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Support developing countries to adapt to climate change

Developing countries have contributed least to the problem, and in the near/mid term total developing country emissions will still be less than those by industrialised countries both in absolute and per capita terms. Yet developing countries will be the ones worst hit by climate change and are already feeling some impacts. The impact of the global warming that has already occurred, and the future warming to which the world is already committed is, and will increasingly be, devastating for poor people, undermining the progress intended under the Millennium Development Goals and longer term development objectives.

Industrialised countries on the other hand have an historical responsibility for causing climate change and as a matter of fairness and justice should bear the leading responsibility for tackling the problem, both by reducing their emissions and by assisting developing countries to adapt to the changes that are already occurring. Although difficult to estimate accurately, the cost of adaptation will be substantial in developing countries, certainly greater than the range of US$10 to 40 billion p.a. estimated by the World Bank. Rich countries have primary responsibility to cover these costs, in addition to achieving the 0.7% commitment to overseas aid.

Adaptation is intrinsically linked to mitigation, and it is essential that both be addressed as a matter of urgency. It must be born in mind that it will not be possible for poorer people and countries to adapt if climate change breaches danger levels, so adaptation measures in the Global South must not be seen as an alternative to mitigation measures in the Global North.

Stop Climate Chaos believes that adaptation measures should adhere to three overarching principles:

• Adaptation strategies should be integrated within existing national and international development and poverty reduction activities: It is essential that adaptation should not be viewed as a separate 'sector', but be addressed within ongoing development and poverty reduction processes. A critical requirement for development programmes and projects is that they decrease human vulnerability to climate change
• Empower poor communities: As with development measures in general, adaptation strategies must strengthen communities from the bottom-up, building on their own coping strategies to live with climate change and empowering them to participate in the development of climate change policies
• Strengthen disaster risk reduction: When dealing with the uncertainties of climate change, reducing vulnerability to existing climate impacts through disaster risk reduction is an effective and cost-efficient method of building adaptive capacity for the future.