1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
IranIsrael-Hamas warIndia elections
Nature and Environment

3 degrees on seven continents

January 5, 2016

What would life on the planet look like under 3-degree warming? From one location on each of the Earth's continents, multimedia reports take seven snapshots: of one specific climate change impact, and one response to it.

https://p.dw.com/p/1HYIx
Globe on dried earth
Image: picture-alliance/beyond/Tips RF

Climate change will have varying effects - and varied responses - around the world. In many places, the effects of climate change are already being felt. Taking one location on each of the Earth's continents, the DW environment desk paints a picture of a climate-changed future.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

A little hut in the blue-green ocean. (Photo: Heidi Fuller-Love, DW)

Will the Maldives be inundated?

With the sea-level rises expected by the end of this century, the Maldives' inhabitants could be displaced.
December 12, 2015
Bildergalerie Turkana Stamm aus Kenia

3 degrees, 7 continents: Kenya

In Kenya’s northern region, erratic weather is getting worse due to climate change. Drier periods are getting longer, rainfall patterns are changing, and water is scarce. It’s a scenario that’s already playing out across the Horn of Africa. So, what impact would a three degree temperature rise have?
October 29, 201506:00 min
A boat resting on dry land at the bottom of the Amazon River during drought in October 2015

Amazon: victim and executioner

Altered weather in the Amazon spells chaos for locals - with implications for ecosystems and further climate change.
December 5, 2015
Waldbrände in Australien

Living Planet: A hotter, drier Australia

Seasonal bushfires are a part of Australia's history and landscape. But scientists warn that they will become more severe and frequent with climate change. This year, the bushfire season has started early, with record heat waves recorded across the country. As Jennifer Macey reports, the early outbreak of bushfires could be a taste of what's to come.
November 5, 201507:37 min
UfaFabrik, Berlin (c) Anja Kueppers

Berlin's climate ambitions

Like many cities across Europe, Berlin is seeking out novel ways to reduce its carbon footprint.
November 27, 2015
Symbolbild Earth Day

Seven Continents: Building with climate change in Canada

Scientists warn that Earth’s rising temperature must be capped at two degrees above pre-industrial levels to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. But three degrees or more may be in store in northern latitudes. At the heart of North America, in Winnipeg, Canada, the public energy utility is responding…personally.
November 12, 201506:58 min
An Adelie penguin stands atop a block of melting ice near the French station at Dumont d'Urville in East Antarctica (Photo: REUTERS/Pauline Askin/Files)

The emperor has no ice

Climate change is endangering iconic Antarctic species - like the emperor penguin, which is facing dramatic decline.
November 20, 2015
Antarktis Treibeis Pinguin NEU

3 Degrees, 7 Continents: Antarctica

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent on earth. Despite its hostile conditions, the frozen continent is home to extraordinary wildlife, including penguins, seals and whales. As Antarctica's icy landscape is beginning to change, scientists predict that the iconic emperor penguins are in danger of dramatic declines by the end of the century.
November 19, 201505:51 min
Hydropower facility in Ontario, Canada

Building for a warming world

One Canadian utility has already developed a response to likely hydropower shortages resulting from climate change.
November 13, 2015
Begrüntes Dach Dachgrün Dachbegrünung

3 degrees, 7 continents: Europe

When it comes to preparing for a future in a warming world, Europe is often considered a leader, and that applies especially to Germany. The capital Berlin is famous for its hip nightlife and culture, but its also serious when it comes to being green. As Anja Kueppers found out when she visited the ufaFabrik, green thinking isn’t new to Berlin.
November 26, 201505:35 min
Backburning in Australia's Blue Mountains (Photo: Ian Brown)

Climate change fuels bushfires

Record-breaking heat, exacerbated by climate change, is leading to unprecedented bushfires in Australia.
November 6, 2015
Kuna Frauen Panama Archiv 2006

3 degrees, 7 continents: Latin America

The Kuna people from Panama have one of the best preserved tropical forests in Latin America, thanks to their strong land tenure rights and their traditional way of life. But since 2008, their forests have been at the center of a debate over climate change. The Kuna have become a model for other indigenous groups, as they try to figure out their rights and their futures, in a warming world.
December 3, 201507:38 min
Show more stories