Econom­ic losses caused by drough­t in China will rocket to tens of billio­ns of dollar­s per yearKUALA LAMPUR: Economic losses caused by drought in China will rocket to tens ofbillions of dollars per year if global warming breaches the limits set by governments in a 2015 agreement to tackle climate change, scientists said. A global temperature increase of 2C could see China’s drought losses jump to about $84 billion each year, it added. The new study found that drought affected about a sixth of China’s arable land from 1949 to 2017, with corn and wheat among the worst-hit crops. Achieving that could reduce China’s annual drought losses by several tens of billions of dollars, he added. Drought tarnishing Khuzdar’s beautyTo ease the impacts of drought, authorities can introduce early warning systems, help farmers grow drought-resistant crops and fodder, and improve irrigation systems, he added.

Source: The Express Tribune October 03, 2018 10:52 UTC