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There is a growing acknowledgement that the effects of climate change will be the most destabilizing in the world’s most fragile, least-developed states (think Yemen or Somalia), but there are unique innovations happening in the areas of energy and environmental management in these states as well. Below the media radar, there are new approaches, already taking hold, that in some cases have worked surprisingly well in truly difficult contexts – there are also opportunities to build on small-scale successes that could be replicated across national boundaries. The challenges that present themselves in the world’s most sensitive areas, and the risks associated with project development, are of course enormous and should not be understated. However, market-based innovations could offer a way to head off the “worst-case scenarios” – conflict over scarce resources and economic stagnation in the world’s worst-off countries – with impacts rippling throughout the world.
Source: World Bank, State Fragility Index 2007
The Risks of Climate Change to Fragile States
As outlined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2007, developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the socio-economic impacts of global warming, as they are often dependent on agriculture, and suffer from high population growth and weak infrastructure. At the same time, about 1.6 billion people in the developing world have no access to modern energy, and over three-quarters of the global energy infrastructure needed by 2030, most of which will be needed in emerging economies, has yet to be built. (See here.)
See full article here.
Blair Glencorse
13 May 2010
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