HUMANITARIAN TAKEAWAYS: CLIMATE CRISIS |
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Dear friends of CHA,
here is the fourth issue of Humanitarian Takeaways. This time we are exploring the links between the climate crisis and humanitarian action.
It is definitely a crisis: floods in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Puerto Rico, droughts in Somalia and Ethiopia, and many more 'forgotten disasters' are destroying communities and livelihoods. Our selected articles discuss the impacts of climate change on the humanitarian needs; local responses to climate change and how humanitarian action should be adapted; climate-conflict and climate-reproductive health linkages; climate disaster funding; and the carbon footprint of the aid sector.
Despite such a gloomy nature of this topic (pun intended), we hope that you can draw some inspiration from these Takeaways and possibly apply them to your work! And in case you have missed our previous issues, here they are: Takeaways #1 on gender equality, Takeaways #2 on locally led humanitarian action, and Takeaways #3 on anti-racism in aid organisations. Last but not least, please let us know if you have any observations or suggestions, including references to materials to be included in the future issues.
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Research articles and reports |
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By Véronique de Geoffroy, Paul Knox Clarke, Mihir Bhatt, and François Grunewald with Jennifer Doherty (ALNAP, 10/2021)
Article length: 75 pages
(Sub)topics: climate change; imperfectly understood disasters; tropical storms; new weather events; heatwaves; humanitarian action; lessons learnt
This ALNAP lessons paper seeks to answer the following research question: On the basis of documentary evidence and expert knowledge, what changes are required in humanitarian action – policy, institutional structures, operations and programmes – to take account of the effects of climate change? The paper is based on both academic and grey literature (235 documents in total) and supplemented by the expert opinion. The authors have identified 40 lessons in three areas: 1) general lessons on humanitarian action and climate change; 2) lessons from imperfectly understood disasters; and 3) lessons from ‘unknown’ disasters.
According to the authors, the general lessons (1) are the following: Hum. actors should develop their ability to design and implement a range of programme types (resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), anticipation and response); to work flexibly and adaptively; to deliver climate-related programming in conflict areas; to address internal silos in 'dual-mandate' organisations; and to decentralise decision-making. They should also partner with development and climate actors as well as co-design climate change programmes with vulnerable people and groups. Climate programmes should be designed with a contextual understanding of vulnerability, and activities must be relevant and accessible to marginalised groups. It is also key to build on existing (local) structures and to 'climate-proof' existing activities. Hum. actors should be realistic about what can be achieved in contributing to resilience and not conflate income with resilience. They should also ensure that forecasting and early warning systems are reviewed after each disaster event; that flexibility is built-in; and that planned early actions are realistic. Lastly, the accepted level of uncertainty should be clarified and preparedness enhanced.
The lessons from imperfectly understood disasters (2) emerged from the literature related to responses to tropical storms behaving in new ways. According to the authors, hum. actors and their partners should improve DRR; disaster responses to tropical storms should take account of potential secondary effects (e.g. flash floods, landslides, and disease); and investments should be made into new types of alarm and alert systems and into new information and communication technologies. Hum. actors should listen to affected people, recognise their anticipatory capacity, and champion further research on traditional knowledge. As for local authorities, they should develop alternative shelter and evacuation systems in regions potentially at risk. There is a need for improved dialogues and coordination between governments and civil society, and any effective informal first-response network or citizen-led response should be recognised and supported immediately following a disaster.
The lessons from new weather events (3) were drawn from the literature on responses to heatwaves. To deal with this, hum. and other actors should support efforts to secure reliable access to sustainable energy; develop their understanding of the complex impact of extreme heat on livelihoods; and design their interventions in ways that engage affected communities. Additionally, hum. actors should support and play their part in multi-sectoral approaches and advocate for greater investment into early warning against heatwaves. As for partnerships between hum. actors and governments, they can lead to better social protection to vulnerable groups in the event of heatwaves. Lastly, hum. and other donors should invest more in better risk assessment and improved monitoring and evaluation of heatwave preparedness and adaptation; and governments, researchers, and humanitarian actors should share the financial burden of mitigation.
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By Mohamed Fadal and Louise Wiuff Moe (Toda Peace Institute, 05/2021)
Article length: 22 pages
(Sub)topics: climate change; Somaliland; local responses; migration
This report discusses how local people and institutions in Somaliland respond to climate change impacts and emphasise the complexities at stake in the intersections between climate change, conflict, collaboration, and mobility. The report is based on 30 interviews conducted in November-December 2020 with members from communities (including rural communities of the Eastern Somaliland regions), traditional leaders, Somaliland experts in the field of climate change, local and central government stakeholders, and Local/Regional Government officials including mayors, as well as security actors and development practitioners.
The authors note that, although the climate change mitigation ultimately depends upon global lead actors, 'the direct impacts and consequences of climate change are often local' and 'attention to these processes [...] can offer important clues toward contextually relevant assistance with a long-term perspective, reaching beyond emergency relief and security/stabilisation responses' (p. 1-2).
The authors discuss key climate trends in Somaliland, which include droughts, weather variability, desertification, as well as compound climate change impacts in the COVID-19 crisis. These intersect with 'intensifying conflicts over land, resources, changing mobility patterns and limited governance outreach' (p. 2). The different types of local responses to deal with them include 1) nomadic, seminomadic, and mixed livestock-crop strategies; 2) the usage of motor transport; 3) telecommunication and social media support systems; 4) diversification and commercialisation; and 5) rural-urban migration and IDP settlements.
