The UN Climate Change Report 2007 at a Glance

Future Global Temperature Increase (4/10)

How could the world look in 2090? The IPCC offers various scenarios reflecting how temperatures could change. The graphic shows three scenarios. The left row depicts temperatures in about twenty years, the right column shows the world at the end of the 21st century. Temperature increases in the Arctic and the northern hemisphere will be significant, no matter how fast global warming progresses. Temperatures will especially increase in North Africa, which could trigger droughts and famine; in the Himalayas, where glaciers that feed some of the world’s biggest rivers might disappear; and in Siberia, where melting permafrost could release millions of tons of greenhouse gas (Graphic: IPCC).