JAKARTA: In the past year, some 42 million people in Asia were displaced as a result of climate change. The Asian Development Bank warned on Tuesday that this could become the major cause of migration across the continent, and action is needed immediately. “The reality is you have over 40 million people, since January of last year, displaced by extreme environmental events,” said Bart Edes, director of the bank's sustainable development department. “This gives you a taste of what's to come next.” In 2010, some 30 million people were displaced, some permanently, primarily by devastating floods in Pakistan and China. The bank on Tuesday launched its report Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific, which for the first time assessed the possible impact of climate change on migration in Asia, which already accounts for 30 percent of the world's 200 million migrants. “This is a serious issue that the world must understand as we move forward on finding solutions to climate change induced phenomena,” said a researcher for the development bank in Jakarta. “Problems of migration can have drastic changes happen in cities, if we do not follow them closely,” the researcher told Bikyamasr.com. The report provides policy recommendations to governments on how to mitigate the impact of climate change on migration flows through adaptation measures and climate-aware development strategies. ** with dpa BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/A5NKD Tags: Asia, Climate, featured, Migration Section: Asia, Environment, Going Green, Latest News