climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change

The report documents first-hand experiences of climate change across nine countries, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples and the global South. It details specific disasters—such as Hurricane Catarina in Brazil, Hurricane Mitch in Honduras, and severe droughts in Australia, Mali, and Swaziland—while showcasing grassroots adaptation efforts like mangrove reforestation in Malaysia and biological farming in Australia. The document argues for a global movement for climate justice that challenges the economic systems driving emissions and empowers marginalized communities to lead their own adaptation strategies.

• Indigenous Peoples and populations in the global South are identified as the most vulnerable to climate change because their livelihoods depend closely on land, water, and traditional ecosystem knowledge.
• In Australia, climate change is projected to increase average temperatures by up to 1.3°C by 2020 and 6.7°C by 2080, with heat-related deaths in major urban centers expected to increase fivefold by 2050.
• Brazil's southern region experienced its first recorded hurricane, Hurricane Catarina, in March 2004, which caused over USD 470 million in damages and killed four people.
• Honduras suffered extreme long-term health and social crises following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed approximately 7,000 people and left a quarter of the population homeless.
• In Malaysia, the transportation sector was the largest contributor to CO2 emissions in 1994, accounting for 49% of the total.
• Mali faces severe food insecurity due to a shortening growing season, which is predicted to decrease by 20% by 2050, potentially leaving two-thirds of the population undernourished by 2030.
• Peru is considered the world's third most-vulnerable country to climate change, with tropical glaciers likely to disappear over the next 15 years.
• Swaziland is essentially carbon neutral but faces extreme vulnerability; in 2007, a state of national disaster was declared after drought caused severe crop failures affecting 40% of the population.
• Tuvalu faces the potential total loss of its territory due to sea-level rise, with some islands already disappearing and saltwater intrusion poisoning traditional crops like puluka.
• In the United Kingdom, the village of Selsey faces a potential cost of over USD 67 million to protect its community from sea-level rise and erosion, while the government has proposed a 'managed retreat'.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2007). climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/climate-testimonies-EN.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change. 2007. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/climate-testimonies-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change |date=November 2007 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/climate-testimonies-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2007climatechange, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2007}, month = nov, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/climate-testimonies-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }