Latest News
Climate change: four billion people threatened
by water shortages, Oxfam warns
-
Oxfam says
that current pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions will lead to
a nearly four degree centigrade rise in global temperature by 2100.
This would leave four billion people affected by water shortages
across the globe, with year round droughts in Southern Africa.
Despite agreeing that temperatures should be kept from rising above
the two-degree danger level at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen
in December 2009, world leaders are so far failing to provide adequate
emissions cuts targets, according to Oxfam. Fifty-five countries
submitted pledges for curbing greenhouse gas emissions to the UN
climate convention, before the 31 January 2010 deadline agreed in
Copenhagen. In some cases the pledges were weaker than those made
before the summit.
Oxfam said rich countries need to provide US$ 200 billion (€ 150
billion) per year by 2020 to help developing countries adapt and
reduce their own emissions. This is twice the amount mentioned in
the Accord.
The Accord also promises US$ 30 billion in fast track climate funding
for vulnerable developing countries over the next three years. Bangladesh,
for example, needs an estimated US$ 1.5 million (€ 1.1 million),
to provide drinking water to coastal communities whose traditional
water sources have been contaminated with salt water due to sea
level rise.
-
Source:
Oxfam , 29 Jan 2010; Richard Black,
BBC, 01 Feb 2010
