A new United Nations report claims that Italy and southern Europe face health risks and an increasing struggle to grow food because of climate change in the 21st century.
According to the study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), temperatures could rise by as much as five degrees Celsius in Europe by the end of the century, giving northern countries milder winters and making summers in the south increasingly hot and parched.
The report predicts 30-40% less rain in the south by 2100, noting that this would have a serious impact on farming and also on tourism, because hotels and holiday villages would face water shortages. With rivers losing 80% of their water in the summer, hydro-electric power generation would also suffer, the IPCC said.
Meanwhile, the rising level of the sea due to melting glaciers and ice caps would mean many areas of the coastline would be eroded, producing more problems for tourist businesses.
Italy has just had one of its mildest winters on record and the country is bracing itself for a blazing summer.
Preparations are being made for a potential summer power crunch caused by high temperatures and a low level of water in rivers which run generators.
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