A new study released today by the Global Humanitarian Forum, Climate Change: The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis, presents a sobering assessment of the current and future impacts of climate change on humans and human institutions. Among the study’s findings:
* Climate change is currently responsible for more than 300,000 deaths annually, with 90% linked to “gradual environmental degradation,” including climate-related malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria. Economic losses are more than $125 billion annually, greater than the amount of aid flowing from developed to developing countries each year;
* The number of deaths associated with climate change will rise to almost 500,000 annually by 2030, and economic damages will almost double to $340 billion;
* 99% of the casualties associated with climate change occur in developing countries;
* Outlays for adaptation programs in developing countries need to be scaled up by a factor of 100;
The study was reviewed by several outside experts, including Rajendra Pachauri of the IPCC, Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, and Barbara Stockin
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