[url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/southeast-asia-will-be-hardest-hit-by-climate-change-ona-predicts-20101216-18yuc.html]South-east Asia will be hardest hit by climate change ONA predicts[/url]
Australia’s top intelligence agency believes south-east Asia will be the region worst affected by climate change by 2030 with decreased water flows from the Himalayan glaciers triggering a ”cascade of economic social and political consequences”.
”South-east Asia faces wild monsoons variations with effects on littoral infrastructure agriculture marine currents and fish stocks. Coastal cities to be hit by subsidence and rising sea levels.”
The ONA which assesses information provided by Australia’s other intelligence agencies and advises the Prime Minister predicted increased conflict in the Kashmir region because of a decrease in flows into the River Indus.
”Internal migrations in multi-ethnic countries may cause more problems than cross-border migration” the cable said.
The cable says the ONA predicted global temperatures would rise 2 degrees by 2050 and 4 degrees by 2100. Ms Smith is reported as saying the effect of climate change in east Asia would become serious by 2030.
It assessed China as potentially the biggest loser because of decreased river flows an event that could lead to international confrontations with states sharing the Mekong system.