Climate risk country profile: China

This publication synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in the People’s Republic of China. It outlines rapid onset and long-term changes in key climate parameters, as well as the impact of these changes on communities, livelihoods, and economies—many of which are already underway. Even in proportion to its large size and economy, China’s vulnerability to climatic hazards is high. Annual losses due to natural hazards average $76 billion and around one third of China’s agricultural land is affected by natural hazards such as storms, droughts, floods, land subsidence, and landslides.

This report offers key messages, including:

• The projected temperature increase in China due to climate change is expected to be above the global average.
• The impacts of hazards and sustained changes will not be equally distributed, they will likely be experienced most strongly by marginalized and asset-poor communities.
• Hazards such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves are all expected to increase in probability, and increased loss and damage will be difficult to avoid without significant adaptation efforts.