Climate change and exposure to ‘natural’ disasters threaten to derail international efforts to eradicate poverty by 2030. As temperatures warm, many of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens will face increased risks associated with more intense or protracted droughts, extreme rainfall and heat waves. This event, attended by Ms. Margareta Wahlström the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), is designed to bring together different stakeholders from development and humanitarian agencies, the media, government departments, research organisations and private sector bodies to discuss the ODI-Met Office-RMS joint report titled ‘The Geography of Poverty, Disasters and Climate Extremes in 2030’. What impact will climate change have on hazards in the next 15 years and what effect might this have on efforts to eradicate poverty?
This report examines the relationship between disasters and poverty. It concludes that, by 2030, up to 325 million extremely poor people could be living in areas most exposed to multiple hazards if dedicated action is not taken. It maps where poor people are likely to live and it develops a range of scenarios aimed at identifying potential patterns of vulnerability to extreme weather and earthquakes. These scenarios are dynamic. They consider how threats may change, which countries face the greatest risk and what the role disaster risk management plays. If the international community is serious about the eradication of poverty by 2030, it needs to address the issues covered in this report and get far more serious about putting disaster risk management at the heart of poverty eradication efforts.
