Climate Change to Hit South China Economic Engine
Date: 24-Nov-06
Country: CHINA
As polar ice caps melt, the sea level along the coast of Guangdong province is forecast to rise at least 30 cm (12 inches) in the coming 25 years, inundating parts of the low lying delta, Civic Exchange said in a report.
Coastal and river defences in the region will be inadequate, roads and railways will be damaged by higher temperatures and flooding, and fresh water supplies -- already stretched -- will come under threat, it said. The implications are "potentially enormous", said co-author Alexandra Tracy.
The Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Hong Kong, is home to tens of thousands of factories producing everything from textiles to cars, and is a key link in supply chains that extend around the world.
"Any large problem for the Pearl River Delta has much wider implications," Tracy told a news conference.
Insurance costs and taxes are likely to rise and there will be interruptions to power supply and transport as the effects of global warming are felt, the report said.
"Climate change risk has not been adequately addressed by the authorities or businesses in Hong Kong, Macau and the PRD," said Christine Loh, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and CEO of Civic Exchange.
"The region urgently needs more in-depth research on how we can adapt to the unavoidable aspects of climate change, as well as how we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," she said.