Global Climate Impacts: Where Is Climate Change Affecting the World This Week?
Climate-driven temperatures this week are impacting locations in high mountain regions to deserts in the Sahel
In this week’s Global Climate Dispatch, we’re examining the mounting toll of climate change across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Sahel. Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index1 (CSI) shows a persistent signal across each region, where heat and drought are compounding humanitarian crises. In Gaza, displaced families are enduring excessive heat amid collapsing infrastructure. In Lebanon, one of the largest river basins is drying up, impacting agriculture and electricity supplies, while drought in Cyprus has led to more snake sightings. Up in the Himalayas, warming temperatures are disrupting centuries-old yak herding traditions, while in Bangladesh, women are facing severe health impacts due to rising salinity in coastal communities. Together, these stories highlight the many fronts — ecological, economic, and personal — where climate change is making itself felt.
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Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, and Israel
In a recent Global Climate Dispatch post, we highlighted the growing carbon footprint of the war in Ukraine — Now, as an ongoing CSI signal hovers over the Mediterranean and Middle East, we will do the same on the war in Gaza. According to a new study, nearly 2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent have already been emitted from combat operations. The same study predicted that pre-war construction and post-war rebuilding would push this total to over 32 million tonnes, which is more than the annual emissions for over 100 countries. Rebuilding in Gaza is expected to result in the greatest amount of emissions, where more than half of all buildings have been significantly damaged or destroyed. Other conflict-related emissions include the movement of military vehicles, energy generation in conflict zones, cargo and humanitarian aid deliveries, and aerial bombings and ground assaults.
This week, temperatures in the region will be well above normal, and the heat will disproportionately impact those who have been displaced and are facing water shortages due to the conflict. Across Gaza, the extreme heat is compounding the humanitarian crisis for more than 1.5 million displaced people who are already enduring food shortages, limited sanitation, and a collapsing healthcare system.
A historic drought is impacting Lebanon this year, driven by climate change-induced shifts in precipitation patterns — The resulting water crisis is straining agriculture and electricity generation in a country once considered rich in water resources. Significantly lower rainfall and snowfall have reduced river flows, dried up key reservoirs, and increased stress on groundwater. Inflow to Lake Qaraoun, Lebanon’s largest reservoir, has dropped to just 45 million cubic meters, compared to an annual average of 350 million, an 87% decline. This volume of water isn’t even safe for consumption due to severe pollution, further straining resources. Similarly, water levels in the Litani River, the country’s longest, have fallen by around 50% compared to last year. As a result of the crisis, all hydroelectric plants tied to the basin have been shut down, straining the economy and contributing to electricity rationing. Some places only receive electricity for 10 hours a day. The impact on agriculture has been noticeable. Farmers in regions like the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon are struggling to irrigate their fields, leading to sharp declines in staple crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes. With less rain and snowmelt, many have turned to groundwater pumping, pushing basic input costs even higher.
Drought is pushing snakes out of their habitats and into villages and hiking trails — Hikers in Cyprus are increasingly encountering snakes — particularly vipers — on trails, in fields, and even near villages, a shift herpetologists link to prolonged drought exacerbated by rising temperatures. Food and water are becoming scarce in their usual habitats, pushing snakes to roam farther in search of resources and increasing the likelihood of human encounters. The snakes are not aggressive unless threatened; however, bites can require urgent medical care. Despite playing a key ecological role by keeping rodent populations in check, the rise in sightings has fueled fear and brought calls on social media to kill the snakes, especially as more people venture outdoors during the warmer months.
In Türkiye, similar disruptions are being observed — not just in where snakes are appearing, but when. In December 2023, researchers documented the first known instance of winter activity in a blunt-nosed viper, a species that should be well into hibernation in December. The snake was found at an elevation of 1,500 meters in the Bitlis province during an unseasonably warm spell, with air temperatures reaching 15°C — unusual for that elevation in December — and soil temperatures even higher. These conditions are well within the range needed to activate reptilian behavior, but highly unusual for that time of year. The young viper was active near pistachio trees during pruning season, suggesting it had emerged in search of prey or warmth. As climate change continues to shorten winters, intensify summer heat, and lengthen drought periods, snakes may be driven out of their habitats more frequently, and human encounters may become more common.
