The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report What’s in it for South Asia?

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) distils the findings of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) specifically for South Asia. It outlines how climate change is already impacting the region through temperature extremes and sea-level rise, and projects future risks including food and water shortages, flood damage, and heat-related mortality. The document emphasizes the necessity of integrating adaptation and mitigation into long-term development planning to avoid 'maladaptation' and leverage co-benefits across sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport, and urban planning.

• South Asia has already experienced warming and increased temperature extremes over the 20th century and into the 2000s, with a recorded increase in warm days and a decrease in cold days.
• Future warming in South Asia is inevitable due to past emissions and climate system inertia. Under a high-emissions scenario, average temperatures over most of the land area could rise by more than 2°C by the mid-21st century and potentially exceed 3°C.
• Global mean sea levels will continue to rise throughout the 21st century, with projections ranging from 26–55 cm under a low-emissions scenario to 45–82 cm under a high-emissions scenario, potentially reaching 98 cm by 2100. This increases the risk of storm surges for low-lying coastal areas in India and Bangladesh.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2014). The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report What’s in it for South Asia? http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IPCC_AR5_CDKN_Whats_in_it_for_South_Asia_FULL.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report What’s in it for South Asia? 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IPCC_AR5_CDKN_Whats_in_it_for_South_Asia_FULL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report What’s in it for South Asia? |date=2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IPCC_AR5_CDKN_Whats_in_it_for_South_Asia_FULL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2014ipccs, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report What’s in it for South Asia?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IPCC_AR5_CDKN_Whats_in_it_for_South_Asia_FULL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }