A new report by Oxfam, released on July 5, reveals that seasons that were once distinct are shifting, destroying harvests and causing widespread hunger.
Oxfam's report Suffering the Science – Climate Change, People and Poverty said this is just one of the multiple impacts of climate change taking their toll on the world's poorest people. The report was released in the lead-up to the July 8-10 G8 Summit in Italy. The report combines the latest scientific observations on climate change with evidence from the communities Oxfam works within.
The report warned that, without immediate action, 50 years of development gains in poor countries will be permanently lost. It outlines evidence of how climate change is affecting every issue linked to poverty and development.
A survey of top climate scientists, also published by Oxfam on July 5, said poor people living in low-lying coastal areas, island atolls in the Pacific, mega deltas and farmers throughout the world, are most at risk from climate change because of flooding and prolonged drought.