IPCC Special Report on
1.5oC regional
perspectives - Asia
Strengthening the global
response in the context ofsustainable development

Joyashree Roy, Bangabandhu Chair Professor
0Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
5th Dec. 2018, at COP24 WMO/IPCC Pavilion

The report in numbers

91 Authors from 40 Countries
133 Contributing authors
6000 Studies

1 113 Reviewers

42 001 Comments

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Key findings
Climate change is already affecting
people, ecosystems and livelihoods allaround the world. Every bit of warming
matters

Limiting warming to 1.5°C is not
impossible
butwouldrequire
unprecedented transitions in all aspectsof society
There are clear benefits to keeping
warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C , orhigher.
Limiting warming to 1.5°C can go handin-hand with achieving other world
goals, such as achieving sustainable
developments and eradicating poverty

Impacts of global warming
1.5°C
At 1.5°C compared to 2°C• Less extreme weather where people
live, including extreme heat andrainfall• By 2100, global mean sea level rise
will be around 10 cm lower but may
continue to rise for centuries• 10 million fewer people exposed torisk of rising seas
Jason Florio / Aurora Photos

3Impacts of global warming
1.5°C
At 1.5°C compared to 2°C:

• Lower impact on biodiversity andspecies• Smaller reductions in yields ofmaize, rice, wheat• Global population exposed toincreased water shortages is up to50% lessAndre Seale / Aurora Photos

4Impacts of global warming
1.5°C
At 1.5°C compared to 2°C:

• Lower risk to fisheries and thelivelihoods that depend on them
• Up to several hundred million fewerpeople exposed to climate-related
risk and susceptible to poverty by2050
Natalie Behring / Aurora Photos

52Strengthening the Global Response in theContext of Sustainable Development andEfforts to Eradicate Poverty: Special
Reference to Asia

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Impacts of global warming 1.5°C
Local yields are projected to decrease in major foodproducing areas South-East Asia, South-Asia.
Adaptation options that include conservation
agriculture, improved livestock management,
increasing irrigation efficiency, agroforestry andmanagement of food loss and waste,complementary adaptation and mitigation options,for example, the use of climate services, bioenergy,
biotechnology can also serve to reduce emissions
intensity and the carbon footprint of foodproduction.
Natalie Behring / Aurora Photos

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Poverty Impact
At approximately 1.5°C (2030), climate change will
be a poverty-multiplier: makes poor people
poorer, increases poverty head count. Most
severe impacts projected for urban areas, somerural regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast
Asia.

Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Climate change will negatively affect childhood
undernutrition and stunting through reduced foodavailability, will negatively affect undernutritionrelated childhood mortality and increase disabilityadjusted life years lost, with the largest risks in
Asia and Africa.

Extremes
The strongest warming of hot extremes is found inWestern and Central Asia. Highly unusual hot days
increase the most in the tropics, extreme
heatwaves emerges the earliest in these regions,where they become already widespread
Largest increases in heavy precipitation events for
1.5°C to 2°C global warming include several highlatitude regions such as northern Asia;
mountainous regions (e.g. Tibetan Plateau); as wellas Eastern Asia (including China and Japan)
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Governance Issues
Risks of costal flooding are projected to be thehighest in south and south-east Asia, assuming
there is no upgrade to present protectionlevels, for all temperatures of climate warming
Significantly increased run off and high flows
are expected to occur in South and Southeast
Asia at 1.5C , the region currently facing
water shortage
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Governance Issues
Run off increase and hydro power potential

Water resources availability for livestock areexpected to decrease due to increased runoff
and reduced groundwater resource

Moderate and high multi-sector impacts areprevalent where vulnerable people live,predominantly in South Asia (mostly Pakistan,India, and China) and South East Asia at 1.5°C
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Scalable experiments,
In
43 Asian cities Transit Oriented Development (TOD), has
governanceemerged as an organising principle for urban growth andspatial planning reducing demand for private cars. In India
TOD has been combined with localized solar PV installations
and new ways of financing rail expansion.
Mitigation pathways show that synergies for air pollution
increase with the stringency of the mitigation policies. The
synergies for air pollution are highest in the developing world,
particularly in Asia.
Low-carbon supply-side investment needs are projected to be
the largest in OECD countries and those of developing Asia.
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Opportunities
Built environment, spatial planning, infrastructure,energy services, mobility, urban-rural linkages
necessary in rapidly growing cities in South Asia in
the next three decades present mitigation,
adaptation and development opportunities thatare crucial for a 1.5°C world
Realising these opportunities would require thestructural challenges of poverty, weak andcontested local governance, and low levels of local
government investment to be addressed on an
unprecedented scale.
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Climate change and people• Close links to United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)• Mix of measures to adapt to climate change
and reduce emissions can have benefits forSDGs• National and sub-national authorities, civilsociety, the private sector, indigenouspeoples and local communities can support
ambitious action• International cooperation is a critical part oflimiting warming to 1.5°C
Ashley Cooper/ Aurora Photos

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Questions?
Q&A