The IPCC 4th Assessment Report state that climate change poses serious threats to
Central Asia’s environment, ecological and socio-economic systems, particularly because
of the arid nature of the region.
The complexity of precipitation changes, vegetation-climate feedback, and direct
physiological effects of CO2 on vegetation present significant challenges for
understanding and modelling climate change in such an arid region. However, the
evidence shows that there has been a general warming trend in Central Asia on the order
of 1-2 C° since the beginning of the 20th century that might have a strong potential
impact on the regional temperature and precipitation regimes and also on natural
ecosystems, agricultural crops and human health.
Scientific studies show that in Central Asia there is a high correlation and positive
feedback loop between poverty and land degradation, aggravated by climate change. In
fact, the impacts of climate change, land degradation and desertification will be felt by
the poorest people living in rural areas.
Some of the projected impacts of climate change on main sectors that specifically apply
to the Central Asia are listed below.