What Impact Will Climate Change Have on International Charities?

What will global warming mean for relief and development groups?

A lot more work, according to a new report from Oxfam.

Each year, nearly 250 million people are affected by natural disasters, Oxfam says. Of those, 98 percent are victims of climate-related disasters, such as droughts or floods, as opposed to earthquakes. By 2015, that number could grow to 375 million people per year.

While those numbers certainly aren’t exact, they do suggest that climate change and environmental mismanagement will leave more people vulnerable to disasters. Environmental changes could also increase the potential for new conflicts over resources, which could also mean that more people will be displaced and need aid, says Oxfam.

So, what can be done to try to reduce climate change’s wallop?

David Waskow, climate-change program director at Oxfam America, writes on the Grist magazine blog: “We can try to run in between the raindrops, or we can figure out how to build the equivalent of sturdy, innovative umbrellas.”

Mr. Waskow says that donors need to spend money to help vulnerable communities adapt. “With this kind of assistance, poor people can design and implement their own climate solutions, such as drought-resistant seeds and food banks in times of shortage, coastal tree barriers and raised homes during floods, and mosquito nets and health surveillance to prevent the spread of disease,” he writes.

Finding innovative ways to adapt to climate change can also produce economic benefits, writes Mr. Waskow. “From developing climate-resilient housing, restoring natural storm buffers, and buttressing sustainable transport systems in the United States to improving water systems and agricultural practices around the world, adaptation can provide substantial economic benefits,” says the Oxfam employee.

What kind of an impact do you see climate change having on people served by charities? What can donors do to help?