Those who have contributed the least to climate change are being impacted the most by it. Developing nations and marginalized groups face severe consequences like food insecurity, flooding, drought and increased deaths due to issues exacerbated by climate change. The costs of adapting to climate impacts are already high and projected to increase significantly for poor countries. Corruption, lack of resources and inequitable distribution of costs and benefits of resource extraction can increase social conflicts within communities.
Those who have contributed the least to climate change are being impacted the most by it. Developing nations and marginalized groups face severe consequences like food insecurity, flooding, drought and increased deaths due to issues exacerbated by climate change. The costs of adapting to climate impacts are already high and projected to increase significantly for poor countries. Corruption, lack of resources and inequitable distribution of costs and benefits of resource extraction can increase social conflicts within communities.
Those who have contributed the least to climate change are being impacted the most by it. Developing nations and marginalized groups face severe consequences like food insecurity, flooding, drought and increased deaths due to issues exacerbated by climate change. The costs of adapting to climate impacts are already high and projected to increase significantly for poor countries. Corruption, lack of resources and inequitable distribution of costs and benefits of resource extraction can increase social conflicts within communities.
All life on earth depends on the earth’s ‘greenhouse effect’, which traps energy from the sun and maintains the earth’s temperature at a life-supporting average of 15°C. The earth’s climate has warmed and cooled over many thousands of years due to naturally occurring phenomena. The impacts of climate change in our lives are complex, often indirect and spread very unevenly. It has become the ultimate ‘threat amplifier’ for those on the margins. Those who have done least to cause the problem are bearing the burden first and deepest. Where access to their needs is already a struggle, there will be less water to drink, to grow crops, and to power electricity. When rain does fall, it will be erratic, falling more heavily and causing flooding. In many developing countries crops are already failing with increasing frequency and huge risks are posed to global and regional food security. Those who are defenceless in the face of climate emergencies especially those forced to become refugees. At present, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts 250,000 additional deaths a year between 2030 and 2050 as a result of increased childhood undernutrition, heat exposure, diarrhoea and malaria – all exacerbated by climate change. Women and groups with less power in society are hit hardest, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. The current and projected effects of climate change impacts on national incomes in poor countries are significant. In the Philippines the cost of adaptation for agriculture and coastal zones is expected to be about $5bn a year by 2020.9 In Kenya, net economic costs of climate change, including health burdens, energy demand and infrastructure could be equivalent to a loss of almost 3% of GDP each year by 2030. Corrupt officials may turn a blind eye to a company’s infractions, either through lax inspection practices or by ignoring reports of infractions that they receive. The court system may not be impartial enough to uphold penalties imposed on a company. Where officials are committed to doing a conscientious job, they may lack the resources to do it. It is not uncommon for a mining ministry’s local office to be understaffed or to lack funding for its operational costs, such as gasoline for its vehicles or a computer for writing reports, or even a copy of the mining laws and regulations. Dependence on exploitation of natural resources increases the risk of civil war. Inequities within communities between those who bear more costs and those who receive more benefits, and competition for jobs and patronage, can leave community members in conflict with each other. Reducing conflict and rebuilding internal social cohesion within the community is often a necessary step towards addressing the external problems caused by mining industry activities. A particular reason for conflict in some local communities is the communal ownership of the land. Because of this reality, companies and government officials negotiate not with the community but just with a group of villagers whom they might easily influence.