Special report | The challenge of the age
The world has to adapt to the climate change it will not avoid
And poor countries will need help to do so
“Barren” does not begin to describe Abu Ayman’s small patch of land in southern Iraq. The sun pounds down, sometimes pushing the temperature above 50°C (122°F). Dry earth and withered weeds crackle underfoot. It used to be a palm plantation, but no trees remain—just rows of untopped trunks. Of uneven height and listing at odd angles, they look like ruined columns from some grand old temple, razed by long-forgotten calamity.
This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “The challenge of the age”
From the November 5th 2022 edition
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