Climate and Development

The Challenge

The impact of climate change presents a new hurdle in the fight against extreme poverty and disease. Experts predict that in many sub-Saharan African countries, climate change could mean more frequent drought and floods, water scarcity, and increased health challenges such as under-nutrition. These new challenges will not only make achieving the Millennium Development Goals more difficult, but could also threaten some of the progress already made in fighting extreme poverty and disease.

The Opportunity

Global climate negotiations in 2009 offer international leaders a unique opportunity to address the impact climate change is having on the world's poor. This will require action on two fronts: adaptation to help poor countries cope with the impact of climate change, and mitigation to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and avoid future emissions in developing countries.

In partnering with poor countries towards a global climate deal, it is important that world leaders view sub-Saharan Africa not as another problem to be solved, but as an opportunity for solutions. Preserving sub-Saharan Africa's vast rainforests, for example, could help offset global emissions, and down the road Africa's potential for solar, geothermal and even biomass could provide new resources for clean energy.

Learn more, read the full Climate and Development Issue Brief...