Reducing Poverty, Protecting Livelihoods, and Building Assets in a Changing Climate : Social Implications of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean

Climate change is the defining development challenge of our time. More than a global environmental issue, climate change and variability threaten to reverse recent progress in poverty reduction and economic growth. Both now and over the long run, climate change and variability threatens human and social development by restricting the fulfillment of human potential and by disempowering people and communities in reducing their livelihoods options. Communities across Latin America and the Caribbean are already experiencing adverse consequences from climate change and variability. Precipitation has increased in the southeastern part of South America, and now often comes in the form of sudden deluges, leading to flooding and soil erosion that endanger people’s lives and livelihoods. Southwestern parts of South America and western Central America are seeing a decrease in precipitation and an increase in droughts. Increasing heat and drought in Northeast Brazil threaten the livelihoods of already-marginal smallholders, and may turn parts of the eastern Amazon rainforest into savannah. The Andean inter-tropical glaciers are shrinking and expected to disappear altogether within the next 20-40 years, with significant consequences for water availability. These environmental changes will impact local livelihoods in unprecedented ways. Poverty, inequality, water access, health, and migration are and will be measurably affected by climate change. Using an innovative research methodology, this study finds quantitative evidence of large variations in impacts across regions. Many already poor regions are becoming poorer; traditional livelihoods are being challenged in unprecedented ways; water scarcity is increasing, particularly in poor arid areas; human health is deteriorating; and climate-induced migration is already taking place and may increase. Successfully reducing social vulnerability to climate change and variability requires action and commitment at multiple levels. This volume offers key operational recommendations at the government, community, and household levels with particular emphasis placed on enhancing good governance and technical capacity in the public sector, building social capital in local communities, and protecting the asset base of poor households. Dorte Verner And Her Team Are Once Again Ahead Of The Curve, Bringing Home The Threat Not Just To Our Planet But Our People In Reducing Poverty, Protecting Livelihoods, And Building Assets In A Changing Climate. They Focus On The Danger In The Most Human Terms, Examining The Risk To Our Planet's Most Vulnerable, In Particular The World's Poor Who Rely On Natural Resources To Survive--resources Endangered By Extreme Weather Changes. While Focusing On Latin America, This Book Reminds Us All There Isn't A Place On Earth Exempt From The Threat Of Climate Change.it's A Moral Wake-up Call.--john F. Kerry, U. S. Senator. In This Important And Provocative Volume, Dorte Verner And Her Colleagues Provide An Expansive Treatment Of Climate Change And Its Many Effects, Especially On The Global Poor--david Lee, Professor, Cornell University. This Book Is Bound To Become The Defining Analysis Of Climate Change's Implications For Poverty And Social Cohesion... A Key Guide For Policy Makers--daniel Cohen, Professor And Vice President, Paris School Of Economics. This Much-welcome Overview Provides Guidelines And Suggests Priorities For Designing And Implementing Suitable Adaptation Measures.--anthony Hall, Professor, London School Of Economics. It Is No Longer Possible To Prevent Damaging Climate Change. If Used Properly, This Book Will Save Many Lives--robert Waldmann. Professor, University Of Rome. This Is Persuasive, Comprehensive, Excellent, Thoughtful, And Well-written Work--steven Solomon, Author, Water: The Epic Struggle For Wealth, Power, And Civilization. This Book Is Simply A Must For All Those Concerned By Climate Change.-- Javier Santiso, Professor Of Economics, Esade Business School. This Is First Time To Have A Comprehensive Social Assessment Of Climate Change And It Will Become A Standard Reference.--shengen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute. This Book Presents Evidence That We Must Improve Our Efforts On Resilience And Adaptation Measures To Counter The Consequences Of Climate Change On The Most Vulnerable Population Groups--soren Pind, Minister For Development Cooperation, Denmark. The Team Is To Be Congratulated--very Well Compiled And Analyzed--augusta Molnar, Rights And Resources Initiative --book Jacket. Introduction / Dorte Verner -- Water Scarcity, Climate Change, And The Poor / Tine Rossing -- Climate Change, Disaster Hot Spots, And Asset Erosion / Tine Rossing And Olivier Rubin -- Agrarian Livelihoods And Climate Change / Jørgen E. Olesen -- Coastal Livelihoods And Climate Change / Sara Trab Nielsen -- Human Health And Climate Change / Lykke Andersen ... [et Al.] -- Migration And Climate Change / Lykke Andersen, Lotte Lund, And Dorte Verner -- Conflict And Climate Change / Olivier Rubin -- Simulating The Effects Of Climate Change On Poverty And Inequality / Lykke Andersen And Dorte Verner -- Building Short-term Coping Capacity And Longer-term Resilience Through Asset-based Adaptation / Tine Rossing, Olivier Rubin, And Inger Brisson -- Conclusion / Sanne Tikjøb And Dorte Verner. Dorte Verner, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The team is to be congratulated--very well compiled and analyzed--Augusta Molnar, Rights and Resources Initiative --Résumé de l'éditeur