The Climate Crisis Worsens Poverty

Approximately 80% of the poorest people in the world, totaling around 887 million, live in regions vulnerable to climate phenomena such as extreme heat and flooding. This alarming figure comes from a joint report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford, which highlights the growing connection between the climate crisis and poverty in the context of the upcoming COP30 climate summit to be held in Bethlehem, Brazil.

For the first time, the UNDP has integrated data on climate risks and multidimensional poverty, showing that poverty cannot be understood as an isolated socioeconomic problem; instead, it is increasingly exacerbated by climate change. According to Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of the UNDP, “poverty can no longer be addressed without considering the increasingly dramatic effects of the climate emergency.”

The report reveals that 1.1 billion people live in conditions of multidimensional poverty, an index that assesses factors such as health, education, and living standards. Of this total, a concerning 887 million are exposed to at least one climate risk, with 651 million suffering from multiple climate crises simultaneously, and 309 million facing three to four of these risks.

The regions of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected, housing 380 million and 344 million poor people exposed to climate risks, respectively. In South Asia, nearly the entire population in poverty (99.1%) faces one or more of these risks and is the region with the largest number of people suffering from two or more climate crises.

The report also highlights that middle-income countries represent a hidden core of multidimensional poverty, hosting almost two-thirds of the poor population. It is estimated that 548 million people in lower-middle-income countries are exposed to at least one climate risk, with over 470 million facing multiple threats.

Additionally, it is anticipated that countries with higher levels of multidimensional poverty will experience significant increases in temperatures by the end of this century. In this context, the report calls for aligning poverty reduction strategies with climate mitigation and adaptation efforts and ecosystem restoration, emphasizing the need for immediate global action. Xu also offers a message of hope for COP30, stating that effective solutions exist, and it is possible to support the most vulnerable populations and countries in this challenge.