By the numbers: The effect of climate change on human rights

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 14:01:35 +0000

By the numbers: The effect of climate change on human rights Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 08/08/2022 - 08:01

Health

Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress, according to the World Health Organization.

Home

In 2020, 30 million people were displaced because of weather-related disasters, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. By 2050, as many as 216 million people could move within their own countries due to slow-onset climate change, according to the World Bank.

Peace

Of the 25 countries deemed most vulnerable to climate change, 14 are already mired in conflict. Climate change can increase risk of conflict by depleting resources, including water for people and livestock, and exacerbating social and economic tensions. Meanwhile, those already fleeing conflict often end up in countries where natural disasters are common, worsening their hardship. Highly climate vulnerable countries host 40% of refugees and are home to 70% of people internally displaced by conflict or violence.

Self-determination

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), climate change is causing extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, depriving millions of people around the world of a livelihood. The nearly 78% of the world’s poor— 800 million people—who live in rural areas, many of whom rely on agriculture, forestry and fisheries for their survival, are particularly affected. Without urgent action, climate change could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030, according to the World Bank.

Food

Climate change not only hampers productivity of crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, it also influences the frequency of extreme weather events and natural hazards, which can wipe out food sources and impair supply chains. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, nearly 750 million people experienced severe food insecurity in 2019, and the number of undernourished or food-insecure people is rising, with climate shocks a major contributor.

Culture

For the 4 million inhabitants of the Arctic, and the 680 million people who live in low-lying coastal areas, climate change poses not only an immediate and direct threat to their survival, but to the survival of their cultures.

Water

More than 2 billion people live in countries with “high water stress” or lack of access to fresh water. Almost twice as many could be affected by 2050. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, by 2040, one in four children—around 600 million—will live in areas of extremely high-water stress.

Source: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/FSheet38_FAQ_HR_CC_EN.pdf

Climate change is affecting human rights around the world in significant ways. From health to food and self-determination, here are a few statistics and facts about these impacts that further demonstrate the need for coordinated action.

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