URUMQI, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have called for control of global warming to decrease droughts.

A team led by Su Buda, a research fellow with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have found that if the global temperature rises by 1.5 degrees to 2 degrees Celcius, the intensity and impact of droughts could be more severe than the status quo. 

They also found that if the global temperature rises by 1.5 degrees Celcius, the damages of droughts in China could be three times the average between 2006 and 2015. 

"Against the backdrop of global warming, the world could face many more severe cases of drought," Su said. "We need to make more efforts to slow down global warming."

Su said green and sustainable development is the suitable choice to mitigate the economic damages brought about by extreme weather.

Global droughts caused economic losses of more than 115.5 billion yuan (16.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the world from 1984 and 2017, according to scientists. In China, the amount of economic loss was more than 44.4 billion yuan during that period. 

Contact: LIU Jie, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: liujie@ms.xjb.ac.cn