Rising Seas, Shrinking Lakes, Extreme Weather Events Show How Large Threat of Climate Change Looms, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Group of Friends
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, in New York today:
I thank the President of the Republic of Nauru and the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany for their leadership in bringing us together today. I would also like to commend the 27 Member States of the “Group of Friends on Climate and Security” for their efforts to raise the profile of this critical issue.
Climate change is high on the agenda during this General Assembly. It is a top priority for the Secretary-General. It is a priority because climate change is a real threat – here and now. We are already seeing the impacts that rising seas, shrinking lakes, extreme weather events and other expressions of environmental vulnerability have on human lives, health and human security.
The scientists have warned us. For decades they have been telling us that the amount of carbon dioxide that we put into the atmosphere will change our climate. And that this would be its effects unless we acted to stop and reverse climate change. But still, we are not doing enough. Climate change is moving faster than we are.
As climate change marches on, the human suffering, destruction of countries’ critical infrastructure and displacement grows. In August, Kerala in south India experienced its worst-ever flooding with close to one million people displaced and 400 deaths. This month, we have possible record flooding in the Carolinas and in Nigeria, where more than 100 people died, and almost 100 more in the Philippines, where a typhoon triggered a massive landslide.
When individuals and communities face multiple shocks – loss of a home and employment, followed by loss of reliable sources of food and water – they are unable to recover quickly and their Governments are often overburdened to replace the basic services needed. Without the time and means to recover, people can lurch from emergency to emergency in a vicious cycle of poverty and insecurity. And those just out of poverty, with one shock, can plunge right back below the poverty line. Climate change therefore causes additional stress to political, social and economic pressure points, leading to insecurity, job and home loss, and ultimately – if not mitigated – conflict or displacement.
Who suffers the most? It is no coincidence that countries most vulnerable to climate change are often those most susceptible to conflict and fragility. Climate change risks aggravating already fragile situations. Fragile nations can become stuck in a cycle of conflict and climate disaster where the resilience of communities slowly erodes.
The risks posed by climate change have severe impacts on the most vulnerable. The Lake Chad Basin is grappling with many of these challenges. On a recent visit to the region, I saw the situation on the ground in all its complexity and urgency. The Basin is experiencing a crisis brought on by a combination of political, socioeconomic, humanitarian and environmental factors.
The drastic shrinking of Lake Chad by more than 90 per cent since the 1960s has led to environmental degradation, socioeconomic marginalization and insecurity affecting 45 million people. The effects of climate change mean that many people do not go back to living their old lives. It has decreased the resilience of populations to cope with humanitarian crises, and exacerbated competition and fights over fertile land and scant resources.
It is clear that action on climate change is an integral part of building resilience, and a culture of prevention and security. This goes to the heart of the Secretary-General’s prevention agenda, which prioritizes identifying and preventing the root causes of conflict. Resilient societies and a culture of prevention and risk mitigation shore up peace and prosperity.
We must do more to address the climate change nexus with security. On this point, I would like to congratulate the Pacific Islands Forum for reaching an agreement, at its recent Summit, on a new regional framework which places climate change at the centre of an expanded concept of security. Several other regional organizations, too, are developing frameworks to address the climate-security nexus. Efforts by the African Union and the European Union are some examples.
The United Nations is enhancing its cooperation with regional organizations, and with the international financial institutions, on the intersection of climate change and security. Our United Nations country teams will work together with Member States to bring on board all the actors necessary, including local governments, traditional leaders, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, women and youth groups. Together these stakeholders can provide the necessary leadership, innovation, drive and funding for lasting solutions.
Unless we address all relevant issues, and the links between them, we are not going to be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ‑ to ensure sustainable development, peace and security for the 7.5 billion people on this planet who are counting on their leaders to take action and make the decisions that will ensure a secure future for them and future generations. Let us harness everything we have for action now.
I thank you for your attention and wish you a productive discussion.