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The latest news comes out of Ukraine It is a terrible situation. The world’s attention is rightly focused on the country. We cannot afford to ignore another humanitarian crisis. The climate crisis is causing havoc and causing great loss of life. However, the impact of the climate crisis is rarely in the headlines. Its impacts rarely provoke universal outrage or immediate action and its role as a source of conflict, even war is rarely mentioned.
The devastating effects of climate shocks in the present and future were clearly shown in the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (IPCC). ReportThis article was published Monday 29 February. The global temperature is currently around 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels, and the world is experiencing more extreme weather. DroughtStorms, floods, and HeatwavesThey are becoming more frequent and more intense. Science shows that these changes are directly due to man-made emission.
“Climate change is contributing to humanitarian crises where climate hazards interact with high vulnerability,” statesThe IPCC uses laconically. It qualifies this sentence as being of “high confidence”. It means that there is no doubt about its validity.
Even a slight violation of the 1.5 degree Celsius target established by the Paris Agreement will result in greater death and destruction. Despite fine words about climate action at last November’s Cop26The world is on pace for a warming of 3 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century. All people will be affected, but the most vulnerable will be those who live in the slums. Global SouthThose with the smallest resources and those who have contributed the least to climate change are at the front.
The densely populated, low-lying areas Bangladesh produces only 0.56 per cent of global emissions, but is facing significant climate impacts, such as rising seas and intensifying cyclones. In July 2021, severe flooding and landslides hit Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than 850,000 ethnic Rohingyas who fled from neighbouring Myanmar now live in the world’s largest refugee community.
It may be possible to cope with one extreme weather event. Climate change is causing so many extreme weather events that communities are finding it difficult to recover.
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“Over the last few years, climate-related disasters have increased,” says Harjeet Singh, from the NGO Climate Action Network. “People on the ground are unable to cope and the next disaster hits them harder. Their coping mechanisms are being dramatically reduced and governments in developing countries are finding it hard to meet their needs,” he tells theNew StatesmanIndia.
In 2019, Cyclone Idai wreaked havoc across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. One year later more than 100,000 people were still living in makeshift shelters, making them even more vulnerable to climate shocks, says the NGO Care International. Two years later, Cyclone Ana swept through the same countries, washing away any recovery efforts.
Somalia has 7.7 million inhabitants are experiencing “a shocking increase in humanitarian needs” as the rains fail for a third consecutive season, contributing to potentially the worst drought in 40 years, says Care. “A predicted 1.4 million people will be displaced in the coming months, congesting already overcrowded displacement camps and generating conflict over resources,” explains the NGO.
Kayd, nine years old (not his real name), and his family were among those affected. They live in a rural area of southern Somalia, Beledweyne. They used to own a farm with livestock, including camels. Their farm has been destroyed by droughts and other pests over the years, and their animals have been killed. Many people from their community have left the area, but Kayd’s family does not have enough money to join them, says Save the Children. Kayd’s family now puts jerrycans on the road and must wait for passing water trucks.
Singh points out that the list of similar communities is endless. Developed countries are not immune from climate chaos. Germany Belgium suffered devastating floods 2021. However, forest fires are becoming more common. Australia’s normCalifornia and other parts of the US are in almost permanent drought.
2020: The Red Cross WarnedAt least 1.7billion people have faced serious problems due to disasters resulting from extreme weather and climate-related phenomena. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, two million people a week needed humanitarian assistance owing to the Climate change and its impacts. 2020: More than seven million people were displaced by climate-related disasters, and 90 per cent of refugees come from countries that are among the most vulnerable and least able to adapt.
A growing body of research shows that climate change is a threat multiplier. This is especially true in countries already facing insecurity, weak governance and terrorism. These impacts can threaten peace and lead to conflict, even war.
“Climate change makes conflict more likely in the future,” insisted Lieutenant General Richard Nugee from the UK’s Ministry of Defence, during a recent online event. “Those areas most affected by climate change are often those least able to deal with the change.”
In December 2021, Ireland and Niger, who held the UN Security Council presidencies in September and December respectively, co-sponsored a resolution on climate security that would have integrated climate‑related security risk as a central component of UN conflict‑prevention strategies. Russia used its veto against its passage, indicating that the international community was deeply divided on climate action.
