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Competence Centre on Foresight

We foster a strategic, future-oriented and anticipatory culture in the EU policymaking process.

  • Page | Last updated: 26 Mar 2020

Impact of climate change and environment on poverty

The poor and people in developing countries bear the greatest burden of climate change and environmental degradation..

  • Extremely impoverished people are at most risk from climate change, water scarcity, flooding, limited access to energy and land degradation. They tend to live in vulnerable areas, have no insurance and cannot afford relocation or rebuilding after calamities. | Related Megatrends: Climate and environment
  • The poor and people in developing countries bear the greatest burden of climate change, environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources. Highly dependent on agriculture and fishing, they are especially vulnerable to the depletion of natural resources.  | Related Megatrends: Climate and environment; Natural resources
  • 122 million more people could be living in extreme poverty by 2030, due to climate change, agro-industrialisation, and other challenges affecting small farmers. | Related Megatrends: Security; Climate and environment; Health
  • According to World Employment and Social Outlook 2018, action to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius will result in sufficient job creation to more than offset job losses of 6 million elsewhere.
  • People in poorer countries are on average 6 times more likely to be displaced, evacuated or require emergency assistance due to climate-related disasters than those in rich countries. The UN Security Council notes the adverse effects that climate change and greater competition for scarce resources have on the stability of many countries in Western and Central Africa such as Mali, Somalia or Sudan.
  • While there is evidence that climate change and extreme weather events trigger displacement, these movements are mostly short-term and short-distance.

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