Blunt-nosed Viper, Akamas, Cyprus by Wildlife Travel via flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal
As in many parts of the world, women in Bangladesh are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change — particularly in coastal communities — In Mongla upazila, rising sea levels, erratic rainfall, and saltwater intrusion into unconfined aquifers have significantly increased the salinity of drinking water sources. As a result, residents are exposed to more than 16 grams of salt per day — over three times the recommended limit. Women bear the brunt of this crisis. They rely on this increasingly saline water for essential daily work such as bathing, cooking, and washing, which puts them at heightened risk for a range of health issues. These include urinary tract infections (UTIs), hypertension, and malnutrition — particularly among newborns — as well as reproductive health problems like infertility and frequent miscarriages. Women are also more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses and skin and respiratory conditions. These health impacts are compounded by water scarcity, which often prevents women from drinking enough water.
In addition to compromised drinking water, women and children also face greater risks from extreme heat exposure. A study found that high temperatures, particularly during pregnancy and the first 1,000 days of life, significantly increase the likelihood of low birth weights and preterm births by disrupting biological processes and reducing oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus. After birth, extreme heat increases the likelihood of childhood stunting, as it makes infants more vulnerable to undernutrition and increases susceptibility to diarrhea-related illnesses. The study noted that even a modest 1% increase in the number of extreme heat days raises the risk of childhood stunting in Bangladesh by more than 50%.
Physical ailments aren’t the only consequence of climate change in Bangladesh — As temperatures rise, so does the cost of living, making daily life increasingly unaffordable for low- and middle-income urban households. Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of heatwaves; in Dhaka, the number of extremely hot days has increased by 97% over the past 30 years. To cope, families are relying more heavily on fans, air conditioning, and generators — especially during frequent power outages — leading to significantly higher utility bills. At the same time, health-related expenses are climbing. Bangladesh has some of the highest out-of-pocket healthcare costs in South Asia, so as cases of heat-related illnesses like dehydration, fever, and heatstroke rise, so do the financial burdens of inpatient and outpatient treatment. Schools are charging parents extra for air-conditioned classrooms and clean drinking water, while heat has also driven up irrigation costs and caused more food spoilage during transport. The hardest-hit are low-wage workers and residents of informal settlements, for whom limited access to safe housing, clean water, and financial resources makes enduring the heat nearly impossible.
Excessive heat and changing precipitation patterns are disrupting yaks — In several high-altitude Himalayan communities across Bhutan and Nepal, climate change is disrupting yak herding in significant ways. These include shifting reproductive cycles, increasing mortality, and reducing productivity. In Dolpo, Nepal, rising temperatures, decreased snowfall, low soil moisture, and degraded pastures have contributed to a sharp decline in yak populations. In 2021 alone, more than 100 yaks died in the region due to starvation and undiagnosed illnesses, with herders linking these losses to sudden storms, changing snowfall patterns, and the overall decline in grazing conditions. In Bhutan, the yak population has fallen by 28% since 2019, alongside a 22% drop in yak-herding households, driven by inadequate feed resources, disease, and increased predation by wildlife.
Yaks are a vital resource for Himalayan highland communities. In addition to being a source of meat, their milk is used to produce butter, cheese, and traditional butter tea — an essential high-calorie beverage in cold climates. They are also used to plow fields and transport heavy loads across rugged terrain. These animals are adapted to cold climates and thrive when the average yearly temperature is below 5°C. But warming at higher elevations is altering vegetation patterns and degrading grazing lands. In many areas, cold-adapted alpine grasses are being displaced by hardy shrubs, while rainfall has become more intense and erratic, straining pasture quality and limiting the availability of nutritious forage. As a result, yaks are more prone to undernourishment, which in turn affects their health and milk production.
