Climate Change and Humanitarian Catastrophes
[Cyclone damage in Myanmar - Photo from IFRC / OCHA]
Climate change is not simply a future threat - for millions around the world, it's already a reality. From Afghanistan to Vietnam, Bangladesh to Yemen, climate change is wreaking havoc, creating ever larger humanitarian catastrophes.
As John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, recently explained:
"Climate change is not some futuristic scenario. It's happening today, and millions of people are already suffering the consequences. From the devastating series of floods that swept over large swathes of sub- Saharan Africa and China last year, to heat waves in south-eastern Europe, prolonged droughts in the Horn and Southern Africa, and devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean, what we have witnessed recently is a curtain raiser on the future."
To that end, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) just launched a campaign to raise awareness of climate change, and how it contributes to humanitarian disasters.
"Around 70 percent of disasters are now climate related – up from around 50 percent from two decades ago. These disasters take a heavier human toll and come with a higher price tag. In the last decade, 2.4 billion people were affected by climate related disasters, compared to1.7 billion in the previous decade. The cost of responding to disasters has risen tenfold between 1992 and 2008.
Destructive sudden heavy rains, intense tropical storms, repeated flooding and droughts are likely to increase, as will the vulnerability of local communities in the absence of strong concerted action
Over the next twenty years, we can expect more and intense climatic hazards everywhere. Particularly at risk are those communities located in areas prone to floods, cyclones and drought. Suffering repeated climatic shocks depletes their resources and makes them reliant on external assistance."
For instance, flooding is far more frequent today than two decades ago, with 50 disasters caused by floods in 1985, as compared to over 200 such disasters in 2005.
Overall, the UN estimates that climate change could cause the displacement of an additional six million people per year.
In response, OCHA and others are calling for more focus on disaster risk reduction, and in particular a greater investment in disaster preparedness.
Humanitarian agencies have also spoken out at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, saying that they are increasingly overwhelmed by climate-related disasters and calling on governments to focus on the needs of vulnerable populations.
For a list of resources - including key links, key documents, and thematic studies - see here. IRIN news has also put together an in-depth report entitled Gathering Storm - the humanitarian impact of climate change, which includes multimedia coverage and stories.
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