Vulnerable and Overlooked: The Toll of Climate Change on the World’s Poorest Nations

8 mins

On International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we look at the countries disproportionately affected by climate change, where extreme weather events are worsening poverty and threatening livelihoods

While the world’s poorest countries contribute the least to global emissions, they are paying the highest price for climate change. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are hitting vulnerable nations the hardest, pushing millions deeper into poverty. According to Notre Dame’s Global Adaptation Initiative (GAIN) Index, many of the countries ranked as the most vulnerable to climate change are also among the world’s poorest.

Most of the world’s planet-heating pollution comes from just a few countries. The top 20 global climate polluters – dominated by China, India, the United States and the European Union – are responsible for 83 per cent of emissions. In contrast, the world’s least developed countries (LDCs), which account for about 1 billion people, contribute less than 1 percent of total global emissions.

And while it’s the poorest who are worst affected, it’s also the most vulnerable. According to a study carried out by UNICEF, weather-related disasters have displaced 43.1 million children worldwide, the equivalent of around 20,000 child displacements a day. Almost all – 95 per cent – of the child displacements recorded were caused by floods and natural disasters. 

child floating on char in a flood
weather-related disasters have displaced 43.1 million children worldwide

Another recent study across 134 countries found that a one-degree increase in temperature leads to a 9.1 per cent increase in extreme poverty and a 0.8 percent increase in inequality. While another study estimates that the number of people falling into poverty due to climate change could reach between 32 and132 million by 2030.

‘In 2024, global warming caused by human-caused carbon emissions has reached the 1.5°C temperature threshold identified in the Paris agreement,’ says Davide Faranda, researcher at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace. ‘This planetary fever is causing widespread heatwaves, droughts, cyclones and floods which can be directly attributed to human greenhouse gases emissions and that are causing enormous human and economic damages.

‘In our research consortium ClimaMeter, which produces rapid attribution reports, we have shown that climate change is fueling many of the costly extreme weather events that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations with limited adaptation capabilities’ he adds. ‘We have limited time to act and reduce carbon emissions to prevent irreversible consequences on humans and ecosystems.’

While over 100 of the world’s poorest nations are highly vulnerable to our changing climate, primarily in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Pacific Islands, the countries below are experiencing some of the worst impacts, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and food and water scarcity.

Chad

woman tending to a goat in the desert

Chad currently ranks last on the Notre Dame GAIN index – which assesses where the greatest needs for improving resilience to climate change exist – which highlights it as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Over the past 50 years, Chad has experienced rising temperatures, severe droughts, and the overuse of natural resources, leading to the disappearance of 90 per cent of Lake Chad, once the country’s largest water source, now a dustbowl. For Chadians, climate-related hunger and healthcare issues are critical. With fewer than one medical professional per 1,000 people, the country is woefully unprepared. The recent influx of half a million refugees from neighbouring Sudan – fleeing civil war – has further strained Chad’s limited resources.

Sudan

climate change affecting woman and child in Sudan with flooded house in background
Adrienne Surprenant for the IRC

As one of the most rapidly warming and most drought-prone nations in the world, Sudan is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. In 2019, the Red Cross named it one of their top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. As it’s temperatures increase at two and half times the global average, Sudan is grappling with the harsh impacts of desertification, driven by prolonged droughts and rising temperatures. The loss of arable land is exacerbating food insecurity and worsening poverty, particularly in rural areas. 64 per cent of the country’s population (7.7 million people out of 12 million) are experiencing severe hunger.

Afghanistan

refugees in Afghanistan sit huddled on the floor

Between 1950 and 2010, the temperatures in Afghanistan increased by 1.8º C intensifying Afghanistan’s already dire humanitarian crisis, caused by over 30 years of conflict and economic collapse. Rains have decreased by 40 per cent in the country and Afghanistan is currently enduring its worst drought in 27 years, severely affecting water availability and agriculture. This has caused left millions unable to grow crops or secure basic food. Meanwhile, flash floods in parts of the country have displaced thousands and destroyed homes, roads, and farmland, further hampering food production. Afghanistan’s reliance on foreign aid has also been severely disrupted, as a result, 29.2 million people are now in dire need of humanitarian aid.

