Chennai: The first ever global analysis of climate risks to global cotton production reveals that runaway climate change could expose half of all global cotton growing regions to high risks from temperature increases, changes to rainfall patterns and extreme weather events by 2040.
Titled ‘Adapting to climate change – physical risk assessment for global cotton production’, the analysis was commissioned by the Cotton 2040 initiative, which is facilitated by international sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future and supported by Laudes Foundation.
The analysis was conducted by Cotton 2040 partner and climate-risk specialists Acclimatise, part of Willis Towers Watsonâs Climate and Resilience Hub.
Under a worst-case climate scenario, the analysis highlights that all global cotton growing regions will be exposed to increased risk from at least one climate hazard by 2040. While this increase ranges from very low to very high risk, half of the worldâs cotton growing regions will face drastic changes with high or very high-risk exposure to at least one climate hazard.
The global findings are supplemented by an in-depth analysis of physical climate risks and socio-economic vulnerabilities (CRVA) across Indiaâs cotton value chain.