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21. Review of Climate Change Adaptation Practices in South Asia

Author:
Charlotte L. Sterrett
Publication Date:
11-2011
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Despite all its progress over the last quarter century, South Asia remains home to four out of every 10 of the world's poor ; 600 million of South Asia's 1.5 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day. Almost half the children below five are underweight, accounting for more than half of the world's undernourished children. Imbalances in economic growth, inequality among castes, classes, between genders, and a region beset by disasters, have added to the suffering of the poor and those most vulnerable and marginalised.
Topic:
Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, and Industrial Policy
Political Geography:
South Asia

22. Reaching Tipping Point? Climate change and poverty in Tajikistan

Publication Date:
02-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
The people of Tajikistan, a small, mountainous country in Central Asia, are experiencing the impacts of climate change. More frequent droughts and heightened extreme weather conditions are hitting poor communities, eroding their resilience. The country's glaciers are melting, bringing the danger, in the future, of greater water shortages and even disputes in the wider region. Last summer's unusually good rains and consequent harvest brought some relief to rural communities across Tajikistan but the long-term trends are clear – and ominous.
Topic:
Climate Change and Environment
Political Geography:
Central Asia and Tajikistan

23. Climate change adaptation: Enabling people living in poverty to adapt

Author:
Catherine Pettengell
Publication Date:
04-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Climate change is fast pushing communities, particularly the most poor and marginalized, beyond their capacity to respond. Across the world, staple subsistence crops are approaching their outer viable temperature ranges; erratic rainfall patterns and changing seasons are upsetting agricultural cycles and leaving many struggling to feed their families; and rising sea levels are causing the inundation of crops and the contamination of water supplies with salt water.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Poverty, and Third World

24. The rain doesn't come on time anymore: Poverty, vulnerability, and climate variability in Ethiopia

Author:
Senait Regassa, Christina Givey, and Gina E. Castillo
Publication Date:
04-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Climate variability in Ethiopia is not new—its diverse agro-ecological zones have brought a dazzling variety of micro-climates, and corresponding weather patterns, and people have developed ways to respond successfully to these challenges. But now, in addition to the usual struggles, Ethiopians living in poverty are additionally suffering the effects of climate change—both more variable climate and more extreme weather events. Women, men, families, and whole communities are struggling with how to understand this new variability, identify new patterns, and establish what resources they need to be able to move beyond reacting and coping to adapting to the new realities and being resilient. Policy makers, likewise, face the daunting challenge of how to refine policies, especially investments in and related to agriculture, to focus on poverty and vulnerability reduction in context of the new realities of climate change.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Africa and Ethiopia

25. Climate Finance Post-Copenhagen: The $100bn questions

Publication Date:
05-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Climate change is the single greatest threat to development – making the battle to overcome poverty ever harder and more expensive. Finance is urgently needed to help vulnerable communities adapt to a changing climate. Last year the World Bank estimated the costs of adaptation in poor countries were $75–100bn per year if global warming was kept to 2°C. The non-binding pledges from rich countries to cut emissions offered since Copenhagen would steer a course towards a catastrophic 4°C.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:
United Nations

26. 4-a-week: Changing food consumption in the UK to benefit people and planet

Publication Date:
03-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Food shopping may seem an innocent, even mundane, chore. But the food we buy every week can have huge impacts on people and environments seemingly worlds away from our regular dash round the shops. The futures of some of the world's poorest people and of the global environment are intimately linked to the contents of our shopping baskets.
Topic:
Environment, Political Economy, and Food
Political Geography:
United Kingdom and Europe

27. The Right to Survive in a Changing Climate

Author:
Robert Bailey
Publication Date:
04-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Driven by upward trends in the number of climate - related disasters and human vulnerability to them, by 2015 the average number of people affected each year by climate-related disasters could increase by over 50 percent to 375 million. This figure will continue to rise as climate change gathers pace – increasing the frequency and/or severity of such events – and poverty and inequality force ever more people to live in high -risk places, such as flood plains, steep hillsides and urban slums, while depriving them of the means to cope with disaster.
Topic:
Climate Change, Economics, Environment, Globalization, and Poverty

28. The Right to Survive: the humanitarian challenge for the twenty-first century

Publication Date:
04-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Each year, on average, almost 250 million people are affected by 'natural' disasters. In a typical year between 1998 and 2007, 98 per cent of them suffered from climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods rather than, for example, devastating but relatively rare events such as earthquakes. According to new research for this report, by 2015 this could grow by more than 50 per cent to an average of over 375 million affected by climate-related disasters each year.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Human Welfare, and Humanitarian Aid

29. Assessing the Alternatives: Financing climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries

Author:
Stephen Spratt
Publication Date:
05-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
The global climate is changing, fast. And this is the direct result of human activity. It is broadly accepted that we need to restrict global temperature increases to as far below 2°C as possible if we are to avoid triggering runaway, irreversible and catastrophic climate change. This is very probably the greatest challenge and danger that mankind has ever faced, and evidence is mounting that time is rapidly running out if we wish to “preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted.” (Hansen, et al, 2008).
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, and Third World

30. Sectoral Solutions or Carbon Cartels: Will global industry proposals result in a fair and safe climate deal?

Publication Date:
05-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Climate change is already affecting the lives of people in the developing world. Increased floods and droughts, rising sea levels, changing patterns of rainfall and falling crop yields are making it harder and harder for poor people to escape poverty. Oxfam is projecting that, on current trends, the average number of people affected by climate-related disasters each year may have risen by over 50 percent by 2015 – to 375 million people – potentially overwhelming the humanitarian system.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, and Industrial Policy