Climate Change and China’s Poor
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:18Last week , as a result of Greenpeace’s report that Climate Change Hurts China’s Poor, I was contacted by a media outlet for some comments. It is one of those issues whose relationships to poverty will surely be examined going forward in great detail as the effects of climate change are predicted to restrict many resources we now enjoy today (water and food).
the interview was quick (only 2 questions), and I had not read the report, but I thought readers would find the answers interesting.. and hopefully generate some comments (hint)
1) how do natural disasters that are made worst by climate change (ie floods, earthquakes etc) affect China’s poor?
Difficult situation with different angles. Most important piece related to climate change is water.
(1) Desertification has been occurring, and many say catalyzed by climate change, in the northwest. This has impacted areas of Gansu, inner Mongolia, etc where incomes are often the lowest, the reliance on the land is the highest, and the need for water is the greatest. So, any further loss of water will reduce crops, and thus income.
(2) Flooding can be attributed to climate change as well, but for China I believe it is more important to focus on the fact that its agricultural practices exacerbates the problem. As our society moves away from crop diversity, and more towards corn and soy, the ability of the land to absorb water is reduced. Thus flooding increases.
Both of these impact China’s “poor” as they have a direct agricultural impact that has a direct financial impact on many of China’s poorest. As crop yields decline, their income declines, and as water/ air quality declines, their health declines.
2) how has climate change affected china?
To be honest, I am not sure which has had a bigger impact, climate change or lacking environmental practices. Both have impacted China’s population and economy. China’s urbanization model will help to address the problems, but environmentally China faces significant problems with air, water, and food going forward.. each of which have been impacted by climate changes and environmental changes. Unfortunately, both problems are tied to each other, and China will need to address both in order to mitigate the impacts
So, what do you think? Are the poor poorly positioned in China? Where are China’s poorest populations most vulnerable?
David Spivey says:
July 5th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Ignoring the hypocrisy and mendacious propaganda of silly Greenpeace’s report, and the stupid obviousness of the premise (“climate change hurts the poor” is kind of like saying “rain helps plants grow”)…
1. I think your answer was a really good answer to #2. You hit probably the biggest ones, and those are indeed tremendous problems facing China’s poor. It’s really all about farming right now, and urbanization isn’t going to solve all their problems (and not nearly fast enough). China needs to continue to find new ways to put their massive labor force to better use. Education and improving skills are also vital.
2. See #1.
The questions really sucked. They should be asking, “in light of inevitable climate change and its profound impact on the poor, what can be done to help the poor adapt and overcome?”
Rich says:
July 5th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
David.
I’ll agree that some better questions could have been asked along the lines that you suggested, and I said as much in my response.
The report itself I think is actually pretty accurate on the whole, and unlike some of their more flamboyant coworkers around the world, the China group has a more solution focused approach.
That being said, there are some real gaps in the analysis, and more respect to issues like ground water contamination, water pricing, and grazing should be paid. It is not just about climate change, although that is certainly an issue, it is a series of policies and practices that need to be adjusted.
… and regardless, it is the poor who will suffer. They are the most tied to the land, and to areas most affected by all the environmental issues discussed today (pollution, desertification, etc).
R
David Spivey says:
July 6th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Right. You answered lame questions with good answers (that addressed more important issues). That’s a real skill. Kudos.