Asian Development Bank (ADB). Department of External Relations.25 November 2011.The region has 58% of the world’s population, but only 20% of its land, and 33% of its water resources. Climate change impacts are likely to exacerbate environmental poverty, affecting millions of Asians who already live below the poverty line.
Climate change impacts on food, water and livelihood security will be tremendous. Under a business-as-usual scenario, crop yields from irrigated agriculture may decline substantially by 2050: rice by 14%–20%; wheat by 32%–44%; maize by 2%–5%; and soybeans by 9%–18%.
A troubling gap between water supply and basic demands is predicted as a result of climate change—potentially up to 40% by 2030.
Global demand for food is likely to double by 2050, and the ability to meet this demand without sharp price increases is hindered by adverse impacts of climate change.
For poor people who must spend more than half of their total budget on food alone, higher prices seriously erode their purchasing power. An additional 64 million Asians are predicted to be dragged into poverty if domestic food prices jump 10%.
More than 60% of the region’s 4.2 billion people are in the climate-sensitive sectors of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry and will have their livelihoods threatened.
Small island nations of the Pacific, the Maldives, and other low-lying coastal areas are witnessing measureable encroachment of the sea due to rising sea-levels, which is affecting fresh water availability and increasing coastal erosion.
With about two-thirds of natural disasters already weather-related, climate change will lead to even greater economic losses and suffering, particularly among the poor, as it will result in more intense and frequent extreme events.
Climate-induced migration may become more common, particularly in ―hot spots‖ where human settlements are at relatively high risk to climate change impacts: coasts, river deltas, low-lying small islands, and arid Central and West Asia, East Asia, and South Asia.
In the absence of a significant shift towards low-carbon development of the power and transport sectors, Asia is expected to contribute 45% of global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 while emissions from the transport sector will double between 2008 and 2030.
Around 17% of total annual global GHG emissions come from forests. In Southeast Asia, 75% of emissions are due to land use change and poor forest management.
But ADB’s member countries in Southeast Asia have the greatest potential for sequestering carbon through avoided deforestation and improved land use. They are thus a primary target of ―REDD+‖ financing.
ADB supports member countries’ efforts to significantly lower GHG emissions and adapt to climate change impacts.
ADB has a target of at least $1 billion annually in clean energy investments, and in 2011, the figure is expected to be more than $1.8 billion.
ADB’s climate change interventions over the last three years spanned more than 110 projects in over 40 countries, involving an investment of about $10 billion.
Between 2009 and August 2011, ADB also provided nearly $250 million in technical assistance support to its developing member countries to improve knowledge and capacities, support policy and institutional development, and build the climate resilience of investments likely to be impacted by climate change.
