Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific Region

Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific Region / edited by Walter Leal Filho (HAW Hamburg and  Manchester Metropolitan University). Springer, Berlin, April 2015,  ISBN 978-3-319-14938-7,  390 pp.

http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319149370

Presentation (© Walter Leal) :

The Asia-Pacific region is rich in resources on the on hand, but quite vulnerable to climate change on the other. The growing evidences of increases in the intensity and  frequency of various extreme events (e.g. draughts, heat waves, tropical cyclones, intense rainfall, tornadoes, thunderstorms, etc) suggest that urgent measures are needed, in order to increase the capacity of the countries in the region to adapt. However, when it is considered that the majority of the estimated 500 million rural poor in the Asia and Pacific region are  subsistence farmers occupying mainly rain-fed land, it can be seen that coping with climate change in the region cannot be regarded as an easy task.

This state of affairs suggests that it is important that countries across the region actively engage in the preparation of strategies or action plans, to cope with climate change. These tools may assist government agencies, non-governmental organizations and communities to enhance their capability to adapt, and to possibly reduce the various negative impacts the various countries are subjected to. But apart from policies and action plans, the seriousness of the threats posed by climate change means that new ideas, strategies and projects are needed, so that they can also better handle the various uncertainties associated with a phenomena which is global in nature, but whose impacts are mostly local.

This book is a contribution to address the above needs, and is aimed at assisting countries in the Asia-Pacific region to better prepare themselves to cope with climate change. It is structured along 2 parts:

• Climate Change and Socio-Economic Issues
• Policy, Responses, Technological Approaches and Methods

This book is also an attempt to offer a platform for a range of actors working in different sectors and systems, to share their knowledge about their experiences,  failures and successes in pursuing climate change adaptation. The needs and interests of critical and neglected groups is highlighted throughout the book, alongside the need for improving knowledge management on climate change.  The case studies and experiences involving countries as varied as Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Mongolia, Nepal and the Philippines, as well as regional analyses offered by some authors,  offer a concrete view of the issues on the ground, which include as livelihood vulnerability and displacement, climate migration, macroeconomic impacts, urban environmental governance and disaster management.

Danièle Revel

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