What are probable impacts of climate change in Asia and the Pacific?
Scientists have concluded that global warming will result in an increase in average global surface temperature. This will affect rainfall patterns, evaporation, cloud formation, surface temperature, and sea levels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Asia and Pacific’s subregions and ecosystems will be affected in different ways: • Arid regions dependent upon dryland agriculture, such as in many Central Asian countries and western PRC, will face increased risks from drought. • Small islands, such as the Cook Islands and Tuvalu, will be threatened from sea level rise, shortages in freshwater, and frequency and intensity of storms. • Densely populated coastal deltas, such as those in Bangladesh, will be subject to increased flooding. • Rivers dependent on glacial melt from mountain ecosystems, such as many in India, will be altered or dry up altogether. • Tropical forested areas with high biodiversity, such as those in Indonesia, will experience increased extincti
