Rise in Temperature Spells Doom for World Economy

Rise in temperature slows economy in poor countries, reveals a study by the World Bank. In a report, Turn Down The Heat, the World Bank predicts that Earth will be warmer by 4 degree C (7.2 degree Fahrenheit) by the end of this century. The study also predicts that economically poor and agriculturally dependent nations will be affected the most due to floods and drought.

The report, prepared by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics for World Bank, states that as the planet gets warmer, it will trigger intense heat waves and rise in the sea level, which will in turn have a drastic effect on food stocks and spell doom for hundreds of millions of people around the world, including India.

It further suggests that the whole world would suffer and the poor nations are likely to suffer the most. "A 4 degree warmer world can, and must be, avoided - we need to hold warming below 2 degrees," says World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

Kim also stresses that world leaders need to take measures to avoid such a situation and to reduce the effects. This staggering report has been  published  before the International Climate Change meet in Doha, Qatar, scheduled to take place end-November.

"Lack of action on climate change threatens to make the world our children inherit a completely different world than we are living in today. Climate change is one of the single biggest challenges facing development, and we need to assume the moral responsibility to take action on behalf of future generations, especially the poorest," he adds.

The report mentions about the agricultural impacts, melting of ice in Arctic region and Greenland, acidification of the oceans, and also states that the developing and under developing countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia and India could face climatic disasters.

Global warming and its effect is a chain reaction. Floods cause a burden on the economy of countries such as India and Bangladesh, where agriculture is the main livelihood. It also results in malnutrition, diseases and epidemics. Such rise in the temperature could be seen every year from here on and also the effects of these would not be the same for all parts of the world.