Drought that has hammered Syria, Iraq and Iran was exacerbated by climate change

Scientists with the World Weather Attribution group found that extreme temperatures dramatically increased the likelihood of the drought that has fueled a humanitarian crisis.

The drought conditions that have roiled Syria, Iraq and Iran over the past three years would not have happened without climate change, a new analysis suggests.

Scientists with the World Weather Attribution group analyzed three years of temperature and precipitation data and found that climate change contributed to extreme temperatures, which in turn made drought at least 25 times more likely in parts of Syria and Iraq, and over 16 times more likely in Iran.

The study shows how climate change is playing a role in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, combining with political chaos and conflict to push people into hunger and forcing many to flee their homes.