Climate Change Impacts

Overall, the entire Asian continent is expected to raise in temperature over the next century. There are going to be many individual years and seasons that we would consider extremely warm by today's standards. Winter and summer precipitation are expected to increase everywhere except for central Asia, as are tornado-related extreme rainfall and winds. North and East Asia are expected to see the largest and most consistent increase in annual precipitation. In Central Asia, where there is a projected decrease in mean precipitation, there is supposed to be an increase in the frequency of very dry spring, summer and autumn seasons.

Glacier melt in the Himalayas is expected to increase flooding and rock avalanches, and will affect water resources within the next two to three decades. River flows will decrease as the glaciers recede, which will affect freshwater availability in Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia. Flooding from the sea and some rivers will put coastal areas at risk. Crop yields could increase up to 20% in East and South-East Asia and decrease up to 30% in Central and South Asia by the mid-21st century. Deadly diarrhoeal disease associated with floods and droughts are expected to rise in East, South and Southeast Asia.

Climate change is likely to affect agriculture, risk of hunger and water resource scarcity. Sea-level rise and temperature increases are likely to affect marine and coastal ecosystems. Around one million people along the coasts of South and South-East Asia will likely be at risk from flooding. The stability of wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs around Asia is likely to be increasingly threatened, with between 24% and 30% of the reefs in Asia projected to be lost during the next 10-30 years. Climate change is also expected to affect forest expansion and migration. There is likely to be an increased risk of extinction for many flora and fauna species in Asia due to habitat fragmentation.

Asia's most interesting threat to me is the loss of water resources. Water is the most important resource for humans and would therefore cause the most problems if stress from water shortage starts to affect people. Tensions could mount over fresh water availability. Water contamination would cause widespread diseases and further limit drinkable water. Less water for agriculture means less food.

Projected conditions over the world. Many parts of Asia are expected to be dry. Source

Effects of drought. Source