China: Climate change costs EUR 51 billion and jeopardizes food supply
Last update: May 14, 2025
China: Climate change costs EUR 51 billion and jeopardizes food supply
Shortly before the harvest, China’s authorities are warning of high temperatures and drought, which could jeopardize wheat production. Climate change is already jeopardizing the economic performance, food supply, and health of the Chinese population. China’s adaptation strategy has some gaps.
The province of Henan, China’s breadbasket, has warned of dry, hot winds that will jeopardize the development of wheat plants and most likely affect crop yields. Extreme weather has already jeopardized agricultural production in recent years. And by 2030, eight percent of Chinese harvests could be at risk due to climate-related droughts. Climate change is already having an impact on other areas of the economy: Last year, the damage caused by natural disasters totaled almost EUR 50 billion. 94 million people were affected by floods, typhoons, extreme heat, droughts, forest fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. China publishes these figures every quarter. Not all of these disasters are caused by climate change, but the climate crisis is intensifying extreme weather events – the impact of climate change on food security, people’s health, coastal cities, and economic growth could become acute soon.