Climate change adaptation at local level

On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published the second installment of its Fifth Assessment Report and delivered a strong warning that climate change is already affecting every continent, and that all people are vulnerable to extreme weather events. It also warned water scarcity will worsen as water supplies are being affected by the changes in precipitation, temperature and radiation.

Regarding China's situation, yields of winter wheat, a strain of the grain planted in the fall, could be benefiting from warming temperatures and higher precipitation in places such as the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, a large alluvial area in northern China with deposits from the Yellow River and Huai Hai. However, yields of rice are projected to decrease in eastern China and elsewhere in Asia.

Climate change is also challenging China's water supplies and this is being exacerbated by the country's growing population, which is increasing the demand for water, particularly in northern China. With population numbers projected to increase and lifestyles shifting, it is not clear how it will be possible for everyone in this country to get enough healthy food and clean water.