Malawi needs aid now to build for the future effects of climate change -research
Developing countries, including Malawi, need aid now to enable then to cope with the future effects of climate change, according to new research.
The study shows that financial help is urgently needed now so developing countries can prepare for potential climate change disasters.
With enough aid now, developing countries are expected to become wealthier and need less support after 2030.
Scholars from the University of Edinburgh have contributed to the research which is lead by the Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
The study, titled “Estimating least-developed countries’ vulnerability to climate-related extreme events over the next 50 years”, is the first analysis to look at both economic development and climate change in assessing how vulnerable developing countries will be over the coming years.
According to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, if enough aid is given over the next two decades, then economic development may begin to offset rising climate exposure in developing countries from 2030.
Dr Marc Metzger, a Senior Research Fellow in Environmental Change and Modelling at the University of Edinburgh, who contributed to the paper, said: “The recent earthquake in Haiti has shown how vulnerable developing countries are to natural disasters. However, this paper indicates that if developing countries receive assistance now they will likely be able to cope on their own in the future.”
By analysing the effects of climate change and the pace of economic development over the next 50 years, the study developed a detailed set of scenarios for the future of Mozambique, as well as more general predictions for 23 other countries.
The other countries analysed were: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Haiti, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Senegal, the Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Vanuatu, and Zambia.
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