EXPLAINER | How is extreme weather testing China's climate resilience? | Business

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Dramatic swings between extreme heat and intense rainfall are testing China's ability to cope with increasingly wild weather, as high temperatures challenge power grids and water security while floods ruin crops and threaten urban populations.

Officials have warned repeatedly that China is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its large population and unevenly distributed water supplies, even as infrastructure is built and policies are rolled out to bolster the country's climate resilience.The average number of high-temperature days stood at 4.1 in January-June, already higher than the full-year average of 2.2 days. Temperatures are expected to climb further in July and August.

Concerns are mounting over a repeat of last year's drought, the most severe in 60 years, which at its peak affected 6.09 million hectares of crops with economic losses reaching billions of yuan. To support base load power demand during spikes and ease the grid's reliance on hydro, China has accelerated approval of new coal mines and coal-fired power plants, which could make it harder for Beijing to achieve its carbon-reduction goals.

In 2021, the central city of Zhengzhou was hit by nearly a year's worth of rain over three days, submerging neighbourhoods and flooding subway tunnels. This year, the most intense rain to date was logged by Beihai in southwestern Guangxi region, registering 614.7 millimetres over 24 hours.

 

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