Climate change is affecting the poorest members of society the most according to a report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
‘This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction,’ warned Hoesing Lee, chair of the IPCC in the sixth report, which was released on February 27.
Climate change is threatening human wellbeing and the health of the planet more than we can realise. While we knew already climate change impacted the planet, the IPCC has demonstrated that human livelihoods are at risk too.
The most shocking revelation is that those in the poorest and less developed areas that are the most effected.
How Is Climate Change Impacting Human Wellbeing?
The report from the IPCC has shown that the increased heatwaves, droughts and floods have had a severe impact. The consequences of the devastating floods in Eastern Australia reflect the words of the IPCC. 22 people are know to have died, property damage is estimated at $2.5 billion.
Furthermore, these weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts across the planet. The extreme weather cause by climate change has been exceeding the threshold that plants and animals can tolerate.
The report underlines that there has been an excessive amount of coral and fish dying in the seas.
This might seem like something that has been happening for a number of years, recently that has started to impact food and water security. This has impacted millions in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, as well as small islands and the Artic.
The message of the IPCC is clear, if we don’t act now it won’t be just animal species that will go exciting: humans will as well.
Climate Change Is Causing A Humanitarian Crisis
Climate change is driving displacement in many of the vulnerable countries. And that contributes to a large scale humanitarian crises.
The IPCC report shows that between 2010 and 2020 human mortality from floods, droughts and storms was 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions compared to regions with low vulnerability.
These ‘high vulnerability’ countries are facing poverty, governance challenges, and struggle to access services and resources. These countries are struggling enough without having to face the consequences of more developed countries greenhouse gas emissions’.
In a UN News podcast, professor Mark Howden, a contributor to the report of the IPCC, revealed the more developed countries are burdening those in less developed countries with our greenhouse emissions. Those in less developed countries most often account for only one tenth per capita of greenhouse gasses – yet they are the most impacted.
People with development constraints are more vulnerable to climatic hazards
Arguably one of the biggest truths revealed in the report is the poorest members of society are the ones more impacted by climate change. It’s those with the least ability to adapt that are the most affected.
The IPCC also revealed accelerated action is needed now in order to curb climate change – progress on adaptation is highly uneven with large gaps and these gaps are in the lower income populations.
Those in less developed countries are less able in terms of finance and technology to adapt to the changing times. Not only is climate change producing a humanitarian crisis but to that extent it’s also creating a justice and human rights issue.
The report emphasises that we are running out of time and we must act rationally before it’s too late. In order to beat climate change there is no doubt now everyone has to take transformative action, in order to avoid the worst.