Climate and Natural Disasters
The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 70% of natural disasters affecting the world today are climate related. This compares with 50% only two decades ago.
This is what OCHA has to say about the humanitarian impact of climate change.
"Climate change is not just a distant future threat. It is the main driver behind rising humanitarian needs and we are seeing its impact. The number of people affected and the damages inflicted by extreme weather has been unprecedented.
People who are particularly vulnerable include those whose lives are already threatened by abject poverty, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, inadequate housing and insecurity. Those living in disaster hot spots – such as flood plains or cyclone tracks - are exposed to repeated climatic shocks that compound their vulnerability. With the threat of extreme weather in the future, the demand for disaster response can only rise, as will the costs.
Tackling climate change needs a global and comprehensive response: curbing greenhouse gases, helping people adapt to changing weather and investing in risk reduction. But for humanitarians, there is one clear-cut challenge: to ensure an effective disaster response."You can read more here.
Christian Aid suggests giving 20p if you are not currently with a green energy supplier, like Ecotricity.
I'm really appreciating your posts following Christian Aid's Count Your Blessings. We're doing this at home and it's very helpful to think about these daily points in more depth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement 'godandpoliticsuk'. It's proving a challenge to me in several ways partly because of thinking about the topics covered and the discipline of posting daily (except Sunday)on a given topic rather than one I choose.
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