Climate change and poverty reduction

The document highlights how climate change undermines development goals and poverty eradication, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that the artificial distinction between adaptation and development must be removed in favor of climate resilience. The author calls for a stronger evidence base on climate-poverty links, the integration of adaptation into national poverty reduction strategies, and a cautious approach to mitigation that prioritizes developmental co-benefits over high opportunity costs.

• Climate change threatens the achievement and sustainability of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly regarding hunger, child health, and education in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Droughts in Africa have severe residual effects on children: in Ethiopia, children born during drought years are 36% more likely to be malnourished and 41% more likely to be stunted; in Kenya, the likelihood of malnourishment increases by 50%; and in Niger, children aged two or under are 72% more likely to be stunted.
• Climate change impacts the four basic 'securities' of poverty reduction strategies: it may increase hunger risk by up to 30% by 2080 (food security), make biomass fuel scarcer (energy security), create poverty tipping points through changing rainfall (water security), and increase vulnerability to disasters (human security).
• Climate-proofing the Millennium Development Goals in Africa over the next decade is estimated to be 40% more expensive than in a scenario not affected by climate change.
• Efforts to achieve a 'triple win' (combining development, adaptation, and mitigation) have largely failed, as Clean Development Mechanism projects rarely address poverty or reach the poorest countries.
• Low-carbon energy access (LCEA) technologies often remain inaccessible to the poor due to high opportunity costs for households without income-generating prospects and a lack of credit at below-commercial rates.

APA

Anderson, S. (2011). Climate change and poverty reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_poverty-reduction_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Anderson, Simon. Climate change and poverty reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2011. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_poverty-reduction_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anderson |first1=Simon |title=Climate change and poverty reduction |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2011 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_poverty-reduction_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anderson2011climate, author = {Anderson, Simon}, title = {{Climate change and poverty reduction}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2011}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_poverty-reduction_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }