Pollution has always been a part of man's life what with even the smallest of choices made. Now, pollution is a head ache that the world faces, and to some degree, is a neglected problem because of the changes associated to reducing it.

There are a lot of negative effects that come with pollution, and according to a new study led by a group of researchers from the University of Maryland, there is another reason why pollution should be reduced.

Based on researchers' findings, particulate matter such as aerosols, soot, dust, and other small particles in the atmosphere are affecting cloud development, making dry places experience less rain and wet regions experience more intense rains, storms, and snowfall.

The effects of these small particles have been observed using a 10-year dataset of extensive atmosphere measurements from the U.S. Southern Great Plains research facility in Oklahoma. The effects of the particles, which stem from pollution, have affected clouds' height and thickness, as well as changing precipitation, frequency and intensity.

Zhanquing Li, professor of atmospheric and oceanic science at Maryland and the study's lead author, said that these findings of long-term impacts are significant in policy implications for sustainable development and water resources especially for countries who are vulnerable to extreme events such as droughts and floods.

Researchers pointed out that particulate matter mostly from air pollution have an impact on both the heating and phase changes of clouds, and thanks to this study done by Li, the net effect of particulate matter has now been determined.

Countries at Risk

Having affected the clouds and its amount of rain, along with other things such as snowfall, countries, if not, continents, are bound to suffer from the consequences of pollution and climate change, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Africa, which is already known to suffer from climate stresses, is vulnerable to floods and droughts which can occur in the same area within months. These catastrophic events lead to famine and widespread disruption of socio-economic well-being. In fact, Africa is so vulnerable that reports say that one-third of its population is already in drought-prone areas.

For Asia, changes in cloud could exacerbate the effects of climate change which is already affecting some of the countries water security. While some will have reduced rain, some countries under Asia are predicted to have increased rainfall which will contribute to more floods. On the other side of the globe, Latin America, home to the Amazon, is also exposed to greater risk of floods, which can also lead to soil erosion and mudslides.

Small Island Developing States are even more at risk than continents when it comes to the effect in cloud development and climate change. It is projected that the agricultural sector of SIDS will suffer from extended periods of drought, beside the concern of rising water levels.