Governments have failed to fight with the miseries of climate breakdown- UN

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According to the UN Environment Programme’s Adaptation report 2020, published on 14 January, 2021 nearly 75% of the countries of the world have acknowledged the need to make a plan to fight with the adverse impact of climate change but only few plans are correctly framed and also adequate funds are lacking for its proper implementation.

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UN has notified that the people of the world are facing the wrath of natural disasters such as floods, droughts, etc but the governments have been unsuccessful in adapting measures to face with the impact of climate breakdown.

The report says that the richest countries have been poorest in failing to invest in adaptation to climate change. Also UN has warned that the rich countries and the most downtrodden ones will have to pay the highest price of this impact. Governments should be ready enough to adaptation to mitigate the impact of climate change. This would reduce both the human and economic costs.

Year 2020 witnessed some drastic climate impacts with heat wave in Siberia, wild fires in Australia, a destructive Atlantic hurricane season of US and severe floods and droughts in many parts of Asia.

Yet the finances were not up to the level of measures needed to adapt to the extreme weather conditions. The budget allocated as development aid is $ 30bn for the poor countries to fight with the impact of climate. That is almost half of the estimated amount needed to meet the crisis.

UN says that almost half of the amount should be allocated to adaptation and rest to the efforts to reduce the green house gas emissions. It was noted that private companies have funded schemes that are profitable and reduce emissions such as funding in renewable energy but schemes that support people adapt to the impact of climate change, such as early warning systems, flood barriers or storm drains, are harder to finance.

COVID-19 has already slowed down the pace and had lowered the resources of adaptation. However, with an exception UK has lowered its overseas aid budget but has unchanged the climate related expenditure.

UN has suggested ‘green recovery’ during COVID pandemic that in a way is going to improve the economy and also will help in meeting the adverse impact of climate. This can be done by planting trees, building flood barriers, renewing natural landscapes and preserving and maintaining infrastructure such as transport and communications networks, restoring mangrove swamps, preserving the coral reefs, etc. These are worthwhile ways to adapt to impact of climate change and also help reduce the green house emissions.

The report also mentioned that the world will face the impact of climate change even if the goal of Paris Agreement is met therefore adaption to the measures against the impact of climate change is inevitable.