Experts at a major climate change conference in Brussels have warned that those countries least equipped to deal with the impact of global warming will be hit hardest. In a soon to be published report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists for the first time have used empirical data to prove the effect of climate change on poor countries. The stark findings of the report include:

• Up to 250 million Africans could face water shortages by 2020, while agriculture fed by rainfall could decrease by 50% in some African countries
• Crop yields could increase by 20% in East and Southeast Asia by 2020, but could fall by up to 30% in Central and South Asia
• 20-30% of all plant and animal species will be at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C
• Glaciers and snow cover are expected to decline which will reduce water availability in countries reliant on melt water

The report draws on more than 29,000 pieces of data to reach its findings and is the second in a series of IPCC reports coming out this year.

The first instalment of the report, on the science of climate change, was released in February and concluded it was at least 90% likely that human activities have caused the warming observed since 1950.

A third and fourth (summary) report are also due later this year.

Those countries most responsible for creating the global warming effect (countries in North America, Europe and North East Asia), are likely to suffer least from global warming, with increasing temperatures raising crop yields and reducing the number of deaths resulting from freezing.