Volume 1
Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee
- Date:
- 2002
Licence: Open Government Licence
Credit: Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
21/92 page 19
![The Impacts of climate change 15. Climate change affects food security, water, biodiversity and infrastructure and therefore will have a dramatic impact on livelihoods. Computer models suggest that climate change will have both adverse and beneficial effects (see table 4). . Increased risk of flooding Increased water availability in some Risk from sea level rise previously water scarce areas Increased exposure to vector-borne Reduced winter mortality diseases such as malaria Reduced winter energy demand in Increased exposure to water borne some areas diseases such as cholera Increase in heat stress mortality 16. Increases in temperature have already begun to affect several physical and biological systems and changes have been observed in aquatic, terrestrial and marine environments.“ More frequent floods and droughts are already having an impact on natural, social and economic systems. Some of these initial impacts will cause secondary effects;*° impacts that occur only in developed countries could have a knock-on effect on developing countries*° and impacts in developing countries could cause population displacement or increased humanitarian need with implications for developed countries. 17. DEFRA’s memorandum recognised that the potentially huge economic, human and environmental costs of climate change could create political tensions between countries, increasing regional instability.*’ Coupled with population growth, this could lead to conflict over diminishing fresh water resources and fertile land.** The World Meteorological Organization’s submission pointed out that such conflict could adversely affect sustainable development.” Impact on the poor 18. The impacts of climate change will not be evenly spread across the globe” and are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor.*’ Richard Manning, DFID, said “*...on the whole the most vulnerable people are likely to be the poor people.”.°* The Tyndall Centre’s research in Vietnam showed that those already marginalised in an economy were likely to suffer the greatest impact as they had the fewest resources for coping with adverse change.*> Climate change will make social and economic development harder.** In developing countries, it could set back development efforts by several decades unless Report of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 “Ibid. ‘Ey 59 46044 By 9 [para 1.3] *SEv 155 Ev 164 Report of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 = BY 59 702 Sy 60 Ey 59](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32221356_0001_0021.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
