Читать книгу Climate Change For Dummies - Elizabeth May - Страница 24

More people call Asia home than any other continent — 4.7 billion in all. This high population, combined with the fact that most of Asia’s countries are developing, means that a lot of people won’t be able to sufficiently adapt to climate change impacts. As in Africa, climate change will bring pressures to the continent that will slow down development.

Here are some impending concerns for many parts of the continent:

 Future availability of drinkable water: This has been and continues to be a major problem because of population growth, pollution, and low or no sanitation. The IPCC projects that anywhere from 120 million to 1.2 billion people may find themselves without enough drinkable water within the next 42 years, depending on the severity of climate change. Already, rising temperatures are causing glaciers in the Himalayas to melt. These disappearing glaciers, which are the water supply to 2 billion people, are also contributing to increased avalanches and flooding.

 Rising sea levels for coastal Asia: The IPCC reports that mangroves, coral reefs, and wetlands will be harmed by higher sea levels and warming water temperatures. Unfortunately, this slightly salty water won’t be good for freshwater organisms, as a whole. (See Chapter 8 for more about the impact global warming will have on the oceans.)

 Illnesses: They’re also expected to rise because of global warming. Warmer seawater temperatures could also mean more, and more intense, cases of cholera. Scientists project that people in South and Southeast Asia will experience more cases of diarrheal disease, which can be fatal. (Chapter 9 offers more information about how global warming might increase the environmental conditions that promote the spread of diseases.)