Climate change is happening. These real, observable changes are what we call climate change impacts because they are the visible ways that climate change is affecting the Earth. For example, many places have experienced changes in rainfall, more frequent natural disasters such as more severe droughts in many regions. Deserts are expanding reducing land for growing food, while heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common.

The planet’s oceans and glaciers have also experienced changes — oceans are warming and the increased warming in the Arctic has contributed to melting permafrost, glacial retreat and sea ice loss cause sea levels to rise, threatening coastal and island communities.