Our First Focus
The Human Impact of Climate Change

Today's Single Most Important Emerging Humanitarian Concern

The seemingly small increases in global temperatures bring ever worse storms, floods and drought - changes now felt around the world responsible for significant loss of life and livelihood, and grave economic and social implications.

The impact is most serious for the world's poorest populations who have the least buffer of protection and means to cope. For those people and communities already living in absolute poverty, locked in a daily struggle for survival, climate change is an additional, unbearable burden.

The Human Face of Climate Change

Climate change has a human face. Yet still today, climate change is considered more of a future threat, an anonymous threat epitomized by melting icebergs and caps, or a threat to biodiversity. Reference is often made to the necessity of avoiding dangerous climate change in the future. But for those people and communities worst affected today, climate change already  is dangerous. More intense climate change would be catastrophic for humanity.

More about the human impact of climate change

Further Information and Resources

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change