Explanation:
In terms of actual warming, we tend to think about climate change as affecting the polar regions most. And it’s true, the Arctic, in particular, is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth. But the temperature in the polar latitudes is also more naturally variable than the temperature in the tropics; it’s not unusual to have wild swings from relatively warm to relatively cold years in the high latitudes. Because temperatures in many tropical countries are relatively stable from year-to-year, even a little bit of warming is very noticeable.
But climate change isn’t just about temperature. Scientists have detected a human “fingerprint” on droughts in California and the Middle East. We’ve identified human contributions to flood events, most notably Hurricane Harvey, which dumped a record amount of water on Houston. If you’re vulnerable to floods, droughts, heat waves or hurricanes, climate change will probably make you more vulnerable.
The ability to adapt to climate change depends on more than just climate. Governance, resources and exposure together determine climate risk. Most studies that have assessed vulnerability to climate change have found that least-developed countries will be the most affected, despite having done the least to cause the problem.
