Titled ‘Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty’, the study says such shocks could wipe out hard-won gains, leading to irreversible losses and, driving people back into poverty, particularly in Africa and South Asia.
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According to the report, the poor are more exposed than the average population to environmental disturbances such as floods, droughts and heat waves, and when they are affected, they lose a higher share of their wealth.
He described ending poverty and tackling climate change as “the defining issues of our generation”.
The World Bank estimated that due to the adverse impact of climate change more than 100 million people may be pushed into poverty around the globe.
Dr Lomborg said Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, is making a “phenomenally misleading” claim which the deal next month can not rectify – but will needlessly cost countries hundreds of billions of pounds.
Adding urgency to the call for bold emissions cuts and a radical rethinking of the global economy, a new report from the World Bank warns that human-caused climate change could push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty within just 15 years.
To date, a few poor countries have already experienced crop failures, higher food prices, natural disasters and spread of waterborne diseases due to climate change.
The impact of climate change on food prices in Africa could be as high as 12 per cent in 2030 and 70 percent by 2080 – a crippling blow to those nations where food consumption of the poorest households amounts to over 60 per cent of total spending.
“Global warming is borne unevenly, with the world’s poor woefully unprepared to deal with climate shocks such as rising seas or severe droughts”, the report concluded.
In reality, he pointed out, the World Bank has had a long and dubious record of forcing developing countries to reduce their public expenditure to provide basic services, and protecting socially and economically weaker populations.
Roome highlighted the need to roll out good policies faster, and ensure development projects consider climate projections, so that new infrastructure is not damaged in the future. “It’s easier to get people out of extreme poverty now rather than doing it later”. Diarrhea would be more widespread, and the lack of clean water would have an effect on health and hygiene.
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Noting that “there is still too often a disconnect between bank research and its own practices”, the head of Oxfam International’s Washington office, Nicolas Mombrial, on Monday urged the global financial institution “to heed its own warnings and support equitable, low carbon development” and “promote community resilience to climate change through its policies and programs”.
