"Rapidly Warming Mediterranean Headed for Desertification, Study Warns"

"Even with 2 degrees of global warming, the current global goal, desertification would overtake parts of this lush and vibrant region."

"If the Earth warms much more than it already has, the climate and ecosystems of the Mediterranean region might suddenly become unrecognizable, according to a new study.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, found that even if warming is constrained to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times—which is the central goal of the Paris climate agreement—the Mediterranean region would see changes never experienced during recorded history.
With 2 degrees of warming, Morocco, for instance, would see increased temperatures and drought that would drive the southern deserts further north, displacing forests. Deserts would expand in the Middle East, too, pushing temperate forests higher into the mountains."

Sabrina Shankman reports for InsideClimate News October 27, 2016.