15 September 2009. In step with the Nairobi launch of the World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change, the World Bank issued a news release focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa , as well as a policy booklet containing the main messages of the report for Africa and elements from the World Bank’s climate change strategy in this region.The booklet draws attention to the urgent need to tackle the varied impacts of climate change on Africa’s agriculture, forests, food security, energy, water, infrastructure, health, and education. The continent’s natural fragility means that changes in rainfall patterns, increased droughts and floods, and sea level rise are already causing damage and affecting people’s lives.
The report - World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change - which is the latest in the World Bank’s long-running series on development, emphasizes that developing countries are the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change.
- In fact, they face 75 to 80 percent of the potential damage from climate change.
- The latest and best scientific evidence tells us that at global warming of more than 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures—an increase that will be extremely difficult to avoid—more than a billion people could face water scarcity, 15 to 30 percent of species worldwide could be doomed to extinction, and hunger will rise, particularly in tropical countries.
- So it’s overwhelmingly clear that developing countries need help to cope with these potential impacts, even as they strive to reduce poverty faster and deliver access to energy and water for all.
Background:
After more than a year of research, consultation, and writing, the “pre-press” version of the report: World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change is now available on the World Bank website. While the printed books won’t be ready until the end of October, the advance files (subject to correction and change) are (in different languages)
