Millions of people continue to be displaced and to be negatively affected by conflict, which reduces societal capacity to adapt to environmental change, while making sustained
environmental management difficult. Credit: UN Photo Library
During hurricane Katrina in the US in 2005, impov- of livelihood options and can adapt more to land
erished people without access to private transport degradation and water scarcity. But those in de-
were unable to leave the city of New Orleans. veloping countries who directly depend on envi-
People in poor health or lacking bodily strength ronmental resources for their livelihoods are most
were less likely to survive the Indian Ocean tsunami vulnerable.
of 2004 – in villages in North Aceh, Indonesia,
women accounted for up to 80 per cent of deaths. Where there is high agricultural dependency,
In Sri Lanka the same tsunami caused a high mor- droughts may undercut food security and economic
tality rate among children and the elderly. performance, lessening the opportunity to meet
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 on poverty
Climate change is likely to increasingly upset and hunger.
various ecological balancing forces, resulting in a
growth in the frequency and intensity of extreme
weather events around the globe. This will cause
greater insecurity for much of the world’s popula-
tion.
Droughts are likely to have a severe impact on
growing numbers of people. Those living in
drylands in industrialized countries – such as in
Australia and the US – typically have a diversity
VIDEO EXTRACTED FROM THE GEO4 VIDEO
NEWS RELEASE
Sandstorm in Gao, Mali.
Credit: BIOS Crocetta Tony/StillPictures
DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS 23
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