Climate Trends and Impacts in China

• Main Author: Sall, Chris
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2013
• Subjects: ABS; ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT; ADVERSE EFFECTS; AEROSOLS; AGRICULTURE; AGROMETEOROLOGY; AIR; AIR CONDITIONING; ANNUAL PRECIPITATION; APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY; ATMOSPHERE; ATMOSPHERIC CONCENTRATIONS; ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES; BAROMETRIC PRESSURE; BASINS; BIODIVERSITY; BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; BIOLOGY; BIOMASS; BURNING COAL; CASE STUDIES; CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE; CHIEF SCIENTIST; CLIMATE; CLIMATE CHANGE; CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION; CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT; CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT; CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH; CLIMATE CHANGES; CLIMATE CONDITIONS; CLIMATE DATA; CLIMATE DYNAMICS; CLIMATE EXTREMES; CLIMATE IMPACT; CLIMATE IMPACT RESEARCH; CLIMATE MODELING; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATE PREDICTION; CLIMATE PROJECTIONS; CLIMATE RESEARCH; CLIMATE RISK; CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT; CLIMATE RISKS; CLIMATE SCENARIO; CLIMATE SCIENCE; CLIMATE STABILIZATION; CLIMATE SYSTEM; CLIMATE SYSTEM MODEL; CLIMATE TRENDS; CLIMATE VARIABILITY; CLIMATE WARMING; CLIMATIC CHANGES; CLIMATIC RESEARCH; CLIMATOLOGY; CLOUDINESS; CO; CO2; COAST; COASTAL AREAS; COASTAL RESEARCH; COASTAL ZONES; COASTS; COLORS; CONSERVATION; CONSTRUCTION; CONVECTION; CORAL REEFS; CROPLAND; CROPS; DAILY TEMPERATURE; DAMAGES; DAMS; DATA SETS; DATA SOURCES; DESALINATION; DESERTIFICATION; DESERTS; DRAINAGE; DROUGHT; DUST; ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEM; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRICITY GENERATION; EMISSION; EMISSION SCENARIOS; EMISSIONS; EMISSIONS SCENARIO; EMISSIONS SCENARIOS; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; EROSION CONTROL; EVAPORATION; EVAPOTRANSPIRATION; EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS; EXTREME EVENTS; EXTREME HEAT; EXTREME PRECIPITATION; EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS; EXTREME TEMPERATURE; EXTREME TEMPERATURE EVENTS; EXTREME TEMPERATURES; EXTREME WEATHER; EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS; FERTILIZATION; FLOODING; FLOODPLAINS; FLOODS; FOREST; FOREST ECOSYSTEMS; FOREST FIRE; FOREST FIRES; FOREST SUCCESSION; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FRESHWATER; FROST; FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE; GCM; GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL; GLACIAL MELTWATER; GLACIERS; GLOBAL CLIMATE; GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE; GLOBAL CLIMATE MODEL; GLOBAL WARMING; GRASSLANDS; GREENHOUSE; GREENHOUSE GAS; GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS; GREENHOUSE GASES; GROUNDWATER; GROWING SEASON; HAIL; HIGH TEMPERATURES; HOUSING; HUMAN ACTIVITY; HURRICANES; HYDROLOGICAL MODEL; HYDROLOGICAL MODELS; HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES; HYDROLOGY; ICE; ICE SHEET; IMPACT OF CLIMATE; IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE; IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE; INCOME; INSURANCE; INTENSE RAINFALL; INTENSE STORMS; INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE; INTERNATIONAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE; IPCC; LAND AREAS; LAND DEGRADATION; LAND SUBSIDENCE; LAND USE; LONG-TERM CLIMATE CHANGE; MANGROVES; MARINE BIOTA; MELTING GLACIERS; METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION; METEOROLOGY; MICROBES; MONSOONS; NATIONAL CLIMATE; NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE; NATIONAL SCALE; NEGATIVE IMPACTS; NONPOINT SOURCE; OZONE; PHYSICS; PLANTATION; POLLUTANTS; POWER PLANTS; PRECIPITATION; PRECIPITATION EVENTS; PRECIPITATION PATTERNS; PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITY OF WATER; RAIN; RAINFALL; RAINY DAYS; RANGES; REGIONAL CLIMATE; REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE; REGIONAL CLIMATE MODEL; REGIONAL CLIMATE SCENARIOS; RESERVOIRS; RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE; RIVER; RUNOFF; SAND; SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT; SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE; SCIENTISTS; SEA LEVEL RISE; SEA-LEVEL; SEA-LEVEL RISE; SEASONAL PRECIPITATION; SOLAR RADIATION; SPECIES; STORM SURGES; STORMS; SUMMER RAINFALL; SURFACE RUNOFF; SURFACE TEMPERATURES; SURFACE WATER; SURFACE WATERS; TEMPERATURE; TEMPERATURE CHANGE; TEMPERATURE CHANGES; TEMPERATURE EXTREMES; TEMPERATURE RANGE; TEMPERATURES; TOPOGRAPHY; TROPICAL CYCLONES; TROPICAL STORMS; TYPHOONS; VARIABILITY IN RAINFALL; VARIABILITY OF RAINFALL; VEGETATION; VEGETATIVE COVER; VEGETATIVE GROWTH; WARMER TEMPERATURES; WATER TREATMENT; WAVES; WETLANDS; WIND; WIND DAMAGE; WIND EROSION; WIND SPEEDS; WINDS; Pacific; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17558; http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/09/19102138/climate-trends-impacts-china

This discussion paper summarizes observed and projected trends in extreme weather events, present-day climate variability, and future climate change and their impacts on China's different regions. Findings are presented from China's national assessment report on climate change (2007) and second national assessment report on climate change (2011) as well as other studies by Chinese and international experts. In addition to reviewing the physical climate science, the paper also looks at trends in economic damages in China from weather related hazards. The paper serves as background for a series of discussion papers on climate risk management and adaptation in China. The growing body of scientific evidence shows that China's climate is indeed changing, especially when climate is viewed at the regional level. Temperatures are rising, precipitation regimes are changing, and shifts have occurred in the distribution of extreme weather events. The effects of extreme weather events, present-day climate variability, and future climate change cut across many different sectors of China's economy. China's government estimates that direct economic losses from extreme weather events cost the country 1 to 3 percent of gross domestic product each year. As China's economy continues to grow, its exposure to weather-related hazards is expected to heighten, especially without policies to limit building in hazardous areas such as floodplains and alleviate non-climate pressures such as overuse of freshwater resources. Effective risk management policies and investments are crucial to reducing the sensitivity and increasing the resilience of the country to extreme weather, climate variability, and long-term climate change.