What is the link between poverty and climate change?

Estimates indicate that by 2030 more than 100 million people could fall back into extreme poverty due to climate change, while over 200 million people could be displaced due to more frequent and severe climatic disasters.

What is the relationship between climate change and global inequality?

Within countries, the impacts of climate change also risk worsening inequality. Climate risks disproportionately affect the poorest countries and people, who are more exposed and more vulnerable to their impacts.

How is this problem related to climate change?

More frequent and intense drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans can directly harm animals, destroy the places they live, and wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities. As climate change worsens, dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent or severe.

How does the environment affect poverty?

One of the biggest ways that the environment is affected by poverty is through deforestation. Water pollution affects so many things beyond the poor community itself. Water pollution deprives soil of nourishing elements, kills off fish, and is extremely harmful to human health.

How will global warming and climate change adversely impact the poor particularly in developing nations?

Climate change aggravates the effects of population growth, poverty, and rapid urbanisation. Without serious adaptation, climate change is likely to push millions further into poverty and limit the opportunities for sustainable development and for people to escape from poverty.

How does climate change worsen poverty and inequality?

This is likely to exacerbate existing inequalities: when higher temperatures reduce productivity, earnings and health, and hurricanes destroy homes and employment opportunities, the economic situation of those most in need is made more precarious still, and further worsens their economic standing.