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Near-Term Responses in a Changing Climate
Section 4
• Cryosphere-related changes in ﬂoods, landslides, and water 
availability have the potential to lead to severe consequences for 
people, infrastructure and the economy in most mountain regions 
(high conﬁdence). {WGII TS C.4.2}
• The projected increase in frequency and intensity of heavy 
precipitation (high conﬁdence) will increase rain-generated local 
ﬂooding (medium conﬁdence). {WGI Figure SPM.6, WGI SPM B.2.2; 
WGII TS C.4.5}
Multiple climate change risks will increasingly compound and 
cascade in the near term (high conﬁdence). Many regions are 
projected to experience an increase in the probability of compound 
events with higher global warming (high conﬁdence) including 
concurrent heatwaves and drought. Risks to health and food 
production will be made more severe from the interaction of sudden 
food production losses from heat and drought, exacerbated by heat-
induced labour productivity losses (high conﬁdence) (Figure 4.3). These 
interacting impacts will increase food prices, reduce household incomes, 
and lead to health risks of malnutrition and climate-related mortality 
with no or low levels of adaptation, especially in tropical regions (high 
conﬁdence). Concurrent and cascading risks from climate change to 
food systems, human settlements, infrastructure and health will make 
these risks more severe and more difﬁcult to manage, including when 
interacting with non-climatic risk drivers such as competition for land 
between urban expansion and food production, and pandemics (high 
conﬁdence). Loss of ecosystems and their services has cascading and 
long-term impacts on people globally, especially for Indigenous Peoples 
and local communities who are directly dependent on ecosystems, to 
meet basic needs (high conﬁdence).