A number of initiatives and innovations have been successfully implemented over the years to alleviate poverty. There are examples of countries including Brazil, Korea, China, and India who have experienced rapid advancement, with some achieving a position where they are providing aid to other developing countries. The greatest economic growth rates are seen in some of the least developed places in the world, primarily Asia and Africa1. The mortality rate for children today is 13% lower than it was 50 years ago with more than a billion people rising out of extreme poverty over the same time period2.
There is optimism that effective use of aid funds combined with international investment will eventually lead to a world without poor countries. However, there is a growing security risk that threatens to hinder the prosperity of developing countries, one that could perpetuate a never-ending cycle of poverty. This is the threat of climate change, an increased volatility and severity of climatic conditions caused by human-led changes to the molecular chemistry of the earth’s atmosphere.
According to a recent report by the UN Climate Panel, poor countries, and individuals who are socially, economically, or politically marginalized are at the greatest risk to climate change3. The ability to adapt and cope with climate change impacts is a function of wealth, technology, information, skills, infrastructure, institutions, equity, and empowerment4. Since poor countries are inadequate in many of these areas, they are ill equipped to deal with environmental disruptions.
As such, when advising large NGOs, companies and governmental agencies, I would suggest leaders focus on building regional capacity to deal with future environmental stresses and disasters. Instead of providing aid relief when disasters strike, organizations should help poor countries anticipate and mitigate impacts. This will prevent dramatic losses of capital and assets, and ensure that the work currently being done in poor countries is not jeopardized in the event of a catastrophe. I would recommend stakeholders work to assess all environmental risks in the region, build safety nets around major industries, and