Day: November 23, 2022

From devastating floods in Pakistan to growing water scarcity in Central Asia, the impacts of climate change vary widely. The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program—a partnership of 11 countries from Central Asia, South Asia, the Caucasus, as well as Mongolia and the People’s Republic of China—is working to increase regional cooperation to help the region shift to low-carbon energy sources and build resilience against climate-induced hazards. Initiatives include collaboration in clean energy development, water resources management, and disaster risk preparedness and response.

Here are some key figures that illustrate the impacts of climate change in the CAREC region and demonstrate how vital it is for countries to work together for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation.

30%

Decrease in glacier surface area in Central Asia over the past 50-60 years as a result of changing climate conditions. The melting of snowcaps combined with intensifying weather events have triggered natural calamities such as floods and landslides that are happening more frequently and severely.

33 million

The number of people affected by massive flooding in Pakistan in mid-2022. Heavy rains triggered flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts. In July, the country received more than 60% of average annual monsoon rainfall in just three weeks.

$16.3 billion

The amount Pakistan needs to rehabilitate and reconstruct its damaged infrastructure and agriculture following the floods that submerged a third of the country. This figure doesn’t include new investments beyond the affected assets.

10% to 15%

Estimated drop in water volumes in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins by 2050. These two large rivers are crucial sources of water for countries in Central Asia. By 2050-2100 water volumes could decrease by up to 30% in the Syr Darya basin and as much as 40% in the Amu Darya, making it even more important for countries to work together to ensure the region’s water is managed sustainably.

3 billion cubic meters

Uzbekistan’s current water deficit, which could increase to 7 billion cubic meters by 2030 and up to 15 billion cubic meters by 2050 given the decrease of water volumes in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins.

5%

The average installed solar and wind energy capacity in the CAREC region despite abundant renewable energy potential. The CAREC region, which is home to some of the most energy-intensive economies in the world, relies heavily on fossil fuels and hydropower for energy.

$339 billion

The amount of energy investments the CAREC region (excluding the PRC) needs by 2030 to enable green growth. Current investments are only about a quarter of this, with most coming from the public sector. The CAREC Green Energy Alliance seeks to attract more investment by mobilizing finance for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects from international and domestic sources.

Source: Asian Development Bank

UPDATED AT 2:03 A.M. ET ON 11-23-2022

A Taiwanese army colonel on the frontline island of Kinmen has been accused of pledging allegiance to China and even promising, on the record, to surrender in the event of a Chinese attack.

Kinmen is an outlying archipelago less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from China’s Fujian province but more than 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Taiwan’s mainland. In recent months it has seen frequent flyovers by Chinese drones, and military experts say Kinmen could be the first target of a Chinese invasion in the future.

The official Central News Agency (CNA) citing Taiwanese prosecutors reported that Col. Hsiang Te-en, 49, who held several important positions at the Kinmen Garrison Division and the Eighth Army Corps Operations Division until his suspension this year, was “recruited” to work for China for money totaling NT$560,000 (U.S.$18,000) since late 2019.

The recruiter, Shao Wei-chiang, is a retired journalist in Kinmen who also previously served in the army. An investigation into Shao’s alleged “collaborators” network is continuing.

Hsiang was seen in a photo wearing a Taiwanese army officer’s uniform and holding a note of “Surrender Commitment.”

The note says “I hereby swear to support the peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Strait and to be loyal to the motherland. In the event of a war between the two sides of the Strait, I will do my best to serve the motherland in my job and complete the glorious peaceful reunification.”

During questioning, Hsiang reportedly said he was not the only army officer who signed such a note. 

Hsiang was detained in September and charged with taking bribes in violation of the Anti-Corruption law that could lead to a prison sentence of up to 12 years. He is also being investigated for passing classified information to China and might face additional charges under the National Security Act.

‘Shocking case of treason’

“This is the most despicable treason,” Timothy Tsai, a Kinmen resident, told RFA.

“Really shocking!” said another resident, who wished to stay anonymous.

CNA quoted lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party as saying the case “exposed major negligence in the military’s internal espionage prevention and detection system.”

In the past ten years, at least 21 serving or retired Taiwanese officers with the rank of captain or above have been convicted of spying for China, according to Reuters.

Taiwan’s Military Trial Act was amended in 2013 to eliminate military trials of officers in peacetime but Hsiang’s case has led to some calls to reinstate them in order to better deter espionage.

Kinmen has been in the spotlight since the visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August as cross-Strait tensions rose and China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan.

There were talks about the risk of armed conflict at the time amid speculation that outlying islands such as Kinmen, Penghu and Matsu may be under threat.

Kinmen was a key battlefield at the beginning of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958 when Chinese troops fired nearly half a million artillery shells on the archipelago, which is roughly the size of Brooklyn.

Intrusions into Kinmen by Chinese drones, including suspected military unmanned aerial vehicles, occurred frequently in September and led to a presidential order to strengthen Taiwan’s drone defense systems.

This story has been updated to add the date Hsiang was allegedly recruited to work for China.