Study: Increased Global Risk of Flash Droughts Impacts Water Supply

The University of Oklahoma has published an article on a new study that finds an increased global risk of flash droughts due to a warming climate.

The researchers found “flash drought occurrence is expected to increase globally among all scenarios, with the sharpest increases seen in scenarios with higher radiative forcing and greater fossil fuel usage.” Radiative forcing is when more radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere than leaves it, such as burning fossil fuels. North America and Europe are predicted to see the largest increases, at 150 and 170 percent higher annual risk by 2100, respectively. Read more at the University of Oklahoma.