Poverty fight hit by climate change

Published on Monday 19 July 2010 18:29

CLIMATE change is threatening to undo years of work to tackle poverty in developing countries.

The study by Forum for the Future and supported by the Department for International Development (DFID) said strong, urgent action was needed in poor countries to address the impacts of climate change, alongside efforts to boost economic development.

The report said international aid should not be blind to climate change, ignore measures that help poor countries adapt to its effects, or continue to promote high-carbon development.

Instead, governments and aid agencies should put climate change at the forefront of work to tackle poverty, to help developing nations deal with its impacts and seize new opportunities as the world shifts to a more low-carbon economy.

Peter Madden, the forum's chief executive, said: "Climate change and development should be seen as complementary, not competing issues. By putting climate change at the forefront of development thinking, we will not only help the world's poorest to avoid serious risks, but we can also help them seize new opportunities to create better lives for themselves. Development aid should be much more climate resilient."

International development minister Stephen O'Brien, said: "Without urgent action, climate change threatens to undo years of work tackling poverty in the developing world. That is why the UK is working across the globe to help the world's poorest people prepare for the potentially devastating effects of climate change and shift to the clean technologies that are so vital to a stable, successful world for us all.

"This report will act as an important tool to help poor countries plan and underlines our need to build climate change into everything we do."