The climate crisis and its impact on the South
The climate crisis is having profound and often devastating impacts on countries in the Global South, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities and vulnerabilities.
Countries in the Global South are experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, hurricanes and heat waves. These events disrupt agricultural systems and ecosystems, leading to food and water shortages and increasing conflicts over resources. Shortages and the degradation of livelihoods cause population displacements. The World Bank estimates that climate change could force, by 2050, some 216 million people around the world to migrate within their countries.
Women and girls and children are
and will be the most impacted
Women in countries in the South are often more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change due to their leading role in the management of natural resources and their participation in domestic and agricultural tasks. Women and children are 14 times more likely to die from a natural disaster than men.
Children suffer direct consequences in terms of physical integrity and health.
Climate change could cause 250,000 additional deaths each year among children by 2100. 99% of deaths already attributed to climate change occur in developing countries and children represent 80% of these deaths.
Climate justice
The climate crisis, caused mainly by emissions from the richest countries, is a blatant injustice because the countries of the South, which have contributed least to the problem, are suffering most from its consequences.
Climate justice argues that we need a human rights-based approach to tackling climate change in order to address the inequalities it creates. As the impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed, it is important that the voices of disproportionately affected communities are heard and that decision-making power is transferred to those who have been and will be most affected.
Climate justice calls for a just and equitable transition to a sustainable future, taking into account the social, economic and environmental dimensions of climate change. It urges us to consider vulnerable communities and future generations in our climate actions and policies, and emphasises that the responsibility for tackling climate change should be shared by all, regardless of geography, wealth or power.
Solutions
Understanding the urgency:
Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a present reality. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity are just some of the alarming signs. The window for meaningful action is narrowing. Adaptation options that are feasible and effective today will become limited and less effective over time as global warming increases. Loss and damage will increase, and other human and natural systems will reach the limits of their ability to adapt.
The solutions:
Adapting to climate change
Addressing the challenges posed by the impacts of climate change on communities requires not only mitigation efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also substantial support for adaptation and sustainable development in the regions most affected by climate change.
Adaptation to climate change refers to all actions, policies and measures taken to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on communities, ecosystems and infrastructure, while increasing their resilience to these changes.
Community-based adaptation
Community-based adaptation and traditional knowledge is an essential approach, particularly in regions where communities are highly dependent on the natural environment for their livelihoods. This approach is based on the recognition and integration of local knowledge and practices in the planning and implementation of adaptation measures. Local communities, which are often the most affected by climate change, have a wealth of traditional knowledge about natural resource management, agriculture, fisheries and other essential activities.
Incorporating this traditional knowledge and practices into adaptation projects and strategies strengthens the resilience of communities and optimises their ability to adapt.
In addition, community-based adaptation promotes the active participation of local people in decision-making, which contributes to more effective and sustainable adaptation solutions.
Nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions use ecosystems and natural processes to provide resilient and sustainable responses to the challenges of climate change. These solutions include reforestation projects to stabilise watersheds, wetland restoration to reduce flood risks, or mangrove restoration to stabilise estuaries. By conserving and restoring ecosystems, we not only improve their ability to regulate temperature, store carbon and manage water, we also protect biodiversity and improve the resilience of communities. Nature-based solutions not only offer a cost-effective approach to adaptation, but also contribute to the wider goal of safeguarding the ecological balance of our planet, making them an essential part of our response to the climate crisis.
Climate awareness and information:
Climate change awareness refers to the process of raising awareness and educating communities and societies about climate change and its impacts. It aims to inform people about the causes, consequences and possible solutions to the climate crisis. Climate change awareness is an essential component of efforts to combat climate change, as informed and engaged people are more likely to support policies and initiatives aimed at mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. For example, in adaptation projects, raising awareness of climate change and establishing early warning systems can help protect communities from extreme weather events.
Climate financing
In the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, developed countries committed to providing financial support to meet the needs of developing countries in the fight against climate change. Developed country Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) pledged to mobilise $100 billion per year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, a commitment reaffirmed in Article 9 of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Annual adaptation needs in developing countries are currently estimated to be between $160 and $340 billion by 2030 and between $315 and $565 billion by 2050.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the adaptation funding gap in developing countries is five to ten times larger than the international adaptation funding gap.
To make matters worse, many developing countries are facing a debt crisis that will severely limit their ability to bridge the adaptation finance gap.
This is in addition to the loss and damage that countries suffer from climate-related natural disasters. It is imperative that the international community recognises the need to support these countries in their fight against loss and damage by providing adequate funding for adaptation in addition to climate finance and official development assistance.
The additionality of climate finance and ODA
Since the Rio Summit, the additionality of climate and development finance has been emphasised by experts and civil society.
In total, rich countries have pledged $295 billion in public climate finance for the ten years from 2011 to 2020. However, only $20 billion is additional to official development assistance. In other words, only 7% of the rich countries' climate finance is additional to their commitment to spend 0.7% of their GNI on development in the South.
According to the CARE study, only Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden have consistently exceeded the 0.7% ODA/GNI commitment while pursuing ambitious international climate finance policies.
To find out more about climate finance :
Climate Finance Shadow Report 2023. Care 2023
Seeing Double: Decoding the additionality of climate finance, Care 2023
Time for reckoning : For fair financing of loss and damage in a context of escalating climate impacts / Oxfam 2022
