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Sat 03 Mar 2007Infrastructure at risk warningClimate change is threatening vital infrastructure such as road and rail networks, water and energy systems, and healthcare, and the damage is set to worsen, the world's leading climate scientists will warn next week.The damage will occur even as some regions, such as Ireland and Britain, northern Europe and parts of the Americas, enjoy some of the benefits from global warming. Areas that now have cold climates will experience longer growing seasons and a greater variety of crops, as well as becoming more attractive to tourists. However, warmer regions, such as southern Europe, the US south and parts of Asia, will suffer lower agricultural yields, droughts and the spread of human, animal and plant diseases, the scientists are expected to conclude. On Monday in Brussels, the world's leading climate scientists will meet to finalise their findings on the impact of global warming in the form of a report, six years in the making and drawing on the work of more than 2,500 experts.