In South Asia, there are many climate-related challenges, such as loss of biodiversity and monsoon floods. Although the region is not a large contributor of global CO2 emission, the inhabitants are facing imminent threats to their welfare due to extreme climatic events (Mbah et al. 2022). According to Agarwal et al. (2021), while substantial progress is being made in both mitigation and adaptation, there remains scope to adopt a more cohesive strategy to achieve the region’s goals including by improving the monitoring and tracking of adaptation spending, and by laying the groundwork to equitably increase the effective price of carbon while protecting low-income and vulnerable households in the region.
Table of Contents
Frequent Climatic Events
South Asia is the home to more than 600 million of the world’s absolute poor. These individuals will be most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. As critical sectors such as water, energy, and agriculture are affected, efforts at poverty alleviation and economic development are also threatened (ADB, 2015). The region is living through a “new climate normal” in which intensifying heat waves, cyclones, droughts, and floods that are testing the limits of government, businesses, and citizens to adapt. More than half of all South Asians were affected by one or more climate-related disasters in the last two decades. The changing climate could sharply diminish living conditions in the region (World Bank, 2023).
Climate Change Vulnerabilities
Climate change vulnerability in South Asian region is more severe as there are continuous poverty and food insecurity with high population growth and natural resource degradation. In South Asia, it is observed variable climatic conditions across sectors, locations, and populations, characterised by rising air temperatures and increasing trend in the intensity and frequency of extreme climatic events over the last century (Sivakumar and Stefanski, 2010). It has a long history of climate depletions in South Asia. It has started by the fall of Indus civilization as soil and water resource degradation caused by the deforestation. The population of South Asia is significantly influencing the regional and global climate over the years by deforestation, land use conversion and biomass burning, and fossil fuel combustion (Lal, 2010).
The long-term effects of crop production in South Asia are assessed by Chandio et al. (2023). They found that climatic variables, including temperature and CO2 emissions, negatively affected crop production. Conversely, it is found that precipitation positively affects crop production in the long run. It is predicted to have major consequences of climate change in South Asia. Because the regions have most diverse ecosystems, topographies, and climate regimes in the world. The lives and livelihoods of the inhabitants of South Asia is already suffered by the intense and frequent incidences of droughts, floods, heat waves and cyclones (Ahmed et al. 2019).
Types of Extreme Climatic Events and Frequencies in South Asia
South Asian countries are the victims of frequent extreme climatic events in recent years. The most frequent climatic events are flood, storm, drought, extreme temperature, earthquake, landslide, and glacial lake outburst. It is found from figure 6 that for the period of 1995 to 2023, flood is the topmost climatic event in South Asia. There were more than 25 flood events between 2005 and 2007 in South Asian countries whereas more than 20 flood events are observed in 2021. It is also observed that storm is consistently happening and devastating the physical and financial condition of South Asian countries.
Source: Authors Calculation from EM-DAT Data
Distribution of South Asian Countries According to the Damages (‘000$) from Climatic Events
As a result of these frequent climatic events, South Asian countries have incurred significant damages physically and financially. In terms of damages in US dollars, India is mostly affected. Due to frequent climatic events, in 2021 India has lost more that 25 million US dollars (following figure). It is found from figure 7 that between 1995 and 2023, almost in every year South Asian countries have incurred damages due to extreme climatic shocks.
Source: Authors Calculation from EM-DAT Data
It is found that India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are the mostly affected parties in South Asia financially. When describing the physical and financial damages of extreme climatic events in South Asia, it is found from the following table that from 1995 to 2023, a total of more than 148 billion people affected by different extreme climatic events whereas 780 people were dead, 271 people were injured, 113 people were homeless. It is also observed that South Asian countries have incurred damages of more than 17 billion US dollars whereas flood and storm are the most devastating disasters.
Conclusion
What are the common climatic events in South Asia?
The most frequent climatic events are flood, storm, drought, extreme temperature, earthquake, landslide, and glacial lake outburst. It is found from figure 6 that for the period of 1995 to 2023, flood is the topmost climatic event in South Asia. There were more than 25 flood events between 2005 and 2007 in South Asian countries whereas more than 20 flood events are observed in 2021. It is also observed that storm is consistently happening and devastating the physical and financial condition of Soth Asian countries.
What are the damages of climate change in South Asian countries?
It is found that India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are the mostly affected parties in South Asia financially. When describing the physical and financial damages of extreme climatic events in South Asia, it is found that from 1995 to 2023, a total of more than 148 billion people affected by different extreme climatic events whereas 780 people were dead, 271 people were injured, 113 people were homeless. It is also observed that South Asian countries have incurred damages of more than 17 billion US dollars whereas flood and storm are the most devastating disasters.
About the Author
