Day: September 9, 2022

From drought to floods and rising sea levels, the cost of damage caused by climate change will only get higher as the world warms, sparking concerns from both top officials and activists about how to pay for it.

“Loss and damage from the climate crisis is not a future event. It is happening now, all around us,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on a visit to Pakistan, which recently suffered from devastating floods that displaced hundreds of thousands of people and left over a thousand dead.

“Developed countries must step up and provide Pakistan and other countries on the front lines with the financial and technical resources they need to survive extreme weather events like these deadly floods,” he said.

“I urge governments to address this issue at COP 27 with the seriousness it deserves,” Guterres added, referring to the U.N. climate summit in November, which will be held in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh.

Pakistan and dozens of other developing countries around the world are scrambling to adapt to the effects of climate change, and many of them are calling on high-emitting richer nations to help foot the bill.

Guterres’ comments come a day after the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, warned that Africa’s islands and coastal states — and the 116 million people that inhabit them — will be heavily exposed to rising seas and will spend about $50 billion in damages by 2050.

The WMO also said that drought over the past 50 years in the Horn and southern Africa, exacerbated by climate change, has claimed the lives of over half a million people, with losses estimated at $70 billion. Over 1,000 floods in the same period claimed over 20,000 lives, it added.

‘Loss and damage’

The report’s findings stirred renewed calls for compensation for the continent by many who believe rich nations that emit far more planet-warming gases into the atmosphere should pay for climate catastrophes, known as “loss and damage” in climate negotiations.

“As a continent we feel that the issue of loss and damage needs to be addressed,” said Harsen Nyambe, the director of sustainable environment at the African Union. “It is a controversial issue, and developed countries are afraid because it has serious financial implications.”

Loss and damage negotiations were a sticking point at last year’s U.N. climate conference and are expected to feature prominently again this year at the climate summit in November.

Developing nations in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific have banded together under the Climate Vulnerable Forum to tackle the issue of loss and damage and seek compensation.

The bloc, currently chaired by Ghana, was formed in 2009 and brings together 48 of the world’s most climate-susceptible developing countries, which have a combined population of 1.2 billion but a collective share of global emissions of just 5%.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Kenyan climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti warned about “loss of lives and livelihoods, and damage to our lands and communities” as a result of climate change.

“Vulnerable countries do not have the financial capacity to adapt to these intensifying climate impacts, which makes climate finance a matter of global justice,” she added.

Source: Voice of America

Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.

IAEA chief briefs Security Council on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Friday that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s power infrastructure had been destroyed in shelling, leading to a complete blackout in the surrounding town of Enerhodar. The IAEA said the plant’s Ukrainian operator is considering shutting down the plant’s only remaining working reactor. Earlier in the week, Grossi briefed the Security Council on his mission to the plant.

IAEA Chief: Attacks on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant ‘Playing With Fire’

UN concerned by Russia’s ‘filtration’ of Ukrainian civilians

The U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights said Wednesday that her office has verified that Russian soldiers and affiliated groups subject Ukrainian civilians to an invasive process called “filtration,” and she called for access to those being detained by Russia.

UN Concerned by Russia’s ‘Filtration’ of Ukrainian Civilians

UN chief in Pakistan to see flood damage

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad on Friday to meet with Pakistan government officials and visit flood-impacted areas. One-third of the country is under water after deadly and destructive monsoon rains. The U.N. has appealed for an emergency $160 million to assist 5.2 million people.

UN Chief: Flood-Ravaged Pakistan Wrongly Attacked by ‘Blind’ Nature

Pandemic, other crises hurt human development

The U.N. Development Program said in a new report this week that the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty and other crises have halted progress in human development and reversed gains made over the past three decades. Data from 191 countries show 90% failed to achieve a better, healthier, more secure life for their people in 2020 and 2021.

Crises Halt Progress in Human Development: UN Report

UN official: Sahel must not be forgotten amid other crises

A senior U.N. official for Africa warned this week that the Sahel region risks becoming a forgotten crisis because of the many competing emergencies around the world. Charles Bernimolin told VOA that the world must not ignore the 18.6 million people there who face acute hunger, with many on the brink of starvation. He said 7.7 million children under the age of 5 are malnourished, including nearly 2 million who are severely malnourished and risk dying without prompt treatment.

Sahel Risks Becoming a Forgotten Crisis, UN Official Says

In brief

— Guterres appointed Volker Türk the next U.N. high commissioner for human rights on Thursday, following approval by the General Assembly. Turk, a native of Austria, has held a number of positions in the United Nations system. He succeeds Michelle Bachelet of Chile whose term ended on August 31.

— The General Assembly on Thursday approved a new U.N. Office for Youth Affairs. It will support governments in responding to the world’s 1.2 billion young people and their priorities — namely, education, jobs and peace.

— The World Meteorological Organization said this week in a new report that African communities, economies and ecosystems are being hit hard by water stress and events including drought and severe floods. The State of the Climate in Africa 2021 says high water stress affects about 250 million people in Africa and could displace up to 700 million people by 2030. In addition, four out of five African countries are unlikely to have sustainably managed water resources by 2030.

Good news

Some 23,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat arrived in Djibouti by ship late last month. This week, trucks delivered a portion of that wheat to the World Food Program’s main warehouse in Ethiopia. The food-assistance branch of the U.N. said the 23,000 tons of grain is enough to feed 1.5 million people on full rations for one month.

Next week

On September 13, the 77th session of the General Assembly will open. President-elect Csaba Korosi of Hungary will take his place at the dais. The following week, world leaders will convene at headquarters for their first completely in-person annual debate since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

In memoriam

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday after a more than 70-year reign. She was respected and admired by millions around the world. Although holding only constitutional powers, she wielded great soft power and was widely regarded as a fine diplomat in her own right. Nothing seduced world leaders like the honor of a state banquet at Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace presided over by Her Majesty. Guterres on Thursday called her a “good friend of the United Nations.” During her reign, she addressed the General Assembly twice — in 1957 and 2010.

Source: Voice of America