Climate change is also disrupting their reproductive patterns. The timing of the breeding season is closely linked to temperature, moisture, and pasture quality. In multiple regions, herders and researchers have reported that the breeding season has been delayed by up to two months due to warming temperatures and degraded pastures, contributing significantly to population decline. After the significant losses in Dolpo, communities had to use mules to carry butter from neighboring districts, which raised costs and labor. The decline in herding also threatens the cultural traditions passed down through generations of mountain families. As young people migrate in search of better opportunities and the herds disappear, many elders fear the erosion of identity tied to the land and livestock.
Yak meditating by Kiril Rusev via flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Tunisia, Algeria, Libya
The climate crisis and political upheaval fuels livestock smuggling in the Maghreb — Since 2017, Tunisia has endured increasingly severe climate change effects, including crippling droughts, declining rainfall, and shrinking dam reserves—particularly in regions bordering Algeria—which have undermined agricultural output and strained water supplies. This environmental crisis has been compounded by political turmoil under President Kais Saied, whose democratic backsliding and stagnant economic policies have deepened water and food insecurity across the country. As livestock numbers fell dramatically between 2015 and 2022, a thriving underground livestock trading network emerged: suppliers buy cattle and sheep at low prices in Tunisia and smuggle them across the border into Algeria via corrupt, or inadequately policed, routes. Some reports suggest around 250 cattle cross daily, and seizures in 2021–22 involved hundreds of animals worth over one million Tunisian dinars. This illicit trade not only deprives Tunisia of vital food supplies—contributing to a significant drop in milk production—but also erodes rural livelihoods and increases Tunisia’s political and economic dependence on Algeria, further isolating it in regional affairs.
Livestock trafficking is just one facet of a broader parallel economy. Informal cross‑border trade in subsidized gasoline, powdered milk, electronics, auto parts, and cosmetics thrives due to price disparities and weak governance. In response, Tunisia has joined with Algeria and Libya to develop a joint strategy aimed at curbing smuggling by launching border-region development projects, free-trade zones, and youth-led economic opportunities—seeking to transform illicit flows into regulated, sustainable commerce.
From storms to scarcity: Libya’s rising climate toll — Over the past decade, Libya has faced a dramatic escalation in climate-related challenges, particularly in the form of displacement, water stress, and failing infrastructure. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) skyrocketed from approximately 3,000 between 2011 and 2017 to nearly 59,000 between 2017 and 2023. This surge has been largely driven by extreme weather events, most notably Storm Daniel in September 2023. The storm devastated eastern Libya, especially the port city of Derna, displacing at least 34,000 people and leaving over 10,000 dead or missing. The catastrophic flooding was largely attributed to the collapse of the Derna and Abu Mansur dams—structures built in the 1970s and left in a deteriorated state. The damages and economic losses from the storm were estimated at close to $1.8 billion USD.
Despite the occurrence of flooding, Libya ranks among the top six most water-stressed countries globally. Projections indicate that water scarcity will worsen significantly by 2040, posing a major threat to national stability and livelihoods, particularly in the country’s southern regions where agriculture employs around a quarter of the population. Climate models predict that average temperatures in Libya will rise by 1.5 to 2°C by 2060, which could lead to a 30 percent drop in crop yields. The intersection of extreme weather events, severe water shortages, and failing infrastructure highlights the urgent need for comprehensive climate adaptation strategies and investment in resilient infrastructure across the country.
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Locations featured are chosen based on data from Climate Central's Climate Shift Index map. Some graphics used may also come from Climate Central's Climate Shift Index map. Any original analyses contained in this blog or any views expressed in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are solely the expression of its authors and are unaffiliated with Climate Central or any other entity or person referenced within.