CLIMATIC CHANGE AND DICHOTOMY BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING POWERS

Climate change results in an increase in global temperatures, changes rainfall patterns and results in more frequent and severe floods and droughts. Depending on future emissions of greenhouse gases, global temperatures are likely to rise between 2 and 4 °C within the next century. The main impacts of climate change will however not be felt through higher temperatures but through a change in the hydrological cycle.

Rainfall is likely to increase around the poles and the tropics while in the subtropical average precipitation is likely to decrease. Not only the average annual or seasonal rainfall will change; there will also be an increase in the number of extreme events resulting in more frequent and severe floods and droughts.

Developing countries are most vulnerable to climate change. Climate change will have an impact on all countries around the globe. Developing countries are much more vulnerable to climate change than the developing world. Climate change aggravates the effects of population growth, poverty, and rapid urbanisation like the developed country of USA. The poor are likely to suffer most from climate change.

Without serious adaptation, climate change is likely to push millions further into poverty and limit the opportunities for sustainable development and for people to escape from poverty. Climate change is likely to reduce economic growth in developing countries; significant investments in climate change adaptation are necessary

Climate change is likely to have a significant impact on the economies of developing countries. Without adaptation and mitigation the losses are estimated to be up to 20% of GDP.

To minimize the impacts of climate change, adaptation in developing countries is urgently needed. Reliable estimates of adaptation costs are still unavailable, but they are likely to run into the billions of dollar per year. Climate change is also likely to affect the attainment of several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Through its impacts on agriculture, climate change is likely to have a significant impact on reducing severe poverty and hunger. The developed world should reduce their emissions to minimize future climate change .In order to minimize impacts of future climate change efforts to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses in the developed world should be increased. The EU should continue its efforts to stimulate the US to join the Kyoto agreement and to commit itself to future targets. If the developed countries would increase their efforts to reduce their emissions, rapidly developing countries, such as China and India, might be much more likely to join mitigation efforts.

Climate change policies for the rapidly developing countries should focus on mitigation; policies for the least developed countries should focus on adaptation

The EU should stimulate and support adaptation and mitigation in developing countries.

New climate change policies developed by the EU should have different focuses for different countries. Separate climate change strategies should be developed for rapidly developing countries – such as China, India, Mexico and Brazil – compared to the Least Developed.Countries (LDCs). For the LDCs the EU should focus on assisting in adaptation. Thus , both developed or developing nations would be able to cope up with poverty