Professor Seree Suparathit, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Disasters at Rangsit University, Thailand. (Photo: nationthailand.com) Bangkok (VNA) – A Thai academic has said if the Paris agreement on climate change isnot enforced effectively, Southeast Asia could be hit harder by heat waves thanother regions and Thailand can face extremely hot weather for up to 220 days ayear in about 20 years.
ProfessorSeree Suparathit, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Disasters atRangsit University, said that if the goal set by UN Climate Change Conference(COP21) held in Paris in December 2015 is not reached, Southeast Asia, andespecially Thailand, will pay a heavy price.
The COP21 resolved to limit global warming to below 2 degreesCelsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue ways to limit it to 1.5°C.
According to Assessment Report 5 (AR5) and Assessment Report 6(AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if the globaltemperature rises by 1.5°C, Thailand will be hit by heat waves for 20 to 30days in the northern, upper and middle northeastern parts, and for 30 to 40days in the central, lower northeast and eastern provinces.
Ifthe global temperature rises 2°C, the number of extremely hot days would be50-60 in the North, middle Northeast, and upper Northeast and 60-80 days in theCentral, East and lower Northeast.
Inthe worst-case scenario – if the global temperature rises 4.5°C, heat wavescould be experienced for 180-220 days in the North, middle and upper Northeastand 220-240 days in the Central, East and lower Northeast.
He said all countries must actnow to implement the COP21 resolution./.
