Some people are more vulnerable to climate impacts than others. Developing countries and communities are often the hardest hit. Many already experience devastating destruction caused by climate change. For example, 2022’s summer of disasters saw Pakistan’s flooding killing thousands and leaving millions without a home. Droughts in Somalia and Ethiopia caused food and water shortages, leaving many people facing hunger and famine. Sudden extreme weather events aren’t the only threat. Climate impacts happen slowly too, but the results can still be devastating. Changes to weather patterns means it becomes harder for communities to count on rains coming to grow crops. And rising sea levels mean thousands in coastal communities risk permanently losing their homes, as huge areas of land go underwater. None of this is a far-flung future; loss and damage is happening now.
‘Loss and damage: who foots the bill for climate destruction?’, Greenpeace