Asia is expected to bear one of the largest burdens of climate change, says the synthesis report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 1 November 2014.

An article in Down to Earth looks specifically at what the report predicts for India and Asia, including a fall in crop yields and increase in the impact of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods and droughts. Climate change is expected to affect not only the health of India’s economy, but the health of its people.

“Agriculture, the mainstay of the Indian economy, will see dramatic changes in yields, affecting people’s right to food security,” says the report. Agricultural losses in India in 2030 are estimated at over $7 billion; severely affecting the income of 10 per cent of the population.

The report points to cost-effective climate resilience measures that could help to reduce agricultural losses by 80 per cent. Mainstreaming climate adaptation action into development planning, early warning systems, integrated water resources management, agroforestry and coastal reforestation of mangroves are proven adaptation measure already being facilitated in some areas of Asia.

Read the full story: What IPCC says about India