Climate Trends and Impacts in 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.