Assesing China´s Vulnerability

Alejandro Garcia
What is Climate Change
Vulnerability?
China’s Key Vulnerabilities
Food Security
 Agriculture in China feeds some 22% of the global
population with only 7% of the world’s arable lands.
 Agriculture sector, contribution of 11% to GDP in 2007
 Rice, wheat and maize are the main crops, together
accounting for 54%of the total sown area and 89% of the
grain yield in 2007.
 Nearly 70% of China’s population are farmers.
 Chinese agricultural production
 is highly vulnerable as a lot of croplands are rain-fed,
 which produced about 30% of all crops
Northeast China
Northeast China is located in the
northern part of the natural realm
of Eastern Monsoon China and
comprises Heilongjiang, Jilin and
Liaoning Provinces, with a total
area of 790,000 km2 and a
population of about 107 million.
A high latitude location
(approximately 39 to 53°N) makes
it the coolest region in China with
long and severe winters.
Annual precipitation decreases
from southeast (900 mm) to
northwest (400 mm) as the
distance from the sea increases.
Fresh Water Resources
 China’s total fresh water volume is 2.813 x 10 12 m3
 The per capita water resource is only 25% of the
average of the world.
 The North of China holds only 18% of water resources
and 65% of the arable land.
 Yellow River in the North is sensitive to droughts.
 Yangtze River is frequently flooded.
China has 46,377 glaciers, covering
an area of 59,425 km2.
More than 80% of the glaciers in
western China are currently in a
state of retreat.
In the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau,
glaciers shrank by 7% (3,790km2)
over the past four decades.
Qinghai
 5–27% of glacial area is projected to
disappear by 2050.
 10–67% of glacial area is projected to
disappear by 2100.
 The projected long-term exhaustion of
glacial water supply should have a
considerable impact on the availability
of water for both agricultural and
human consumptiom.
Floods
Global Disasters
Floods in China
Economic Losses
PAM Framework
Thanks!