Risk Assessment and Response Strategies for Extreme Climate Events in Key Nodes of the Belt and Road postprint

Abstract: In the context of global climate change, heat waves, extreme precipitation, extreme droughts and storm surges have increased in most areas of the Belt and Road, which seriously threatens the personal and property safety of countries along the Belt and Road. This study focuses on dealing with the issues associated with the risk identification and assessment of extreme climate events in the “Belt and Road” region, including the coarse or single assessment scale and weak response strategies. It develops a multi-scale extreme climate risk assessment framework, and completes the risk assessment of four representative extreme climate events including heat waves, extreme precipitation, extreme droughts, and storm surges at three scales of 1 km, 100 m, and 10 m. The risk assessment results reveal the spatial distribution, temporal dynamics, and major influencing factors of the 4 types of extreme climate risks in the Belt and Road region. The better understanding of these can provide scientific support for more reasonable and effective response to disasters, reduction and transfer of risks, and reduction of personal and property losses.