Climate Change Impacts

Temperature: All of Asia is very likely to warm during this century. Warming is similar to the global mean warming (mean warming between 1980 to 1999 and 2080 to 2099 of 2.5°C) in Southeast Asia, where Thailand is located. The study also shows that the median warming for the Southeast Asia region is  2.5°C by the end of the 21st century, with little seasonal variation.
 Precipitation: Boreal winter precipitation and Summer precipitation is likely to increase in Southeast Asia. Extreme rainfall and winds associated with tropical cyclones are likely to
increase and  Monsoonal flows and the tropical large-scale circulation are likely to be weakened.

In the Temperature anomalies figure,  of Southeast Asia, the bars at the end of the orange envelope represent the range of projected changes for 2091 to 2100 .

  As monsoons are the dominant phenomena over much of Asia, the factors that influence the monsoonal flow and precipitation are of central importance for understanding climate change in this region. The pattern of ocean temperature change across the Pacific is also of central importance to climate change in this region. But while broad aspects of Asian climate change, there is lack of some observation data which limits the assessment of the regions (Regional Climate Projections of South East Asia).
     
Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding, and to affect water resources within the next two to three decades. Freshwater availability is projected to decrease due to climate change which could adversely affect more than a billion people by the 2050s. Coastal areas, especially heavily-populated regions will be at the greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea. Climate change is projected to impinge on the sustainable development, as it pressures on natural resources and the environment associated with rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and economic development.  Endemic morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal disease primarily associated with floods and droughts are expected to rise in due to projected changes in the hydrological cycle associated with global warming (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability).

Overall, the Executive Summary of the IPCC Report 2007 shows that there are new evidences that show that climate change has affected many areas such as crop yield, glaciers, permafrost, temperature rise and change in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. There is medium confidence that future climate change is likely to affect agriculture, risk of hunger and water resource scarcity. There is high confidence that marine and coastal ecosystems in Asia are likely to be affected by sea-level rise and temperature increases. The summary further details that there is medium confidence that forest expansion, migration, and biodiversity due to land use and population pressure will be caused due to climate change as well. Also, there is high confidence that human health will be affected and there will be multiple stressors with future climate change in Asia.

 Of all the listings presented in the Executive Summary of the IPCC report, the most scary threat to me was the threat of human health. Malnutrition and Diarrhea already attribute the largest due to climate change in Southeast Asian countries.But the worst part is that the relative risk is expected to be largest by 2030. According to Wikipedia, non-communicable diseases and injuries have also become important causes of morbidity and mortality in Thailand and major infectious diseases are bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis, dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, and leptospirosis. There is already evidence of widespread damage to human health by urban air quality and enhanced climate variability in Asia. But with the development of the new industrialized areas, poor air quality is likely to cause heat stress and smog induced cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses in the region.
          Warmer sea-surface temperatures along coastlines of South-East Asia would cause higher phytoplankton blooms. These phytoplankton blooms are habitats for survival and spread of infectious bacterial diseases such as cholera. Water-borne diseases including cholera and various suites of diarrhoeal diseases could also become common with the contamination of drinking water. Increase in precipitation, frequent floods, and sea-level rise in the future will degrade the surface water quality causing more pollution and, thus leading to more water-borne infectious diseases (human health.).
         
This Tsunami map is just an example

of extreme weather and precipitation results. The Tsunami hit most parts of Asia including Thailand in 2004.