Why 2020 to 2050 Will Be ‘the Most Transformative Decades in Human History’

It is a question of when—not if—large and growing areas of countries become uninhabitable owing to prolonged freshwater shortages, extreme heat, widespread flooding, and frequent, costly storms. Bangladesh may well be the first country with a substantial population to face this problem on a large scale. The amount of land able to support human exis

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For example, increased temperatures cause more moisture from the earth’s surface to evaporate into the atmosphere. As a result, there are more droughts around the world, more wildfires, and more flooding in areas already in danger of being consumed by water. Already, 20 to 30 percent of Bangladesh is underwater on a regular basis. This problem will... See more

they will move in stages, first to cities, then out of countries and off continents on a scale so vast that it promises to transform much that is familiar about our cities and societies, our cultures and our economies. In Europe, the fast and large displacement of people from Syria and North Africa—which peaked at around two million migrants in 201

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