Climate Change & Poverty

Global climate change adds to the vulnerability of the poor and could reverse current progress in poverty reduction. The adverse impacts of climate change will be most striking in developing nations—and particularly among the poor—because of both their high dependence on natural resources and their limited capacity to adapt to a changing climate. Water scarcity is already a major problem for the world’s poor, and fluctuations in rainfall and temperature associated with climate change will likely make this worse. Agriculture is vital for food security and exports, but crop yields are expected to decline in most tropical and sub-tropical regions as rainfall and temperature patterns change with a changing climate. There is also speculation that disease vectors such as malaria-bearing mosquitoes could spread more widely, adding to an already heavy health burden on the poor. At the same time, global warming may bring an increase in severe weather events like cyclones and torrential rains. The inadequate construction and exposed locations of poor people’s homes often makes them the most likely victims of such natural disasters.

International efforts are focusing on increasing the adaptive capacity of the poor to the impacts of climate change. This can involve diversification of agricultural productions systems, investments in potable water infrastructure, and other measures that will increase the resilience of people to the effects of climate change. Integrating climate change into national development and economic strategies can decrease the poor's vulnerability, and better prepare governments to cope with its impacts.