ADB warns about climate change impact on B'desh
Thursday, 3 September 2009
FE Report
The Asian Development Bank Wednesday said Bangladesh and three other South Asian countries are vulnerable to falling crop yields caused by glacier retreat, floods, droughts, erratic rainfall and other climate change impacts.
A study of the Manila-based lending agency has warned that if the current trends persist until 2050, the crop production in South Asia would decline significantly- rice by 10 per cent, maize by 17 per cent and wheat by 12 per cent-because of climate change-induced heat and water problems.
"Resulting food scarcity will lead to higher prices and reduced calorie intake across the region. Under this scenario, per capita calorie availability in 2050 will be below the levels recorded in 2000," the ADB said.
Melting Himalayan glaciers and other climate change impacts pose a direct threat to the water and food security of more than 1.6 billion people in South Asia, said the preliminary findings of the ADB study.
Analysing current trends and scenarios based on projected temperature increases, the study titled "Addressing Climate Change in Asia and Pacific Region: Building Climate Resilience in the Agriculture Sector", has made the warnings for Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India and Nepal.
The preliminary findings of the ADB study were disclosed in a conference in Nepal Wednesday. The 67-member lending agency would launch the study officially on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting to be held in Bangkok in late September.
Almost half the world's absolute poor live in South Asia, where they tend to depend on rain-fed agriculture and live in settlements that are highly exposed to climate variability.
The Asian Development Bank Wednesday said Bangladesh and three other South Asian countries are vulnerable to falling crop yields caused by glacier retreat, floods, droughts, erratic rainfall and other climate change impacts.
A study of the Manila-based lending agency has warned that if the current trends persist until 2050, the crop production in South Asia would decline significantly- rice by 10 per cent, maize by 17 per cent and wheat by 12 per cent-because of climate change-induced heat and water problems.
"Resulting food scarcity will lead to higher prices and reduced calorie intake across the region. Under this scenario, per capita calorie availability in 2050 will be below the levels recorded in 2000," the ADB said.
Melting Himalayan glaciers and other climate change impacts pose a direct threat to the water and food security of more than 1.6 billion people in South Asia, said the preliminary findings of the ADB study.
Analysing current trends and scenarios based on projected temperature increases, the study titled "Addressing Climate Change in Asia and Pacific Region: Building Climate Resilience in the Agriculture Sector", has made the warnings for Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India and Nepal.
The preliminary findings of the ADB study were disclosed in a conference in Nepal Wednesday. The 67-member lending agency would launch the study officially on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting to be held in Bangkok in late September.
Almost half the world's absolute poor live in South Asia, where they tend to depend on rain-fed agriculture and live in settlements that are highly exposed to climate variability.