Asia and the Pacific prone to Climate Change

Kathmandu, July 14:

Unabated climate change would bring devastating consequences to countries in Asia and the Pacific, which could severely affect their future growth, reverse current development gains, and degrade quality of life, according to a report produced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

The report, A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, has stated some countries in the region could experience significantly hotter climates, with temperature increases in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the northwest part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) projected to reach 8 degree Celsius.

“The increase in temperature would lead to drastic changes in the region’s weather system, agriculture and fisheries, land and marine biodiversity, domestic and regional security, trade, urban development, migration, and health. Such a scenario may even pose an existential threat to some countries in the region and crush any hope of achieving sustainable and inclusive development,” read the report.

ADB’s Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantonop said that the global climate crisis was arguably the biggest challenge human civilization faces in the 21^st century, with the Asia and Pacific region at the heart of it all.

“Home to two-thirds of the world’s poor and regarded as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, countries in Asia and the Pacific are at the highest risk of plummeting into deeper poverty — and disaster — if mitigation and adaptation efforts are not quickly and strongly implemented,” he said.

PIK director Joachim Schellnhuber said that the greenhouse gas emissions had to be reduced below 2 degree Celsius in order to save the region from climate disasters.

According to the report, climate change would make food production in the region more difficult and send production costs higher. It warned that in some countries of Southeast Asia, rice yields could decline by up to 50 per cent by 2100 if no adaptation efforts were made.

Similarly, climate change could affect marine ecosystems, health condition of people, and also disrupt functioning ecosystem services as well as endanger energy supply.

To mitigate the impact of climate change, the report has recommended public and private investments focused on the rapid decarboinsation of the Asian economy.

“Climate mitigation and adaptation efforts should also be mainstreamed into macro-level regional development strategies and micro-level project planning in all sectors, in addition to the ongoing renewable energy and technology innovation efforts in urban infrastructure and transport,” read the report.