The South Asia developing members (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have a population of 1.43 billion people. One-third of the inhabitants of the region live in poverty.
In a recent report the ADB has estimated the impact of climate change on important sectors of the economies (agriculture, energy, coastal and marine resources, forests and other ecosystems, health, and water) of these countries. It projects that the total cost of climate change in South Asia will increase over time and that in the business-as-usual economic scenario, 
South Asia could lose an equivalent 1.8% of its annual gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050 due to climate change. The report forecasts that the Maldives will be hardest hit in GDP loss, but all South Asian economies could face serious decreases in annual GDP;
- Maldives 2.3%
- Bangladesh 2.0%,
- Bhutan 1.4%
- India 1.8%
- Nepal 2.2%
- Sri Lanka 1.2%
The ADB suggest that if measures are taken by the international community to reduce fossil fuel consumption so that the rise in global mean temperature is kept below or within 2 °C, the region would lose an average of 1.3% of GDP annually by 2050.
Be the first to comment