Dried up, drowned out: voices from the developing world on a changing climate

Poor communities around the world are extremely vulnerable to climate changes at the local level. This report reveals that local environmental management can be a very significant contributing factor, and that the management of natural resources must be a fundamental component of climate change adaptation programmes in developing countries.The findings of this report are based on Tearfund’s partner organisations, sharing community experiences of their own climate. Current regional impacts of climate change include:

Africa: increasing periods of drought, with decreased and less predictable rainfall. Drinking water is becoming scarcer, agricultural cycles are disrupted and crop yields lower. Malaria and malnutrition are on the rise. Biodiversity along with traditional medicines are being lost. Key issues identified as contributing to these experiences are deforestation, water management, local industrial activities and greenhouse gas emissions.

Asia: partners report that both floods and droughts are more and more unpredictable, and timing of the rains is changing and thus the seasons are altered. Crops fail, water-borne diseases are increasing, as well as skin, eye and chest problems. Biodiversity is decreasing and sea-level rise is already forcing some communities to relocate. Identified contributing causes are deforestation, water management, urbanisation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Latin America: floods, droughts and storms are all becoming more prevalent. Declining water availability is a big problem, and agricultural productivity is declining. Some people are abandoning agricultural livelihoods and migrating to urban areas. Deforestation across the region contributes to local-level climate change, and there is concern over the lack of national policies and over the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Recommendations to the international community are:

• the international community is urged to tackle the increase in greenhouse gas emissions through compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, developing alternative energy sources, and providing education on the effects of individual behaviour
• community adaptation activities should include supporting environmental protection and recovery programmes, capacity building, providing resources for specific adaptation initiatives and supporting local responses
• rich countries are urged to tackle injustice by addressing corruption, the unfair distribution of resources, and the international debt burden.