INCHEON: Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said here that climate change was expected to have severe impacts in CAREC region which includes Central Asia, Mongolia, Pakistan, China and South Caucasus.

Addressing press conference while launching study here at sidelines of 56th ADB annual meeting, he urged Central and West Asia and its neghbouring countries to address increasingly severe impacts of climate change that could lead to water scarcity, food insecurity and even conflict in region.

Supporting regional actions to address climate change is scoping study on climate challenges and opportunities in member countries of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Programme.

According to report year 2022 has witnessed particularly dramatic and deadly examples of impacts of climate change in region, including devastating floods in Pakistan, punishing droughts in Afghanistan and China, days and even weeks of excessive heat and cross-border conflict over scarce water resources in Central Asia.

Zhukov e said countries in region must work together to cut greenhouse gas emissions, ramp up climate resilience and manage precious, shared natural resources for good of all. Higher-than-average temperature rises are likely to lead to greater water scarcity, expanded desertification and more extreme weather events like floods and droughts, according to study.

He said in Central Asia, water supply gap of 37 percent will occur by 2050 unless irrigation systems and other critical water infrastructure are upgraded and modernised. This gap could lead to lower agricultural productivity, more food insecurity, worse health outcomes and potential conflicts over scarce resources.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 06 2023

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