Climate Change

and the
Red Cross Red Crescent

Red Cross/ Red Crescent Climate Centre

Climate Change and the
Red Cross / Red Crescent

What’s happening?
 How does it affect us?
 What can we do?
1. What do we know about climate change?

Contents

Who are the IPCC?

What is the greenhouse effect
The temperature rises: then what?
 Science and
impacts

The global climate change debate

IPCC (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change) Main findings on climate change

 It’s already happening

 It’s going to continue
happening
 The rate of change is alarming

 Extreme weather more frequently

IPCC Fourth
Assessment
Report, 2007
 Science and
impacts

The greenhouse effect

 Science and
impacts

Origin and effects of global warming

use of fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas)

rising concentrations of
greenhouse gas

rising temperatures (global warming)

changes in local changes in local weather

average climate extremes
 Science and
impacts

Temperature

 Since the Industrial Revolution (1860s) the global average temperature

has risen significantly
 Sharp increase in rate of temperature rise since 1970
 Science and
impacts

Temperature

 The eleven warmest years on record occurred during the past twelve years
 Climate Change
is an “unequivocal” fact
and
“very likely” due to human
activity
 Science and
impacts

Temperature
 Global temperatures will continue to rise over the next century.
 Different scenarios show different expectations, between +1.8°C and +4.0°C

Temperature trends (expected)

+6.0

+5.0
global surface warming (°C)

+4.0 high scenario (A1FI) +4.0°C

+3.0

+2.0 low scenario (B1) +1.8°C

+1.0

0.0

-1.0

1900 2000 2100

Climate change will
continue
 Science and
impacts

Who‟s emitting most? And who is paying the highest price?

greenhouse gas emissions

 Hazards and
human vulnerability

Part 2

Hazards and human vulnerability

 What is changing?
 What does it mean for us?
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

Changing disaster patterns:

 weather related disasters doubled over the past 2 decades
 increase small- and medium-scale disasters
 more uncertainties

Disaster trends
400

300

200

100

0
‘90 ‘91 ‘92 ‘93 ‘94 ‘95 ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06
geo- epidemics, hydro-
physical insect infestations meteorological Source: CRED
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

More warm days and more heatwaves

- higher death toll amongst the elderly and disabled
- increasing risk of forest fires
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

More intense rainfall

- More floods, landslides
- Pollution of water
- destroyed harvests
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

More droughts, more often:

- Too little drinking water
- Food security threatened
- Potential impact on conflict and migration
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

More intense tropical storms:

- higher wind speed and more rainfall
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

Sea level rise

- sea level rise will bring
large coastal areas at risk
- salt water intrusion
threatens water supply and
food security
- impacts already being felt
particularly during storm
surge
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

Melting ice
 reduction in water supplies
 glacial lake outburst floods

Qori Kalis Glacier, Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru

1978 2002
 Hazards and
human vulnerability

Health and climate change

- shift of diseases to new areas
- increase of water borne diseases after floods
- increase of diseases due to higher temperatures, humidity or drought
We have to change
 Red Cross response
to climate change

Part 3

Red Cross response to climate change

What can we do?
 Red Cross response
to climate change

Mitigation and adaptation

 mitigation: tackling the causes of climate change
 adaptation: adjusting and preparing for change

Red Cross work is a humanitarian organisation, hence

we engage in climate change adaptation

IFRC
 Red Cross response
to climate change

RC/RC International Conference „Together for Humanity‟

International conference 2007

Geneva, November
2007- RC/ RC
International Conference
 Red Cross response
to climate change

Climate risk management

Early warning > early action

Climate change
increasing risks, trends,
more surprises
Seasonal forecasts
level of risk in coming
months ‘Regular’ forecasts
impending hazard
Red Cross experiences:
1. Vietnam

Mangrove forests
 Red Cross response
to climate change

Red Cross experiences:

2. Nicaragua

Hurricane shelters and radio

alarm systems for isolated
villages

Early warning
and evacuation
training
Red Cross experiences:
3. Mozambique

Community based vulnerability and capacity assessment

 Red Cross response
to climate change

Red Cross experiences:

4. The Netherlands

Managing the
increased risks of
heatwaves in the
Netherlands
Preparedness for Climate Change Programme

• Co-operation with Met office

• Building new partnerships
• Information campaigns
• Dialogue and communication
• Understanding climate risks at
local level
• Action Plans!
Key lessons on climate change adaptation

- Integrate climate change risks in regular work/ ongoing programmes

- Involving local communities

- Foster new partnerships

 Red Cross response
to climate change

Climate Centre

A „How to‟ Guide for RC work

 5 years of experiences compiled in the
Red Cross/ Red Crescent Climate Guide
 Red Cross response
to climate change

Further information
 www.climatecentre.org
 www.ifrc.org