Monday 20 February 2023

‘China at high risk to climate impacts’

More than three-quarters of the regions most at risk from climate change are in China.

That’s according to a study by XDI, revealing that some of the world’s most critical manufacturing cites are within these regions and under threat from extreme weather.

China houses 16 of the 20 regions most vulnerable to climate change in the world. Jiangsu province is the most at risk, followed by Shandong, Hebei and Henan.

The US comes second for the highest number of regions at risk, followed by India.

More than 2,600 regions were assessed in the research, looking at historic damage experienced since 1990 with impacts by 2050, based on predictive scenarios created by the IPCC.

Karl Mallon, who worked on the study, explained the impact this could have on the economy: “Folks who are looking to build a factory, establish a supply chain that involves those states and provinces are going to think twice about where they are.

“There is a lot to be done to work out which areas in the world are potentially adaptable and defendable and which are probably the areas we will see abandoned in due course.”

Aside from regions and provinces, some of the largest cities deemed vulnerable to the climate crisis are Buenos Aires, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta.

China’s enormous industry and level of exports means the areas’ susceptibility to extreme weather could also have the greatest impact on the global economy.