Climate change

Only an Oxfam emergency food programme stopped hunger becoming starvation.

Unlucky? Try unfair. Because rich countries produce most of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Yet, it’s the poorest countries that will be hit hardest. More frequent and unpredictable droughts, floods, hunger and disease – this is the future for people living in poverty.

Unless we act now.

Oxfam already deals with the results of climate change. We work to prepare poor communities around the world, and campaign for action, too.

Take action: demand international action to stop climate change pushing poor people further into poverty

Flirting with disaster

World leaders are failing to tackle global climate change. This is a major threat to all of us – but particularly to millions of people living in poverty.

The situation is already critical. But disaster could be just around the corner – levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are higher now than at any time in the last 420,000 years.

And the (weather) forecast for poor countries if we don’t cut emissions by 2080?

• Sea levels will rise 50cm and twice as many people will be exposed to serious flooding – most of them in South and South East Asia.
• Water shortages will leave three billion people in the Middle East and India desperate for water.
• Droughts and floods will cause food shortages, destroy homes and livelihoods, help spread infectious diseases, and damage economies.

Greater risk if you’re poor

Though they contribute least to it, poor people will be hit first and hardest by climate change.

People living in poverty are more vulnerable for a number of reasons. For instance, they’re often forced to live in temporary settlements, on land prone to flooding, storms and landslides.

Making a living is already hard – so few will have savings to fall back on in an emergency. And poor diet, sanitation and health care also help spread infectious disease.

What’s Oxfam doing?

Oxfam is already helping people to cope with severe climate events worldwide – and plan for the future. In Indonesia, for example, we supplied emergency relief during floods in early 2007. We now work with communities there preparing for any flooding to come.

But Oxfam doesn’t wait for emergencies. Poor communities around the world are already adapting to climate change – and with our help, are improving their chances of beating poverty.

In South Africa, for example, farmers are planting faster-maturing crops, making the most of less-reliable rains. In Bangladesh, villagers are creating floating vegetable gardens, to protect their livelihoods against flooding. And in Viet Nam, communities are planting dense mangroves along the coast, to diffuse storm waves.

And we lobby for international action on climate change, too.

What next?

Global warming can be tackled, and disaster avoided, if world leaders act together, and act soon.

Oxfam believes all nations have a part to play – including the poorest, where people may have to find new ways to farm and make a living.

And the richest – particularly the US and members of the EU –  should reduce greenhouse gas emissions – immediately. They should also help poor countries cope with the likely impact of global climate change.

There’s no time to lose.

Learn more

• Demand international action to stop climate change pushing poor people further into poverty
• Climate change in depth
• Climate Change campaign