Poor People To Bear The Maximum Impact Of Climate Change While Rich May Escape Calamities

In the times of crisis, or a disaster, it is the poor who suffer the most. Rich, meanwhile, look for a safe haven and escape most calamities.

A study by UN Human Rights further validated the fact. The world is on course for ¡°climate apartheid¡±, where the rich buy their way out of the worst effects of global warming while the poor bear the brunt, it said.

¡°An over-reliance on the private sector could lead to a climate apartheid scenario in which the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger, and conflict, while the rest of the world is left to suffer,¡± he wrote.

He said climate change is threatening what has been done in the past 50 years in terms of progress and development, global health and reduction in poverty. Climate change could push over 120 million additional people into poverty by 2030 and is expected to severely impact poor countries, regions, and the places poor people live and work.

Climate change is likely to make rainfall erratic, lead to rising seas and make extreme weather events, such as droughts and heat-waves recurring.

The phenomenon is expected to have a harsh bearing on the poor and those who rely on natural resources for work. This will eventually lead people to a situation where they will have to choose between starvation and migration.

AFP

People living in poverty are only responsible for a fraction of emission while it is the rich who are responsible the most. However, the maximum impact is borne by the poor, the ones who have the least capacity to protect themselves.

A climate apartheid is a scenario where the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger and conflict while the rest of the world is left to suffer.

The basic human rights ¨C water, clothing and shelter will be adversely affected. Civil and political rights will be rendered vulnerable.

Nations have failed to meet the cap on current carbon emissions and climate financing commitments. The fossil fuel industry continues to be subsidised with $5.2 trillion per year.

More talk, little action

Understanding the need for immediate measures to control and ultimately reverse the effects of climate change, Sydney is the most recent country to declare climate emergency. The UK, France, Canada and Ireland have all formally recognised a climate crisis. The UK was the first country in the world to declare a climate emergency following declarations by Scotland and Wales.

BCCL

A climate emergency is the closest humans can come to realise that the grave dangers of climate change on habitat. It conveys a sense of urgency to save the world. However, now that the world acknowledges we are living in the times of climate emergency, there¡¯s hardly anyone acting like it.

It¡¯s not the emergency call that matters the most but the emergency action.