Tuesday, January 29, 2008

China weather chaos a sign of things to come: experts

An Agence France-Presse story documents some of the trouble China is having with disaster management. Rapid growth and large population movements are exacerbating the effects of unexpected severe weather, such as snow in the south of China. The winter has halted travel in some areas, just in time for the Lunar New Year holiday. In its rapid growth, China has lost some resilience.

It's important to note that disruptions from severe weather aren't "caused" by climate change. Disasters will always be with us, to our great misfortune. But if climate instability makes the disaster even slightly more frequent or severe, the change can make the impacts on societies dramatically worse.

No comments: