Climate Change Acute Threat To Poor People, World Bank Reports
A new report from the World Bank highlights the acute threat that climate change poses to the poorer segment of society around the globe.
In fact, according to the report, Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty, climate change has the potential to push more than 100 million additional people back into poverty by 2030. The report attempts to outline a number of paths that can be taken to avoid such a catastrophe. Poverty reduction and development work must continue as a priority, at the same time as taking into account climate change. Targeted action to help peoples cope with climate shocks are vital, such as developing early warning systems and flood protection, and introducing heat-resistant crops. Additionally, efforts must be made to reduce emissions, and to accelerate these reductions.
“We have the ability to end extreme poverty even in the face of climate change, but to succeed, climate considerations will need to be integrated into development work,” said John Roome, Senior Director for Climate Change at the World Bank Group. “And we will need to act fast, because as climate impacts increase, so will the difficulty and cost of eradicating poverty.”
The report aims to not only raise awareness to the potential dramatic increase in poverty increase — with India alone set to see an additional 45 million people pushed back below the poverty line by 2030 if actions are not taken immediately — but to pave a way around such a disaster. Agricultural effects are the most feared, as for a vast portion of the world, agriculture is not just a means to work, but a vital source of income, food security, and nutrition.
“The report demonstrates that ending poverty and fighting climate change cannot be done in isolation – the two will be much more easily achieved if they are addressed together,” said Stephane Hallegatte, a senior economist at the World Bank who led the team that prepared the report. “And between now and 2030, good, climate-informed development gives us the best chance we have of warding off increases in poverty due to climate change.”
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