in Europe over the next 500 years in relation to the moment when we reach net-zero.
‘The climate has already warmed so much that some decrease in precipitation is inevitable, but our results show that the further summer drought predicted for Europe could be avoided. Halting the rise in global temperatures by reducing fossil fuel emissions to zero will mean that the Mediterranean will not continue to get drier,’ explains Andrea Dittus, one of the authors of the study.
Show Comments