Rwanda could experience more extreme weather patterns especially flooding and landslides in the next one or two decades as global warming continues to wreak havoc.

The forecast is based on the fact that global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius will be exceeded during the 21st century unless there are deep reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades. This is according to a report published by the UN-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Experts say that an increase in the average global temperature will make Rwanda’s cities hotter, exposing residents to heat stress. Local average temperatures in Rwanda have already increased by at least 1.4 degrees since the 1970s, so a global average of 1.5 degrees will mean even higher increases in Rwanda, experts say.

According to Patrick Karera, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, data by IPCC reminds every one of the imperative for climate action.

Read more: The New Times