In its Third Assessment Report (TAR), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that the globally-averaged surface temperature increased 0.6 ± 0.2°C in the 20th century. This trend is expected to persist, with a 1.4 to 5.8°C increase predicted for the current century. Warming will vary by region and be accompanied by significant changes in precipitation, sea level rise, and changes in the frequency and intensity of some extreme events. These changes will affect natural and human systems independently or in combination with other determinants to alter the productivity, diversity and functions of many ecosystems and livelihoods around the world. Yet these impacts will not be distributed or felt uniformly, as those “with the least resources have the least capacity to adapt and are the most vulnerable.”
The poor are already vulnerable to climate risks. Settlement on marginal or unstable lands such as steep slopes or floodplains heightens their exposure to the impacts of climate hazards. Heavy dependence on ecosystem services can place their welfare and survival at the mercy of environmental conditions. As the availability and quality of natural resources decline due to natural and human-induced pressures, so does the viability and security of their livelihoods. With limited capacities and resources at their disposal to respond to stresses such as droughts and floods, their ability to meet basic needs and move out of poverty is constrained. Climate change, therefore, threatens to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and further entrench development disparities. Those with the least stand to suffer the most. Thus, with regional changes In an effort to encourage the use of and impacts already being observed, the need for adaptive response measures is such activities and their integration into emerging policy frameworks, this imperative. For the poor and other vulnerable people, the need is urgent.
