Map of Climate Change Hotspots

Will A River Still Run Through It?

Around the world, climate change is melting glaciers that feed major rivers, contributing to drought-induced hydroelectricity blackouts, and threatening the water supply and river resources of billions of people. As major rivers worldwide experience dramatic changes in flow due to dams, their natural ability to adjust to and absorb disturbances decreases. Rather than being part of the solution, dirty dams are too often a big part of the problem.

Here we present a some key climate change impacts that threaten the world’s rivers and the people who depend on them. This map is updated quarterly. If you would like to suggest other important cases to add to the map, please add a comment below.

Click on the image above to view the interactive map. 

Key:

Droughts, high temperatures
Glacial melt, risk of glacial lake outburst floods
Floods, coastal storms and rising sea levels
Indicates key areas where multiple climate change impacts or climate-related activities are occurring 
More information: 

A version of this was published in World Rivers Review, December 2009 issue (which focused on climate change)