Climate change will cut South Asia’s growth by almost 9 percent by the end of the century unless world governments try harder to counter global warming, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Aug. 19.
The region is home to a fifth of the world’s population and it is already vulnerable to climate extremes: seasonal floods, cyclones and droughts that ravage vast swathes of agricultural land and displace hundreds of thousands of people every year.
Those countries, excluding Sri Lanka, will see more frequent severe weather, damaging property, infrastructure, agriculture and human health, the ADB said. Between 1990 and 2008, more than 750 million people in South Asia were affected by at least one natural disaster, resulting in almost 230,000 deaths, it said.
Photo: AFP
照片：法新社
The cost of shielding the region against climate change could be lowered if the world’s governments significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and, if the rise in global temperatures was kept below 2.5 degrees Celsius, that cost could be nearly halved to about US$40.6 billion, or 0.48 percent of GDP, it said.
South Asia also needs to introduce flood and saline-resistant crop varieties, better coastal zone management, improved disease surveillance, protection of groundwater and greater use of recycled water.
(Reuters)
亞洲開發銀行八月十九日指出，氣候變遷將會在本世紀末削減南亞近乎百分之九的成長，除非世界各國政府更努力對抗全球暖化。
此地區是世界五分之一人口的家園，對極端氣候已非常敏感脆弱：蹂躪大片農地的季節性洪水、氣旋，以及乾旱，每年使得數十萬人無家可歸。
亞洲開發銀行說，除了斯里蘭卡之外，嚴峻氣候將會在南亞國家日益常見，損害財產、基礎建設、農業及人類健康。它說，一九九０年到二００八年間，南亞超過七億五千萬人至少受到一個天然災害影響，導致二十三萬人死亡。
亞洲開發銀行表示，如果各國政府有效減少溫室氣體排放量，並且讓全球氣溫升高幅度維持在低於攝氏二點五度，保護南亞對抗氣候變遷的成本可能會降低，有可能減半至約四百零六億美元，也就是南亞國內生產總值的百分之零點四八。
南亞也需要引進抗洪水與鹽水的農作物，更好的海岸區域管理，改善疾病監控，保護地下水並更妥善利用回收水。
（路透／翻譯：顧佳欣）
A: According to reporter Joon Lee’s analysis, what are other reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers made back baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s huge contract so quickly? B: Second, a lot of Japanese and global enterprises are eager to benefit from the “Ohtani effect”. . . A: That’s sure to increase the Dodgers’ bargaining chips in negotiations. B: Lastly, all this media coverage is elevating the Dodgers’ brand to a new level, boosting the value of the franchise. A: I can’t wait to see a battle between Ohtani and “Team Taiwan” at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. A: 根據記者Joon Lee的分析，洛杉磯道奇隊和球星大谷翔平的巨約快速回本還有哪些原因？ B: 第二、無數日本和全球企業都想和這股「大谷效應」沾上邊……。 A: 這也增加了道奇在各種商業談判中的籌碼吧。 B: 第三、媒體報導更將道奇的品牌形象推升至全新的高度，使該隊價值水漲船高。 A: 真期待在2026年「世界棒球經典賽」，看到大谷和台灣隊的經典對決！ （By Eddy
The subject of placebos has been fascinating scientists and medical professionals for decades. The word placebo comes from Latin and means “I shall please.” The concept of the placebo effect refers to the phenomenon in which treatments or procedures produce positive outcomes merely because individuals believe they will work. __1__ During medicine trials, researchers often include a “placebo group” as a control to measure the true efficacy of the medication being tested. While one group receives actual drugs, the placebo group is given an inert substance, such as a sugar pill. To ensure unbiased results, participants in the placebo
With the pace of climate change speeding up, extreme weather and other impacts are taking an increasing toll on populations and environments across the globe. Here are some of the developments this year in climate science: WARMER, FASTER Global temperatures are not just climbing, they are now climbing faster than before, with new records logged for 2023 and 2024, and at points in 2025. That finding was part of a key study in June that updated baseline data used in the science reports done every few years by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The new research shows the average global
1. 他們搭船渡河。 ˇ They crossed the river by boat. χ They crossed the river by the boat. 註︰ 表示交通方式時，交通工具前不加冠詞，如 by car、by train、by bus、by plane、by ship 等。若加了冠詞，則變成特指，意思是「他們搭上了正談論的那班船」，而不是泛指搭船這種交通方式。 2. 他們不再相信社會主 ˇ They no longer believe in socialism. χ They no longer believe in the socialism. 註︰ socialism、capitalism 等以 -ism 結尾的抽象名詞前不加冠詞。 3. 王博士演講介紹量子力學的基本知識。 ˇ Dr. Wang gave a lecture on the basics of quantum mechanics. χ Dr. Wang gave a lecture on the basics of the quantum mechanics. 註︰ 「量子力學」作為一種科目，不需加定冠詞。其他如 political science、Chinese literature、English history 等也是如此。 4. 南方人喜歡吃米，不太吃饅頭。 ˇ The southerners prefer rice to steamed bread. χ The southerners prefer the rice to the steamed bread. 註︰ rice、flour 等物質名稱前面不加冠詞。 5. 他因該戰役的功績晉升為上校。 ˇ He was promoted to the rank of colonel because
RSS