Madagascar

flooding in Madagascar

This island nation has been experiencing increasingly extreme weather causing widespread food insecurity. In the drought-stricken southern regions, crops have failed repeatedly, leaving millions of people on the brink of famine, while cyclones like Cyclone Batsirai in 2022 displaced 28,000 people and destroyed homes, schools, and farm land. With 80 per cent of Madagascar’s population relying on subsistence farming, the climate crisis is severely threatening livelihoods and the biodiversity for which the island is renowned. As one of the world’s poorest nations, Madagascar lacks the resources to adapt, making it highly vulnerable to a changing climate.

Haiti

aerial view of Port au prince in haiti

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, is facing increasing environmental degradation. The country is regularly battered by hurricanes, which are intensifying due to climate change. Deforestation has also left Haiti vulnerable to landslides and soil erosion, further impacting food security and displacing thousands. With limited resources to rebuild after repeated disasters, Haiti’s struggle with poverty is deepening as climate events become more frequent and severe.

Bangladesh

Aerial view of flooded homes in  Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Frequent flooding, driven by rising sea levels and monsoon rains, is devastating its agriculture sector, leaving millions displaced. The country’s flat, low-lying geography makes it prone to natural disasters that destroy homes and livelihoods, increasing poverty levels. Despite its efforts to build resilience through adaptation strategies, Bangladesh remains in the crosshairs of climate change. In May this year, Cyclone Remal struck the Bay of Bengal, affecting both Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The cyclone forced over 800,000 people in Bangladesh to evacuate, killing at least 69 people.

Yemen

child with donkey carrying branches

Yemen is experiencing severe water scarcity, with rainfall becoming more unpredictable and droughts more frequent. This has devastating consequences for agriculture, which employs over half of Yemen’s population. As crops fail and water resources disappear, food insecurity escalates, with millions of Yemenis now facing starvation. In addition to drought, Yemen is also experiencing flash floods, which destroy homes, infrastructure, and farmland. Estimates suggest that the rate of desertification and deforestation in Yemen increased from 90 per cent in 2014 to 97 per cent in 2022.

Myanmar

children playing football in flooded field

Myanmar is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, facing extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, and droughts. The country’s coastal regions are particularly at risk from rising sea levels and storm surges, putting millions of people at risk of displacement. Flooding and prolonged droughts severely impact agriculture, a sector that employs around 60 per cent of the population. Myanmar’s forests, which play a critical role in mitigating climate change, are also under threat due to deforestation and unsustainable palm oil plantations and logging. As one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, climate change is threatening its crucial ecosystems, putting both wildlife and livelihoods at risk.

Somalia

dust strom over refguee camp in Somalia

Climate change has exacerbated the already dire situation in Somalia, a country plagued by droughts, food insecurity, and political instability. Years of inconsistent rainfall and rising temperatures have led to prolonged droughts, leaving millions facing extreme food shortages. These droughts have crippled Somalia’s agricultural sector, with crops failing and livestock dying, forcing communities to depend on aid. While drought is the primary concern, flash flooding in March 2023 affected almost half a million people, displacing tens of thousands and destroying homes, infrastructure, and what little farmland remained.

Papua New Guinea

storm clouds coming in over low lying islands

Papua New Guinea is ranked as the tenth most vulnerable country at risk of climate change impacts. Its highland region is susceptible to extreme weather such as heavy rainfall while the coastal regions – it’s 600 islands and the low-lying atolls – are exposed to extreme storm surge, seal-level rise, and coastal inundation. Inland, deforestation and logging practices are destroying the country’s unique ecosystems, which support rich biodiversity, and making the area more susceptible to climate disasters. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC), 151,000 people were displaced between 2008 and 2013, two thirds of which were due to climate related hazards.

The establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28 in the UAE marks a crucial lifeline for the world’s poorest nations, who are bearing the brunt of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. As these countries face escalating disasters like floods, droughts, and rising sea levels, it’s more essential than ever that developed nations deliver on their promises to fund recovery and adaptation efforts. This fund represents a step toward climate justice, but its success hinges on the sustained commitment of wealthier countries to help those most vulnerable to the climate crisis.

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