Rising global temperatures are causing droughts that are both more frequent and longer lasting, posing significant risks to people and ecosystems. New research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows that a temperature increase of 1.5°C will lead to dangerous consequences in India, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Brazil and Egypt.

These six countries were selected for the study because of their contrasting sizes and different levels of development. The countries range from tropical to temperate, with forest, grassland and desert habitats.

The paper, led by Dr. Jeff Price, quantified the projected impacts of global warming on the probability and length of severe drought in the six countries.