Climate Change and Climate Risks in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area

Abstract

AbstractTo build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (hereinafter referred to as “the Grater Bay Area” or “the GBA”) into a world’s first-class bay area and city cluster is one of the major strategic goals of China. Based on the meteorological monitoring data and the simulation results of the climate patterns of the past nearly one hundred years in the GBA, this paper analyzes, in a systematic way, the climate and ecological characteristics, facts of climate change and extreme weather and climate events, climate disasters and climate risks, climate trends in the upcoming thirty years, climate and ecological challenges, as well as climate adaptation strategies in the Greater Bay Area. The GBA is endowed with unique climate and ecological advantages: it is warm and rainy with multiple climate types and good vegetation condition. Yet, it faces climate risks too, as it often suffers from climate disasters and is situated in a climatically vulnerable region at low latitudes. During the past sixty years, the GBA has witnessed warmer and more humid climate, greater short-duration rainfall intensity, stronger typhoons, and more rapid sea-level rise. Climate disasters and climate risks will be even more severe in the upcoming thirty years. In order to prevent and reduce disasters and adapt to climate change, the GBA authorities should take concrete actions, including taking advantage of climate resources, enhancing the capacity of climate disaster and risk management and adapting cities to climate change.KeywordsGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay AreaClimate ChangeExtreme EventsClimate Risks