• Acta Geographica Sinica
  • Vol. 75, Issue 1, 25 (2020)
Fang WANG1、1、* and Jintao ZHANG1、1、2、2
Author Affiliations
  • 1Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
  • 1中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所 中国科学院陆地表层格局与模拟重点实验室,北京 100101
  • 2College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • 2中国科学院大学资源与环境学院,北京 100049
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    DOI: 10.11821/dlxb202001003 Cite this Article
    Fang WANG, Jintao ZHANG. Response of precipitation change in Central Asia to emission scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2020, 75(1): 25 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    To limit global mean warming to below 2.0 ℃ in accordance with the Paris Agreement, countries submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) for emission reductions. Those emissions will be the key determinant to the future climate change impacts. However, it remains unclear what the resulting changes in the regional precipitation and its extremes would be under the INDC pledges. Here, we analyze the response of precipitation in Central Asia to emission scenarios under warming resulting from the INDC pledges (as of May 2019), based on an ensemble of comprehensive Earth System Models from the Coupled Climate Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Our results show an increase in the mean precipitation in Central Asia by the end of the 21st century by 10.6% (4.6%-13.3%) for INDC-pledge scenario. However, spatial heterogeneity of precipitation changes reflects the complexity of precipitation responses in future climate projections. Furthermore, heavy precipitation events will strengthen with the enhanced warming, but the trend of dry spell events increases or decreases in different regions. Considering the impacts of precipitation-related extremes, we find that the projected population exposure to heavy rainfall and dry spell events will significantly increase in most Central Asian regions. Limiting warming to lower levels (such as 2.0 ℃ or 1.5 ℃) would reduce the population exposure to heavy rainfall, thereby avoiding impacts associated with more intense precipitation extremes. These results contribute to an improved understanding of future risk from climate extremes, which is paramount for mitigation and adaptation activities for Central Asia, an ecologically fragile area.
    Fang WANG, Jintao ZHANG. Response of precipitation change in Central Asia to emission scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2020, 75(1): 25
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