Effects Of Global Warming On Humans

Many experts believe Africa will be the continent worst hit by global warming, mainly due to its low institutional capacity to combat rapid weather change. Scientists at the IPCC foresee shortened growing seasons for crops and deteriorating land conditions unsuitable for agriculture. Africa's major bodies of water, including the Nile River, will experience excessive flooding and create new migration patterns out of the country ². This migration will in turn create turmoil in neighboring countries that will be forced to accommodate necessary and rapid population growth.

In February of 2008, a panel of environmental experts gathered at the Ismaili Centre Lecture series in London. The panel veered away from discussing the impact on our natural environment, and focused on the social impacts of global warming. Storms that have been altered and intensified by a rapid changing environment would damage and/or destroy critical infrastructure that helps keep economies functioning. The panel also commented on the drastic rainfall pattern changes currently being experienced in Africa. Changes like these will benefit certain societies and damage others. This in turn will lead to conflict between the devastated and thriving communities, and will only increase global instability ³.

Rising sea levels are also threatening areas in South East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Many of the countries located in these parts of the globe are highly vulnerable and lack the degree of coastal protection to withstand repeat coastal flooding. As natural disasters continue to increase in number and severity, mass population movements of poor societies are inevitable. These mass population movements will pose severe problems for developed and developing countries that will have no option but to continue being economically dependent on "dirty" industries while maintaining a population influx ⁴.