14 July 2017: The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), issued a report titled, ‘A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific,’ highlighting the severity of consequences of unabated climate change. The publication warns that while a global average temperature increase of 1.5-2°C will pose significant challenges to the region, the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, associated with a global average temperature rise of around 4°C, would render adaptation efforts ineffective.

To manage climate change risks for Asia and the Pacific and provide opportunities for directing regional economies towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient pathway, the report calls for, inter alia, a rapid decarbonization of the economy through renewable energy projects and technological innovation in urban infrastructure and transport. It also calls for adaptation measures to protect the most vulnerable populations and mainstreaming mitigation and adaptation into macro-level regional development strategies and micro-level project planning in all sectors. [A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific] [Publication Landing Page] [ADB Press Release]