When discussing the intersections between climate change, conflict, collaboration, and mobility, the authors move beyond a risk-based focus on climate change, presenting 'a range of interactions, which are all but mono-causal' (p. 11). The authors therefore discuss how migration is 'not primarily a recent negative side effect of a harsh climate, but a long-standing means of living with it, based on collectively organised use of scarce resources' (p. 12).
Based on their research, the authors propose a set of implications and suggestions for policy and further research. Firstly, there is a need to prioritise support to local climate change initiatives going beyond the narrow conflict/security-centred outlook. Secondly, investments in research on local climate change adaptation are required. Finally, policy responses should focus on adaptable and inclusive governance approaches and abstain from introducing 'good governance' blueprints.
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By Christie Nicoson, Nina von Uexkull, and the Norwegian Red Cross (2019)
Article length: 42 pages
(Sub)topics: climate change; vulnerabilities; humanitarian needs; human security
This report provides an overview of the observed and anticipated humanitarian consequences of climate change in four areas: livelihoods, health, migration, and conflict situations. It highlights the short-term impacts that will be most relevant within a 10-year time-frame. This report is based on the findings of leading authorities, giving priority to studies that are recently published, cited more frequently, and published in highly recognised outlets.
Overall, the authors found that where people are already marginalised, institutions are weak, and/or conflict has impacted people’s coping capacities, the humanitarian consequences of climate change increase – particularly with respect to livelihoods, health, and migration. In terms of regions, Africa and Asia are expected to be affected the most.
The authors found that people who have less access to power and resources (e.g. economically and politically marginalised women, indigenous people, and children) face greater risks of climate change. Additionally, people who depend on agricultural and fishing livelihoods, particularly smallholder farmers, are more at risk. Climate change will also negatively impact food and freshwater quality and availability, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates. Higher temperatures will also add to the latter.
As for the relationship between climate change and conflict, while climate change doesn't seem to be an important cause of armed conflict outbreak, it might worsen existing larger-scale conflicts and affect lower-scale communal violence. At the same time, conflicts weaken the structures and systems necessary for climate change adaptation. With regard to migration, climate change might motivate domestic rural to urban migration (esp. in Asia, east Africa, and Central America), but it is less likely to lead to international migration.
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News, blogs, and opinion articles |
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By Hareem Fatima Abdullah, programme coordinator with the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda, and Jacob Kurtzer, director and senior fellow with the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda (CSIS, 14/09/2022)
One-third of Pakistan is underwater; almost 1,400 people have died, more than 1,600 are injured, half a million are displaced; and more than 6.4 million people are in 'dire need' of humanitarian aid. In this issue of the 'Critical Questions' series, Hareem Fatima Abdullah and Jacob Kurtzer from the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda discuss the situation in flood-affected areas; the factors contributing to the devastation; the short- and long-term impacts of the floods; as well as the responses by the domestic, regional, and international actors so far.
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By Arthur Neslen (The Guardian, 07/06/2022)
In this article, Arthur Neslen discusses an Oxfam report, according to which, only about half the funding needed by UN climate disaster appeals is being met by rich countries – while having soared by more than 800% in 20 years. In addition to failing to provide sufficient humanitarian aid when disasters hit, rich countries are also failing to keep their promise to provide $100bn a year to help poorer countries adapt to the changing climate, as well as are blocking attempts to provide new funding for loss and damage. According to Asad Rehman (director of War on Want), who was quoted in this article, 'it’s a deadly response shaped by a colonial mentality that for 500 years inflicted injustice and inequity, with the lives of those with black or brown skins in poorer countries deemed less valuable to those of western citizens'.
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By Zainab Yunusa, a delegate with the UNFCCC’s Youth Constituency and the Women and Gender Constituency (The New Humanitarian, 14/04/2022)
'We need to steer clear of policies that seek to control and police women’s reproductive health in the name of curbing emissions', underlines Zainab Yunusa in this article. This includes discussions around population control, which place the responsibility to mitigate and adapt to a changing planet on women (esp. those in Africa and Asia), and let the primary polluters – rich countries – off the hook. When considering the links between sexual and reproductive health and climate change, policymakers need to adapt a human rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health, and let women decide what policies will best meet their needs.
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By Crisis Management Initiative (16/09/2019)
Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) discusses three key aspects with respect to the complex relationship between climate change and conflict. First, climate change is a threat multiplier: it doesn't directly cause conflicts but can increase the risk of conflict by putting a lot of pressure on livelihoods and forcing people to migrate. Secondly, societies need stability – including safety, justice, and sufficiently strong institutions – to adapt to climate change. Thirdly, climate change challenges can create shared interests for conflict parties. Working together leads to more trust, which can then be used to bring more challenging and sensitive issues to the table.
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Léopold Salzenstein and Kylee Pedersen (The New Humanitarian, 27/10/2021)
In this investigation, the New Humanitarian asked 24 organisations to estimate their total carbon footprint and say how they are dealing with it. The investigators found it challenging to assess the situation since no uniform system exists for humanitarian organisations to measure their carbon footprints, and many groups, especially UN agencies, do not count their total emissions. At the same time, indirect emissions can sometimes constitute nearly half of an organisation’s footprint. With regard to the emission sources, the investigation pointed to flights as well as packaging and waste management. Click here and discover more.
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Hosted by the Groupe URD
ADAPT is an initiative – currently in its inception phase – aiming to build a broader and more inclusive coalition around climate-related crises; to raise awareness on the threats of, and responses to these crises; to support organisations in affected countries to generate and share knowledge of ‘what works’; to assist humanitarian and disaster management organisations in planning for climate-related crises; and to make scientific knowledge on climate and disasters available to communities and practitioners on the ground. To find out more, email here.
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