“Rain does not fall on one roof alone.” (African proverb)
Albeit debating the reasons along ideological lines, the world is getting to grips that climate change is an undeniable fact. Apart from pandemics, the subject is likely to dominate the global agenda, drive economic power shifts and migration.
A recent research paper published by McKinsey’s Global Institute localises regions which will be most affected.
The paper also looks at scenarios which should keep the annual Davos crowd and everybody else whose job involves thinking ahead awake at night. The range of potential, or in some cases already materialising and very real issues indicates the global nature of consequences.
- Will India get too hot to work?
- A Mediterranean basin without a Mediterranean climate?
- Will the world’s breadbaskets become less reliable?
- How will African farmers adjust to changing patterns of precipitation?
- Will mortgages and markets stay afloat in Florida?
- Could climate become the weak link in your supply chain?
- Can coastal cities turn the tide on rising flood risk?
- Will infrastructure bend or break under climate stress?
- Reduced dividends on natural capital?
However, the map also shows regions around the equator being disproportionally affected.
Despite relatively low ‘contributory negligence’, countries in large parts of Africa will bear a major brunt of a changing and more erratic climate.
This will be reflected in rising median temperatures and increasingly frequent droughts resulting in a variety of adverse impacts.
