UN chief warns of urgent need to prepare for escalating climate disasters

As climate change accelerates, the world is falling behind in its efforts to prepare for the "calamity" of worsening climate impacts, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Speaking at the release of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Adaptation Gap Report, Guterres emphasized that while climate-related disasters, such as floods, fires, and droughts, are becoming more frequent and severe, efforts to counteract these impacts are lagging.

Global initiatives, including building infrastructure like sea walls and cultivating drought-resistant crops, are failing to keep pace with the rapid progression of climate change, which has made 2023 likely to be the hottest year on record, according to EU climate data.

UNEP’s report reveals that adaptation financing for developing nations - those most vulnerable to climate shocks - was only a fraction of what is required.

In 2022, poorer countries received $28 billion in public funds for adaptation, but UNEP estimates that these countries need between $215 billion and $387 billion annually to shield their economies and communities from climate devastation.

The UN COP29 climate summit this month is expected to bring renewed calls for wealthier nations to scale up the $100 billion pledge made for climate support in developing nations, particularly for adaptation projects. However, fiscal pressures and political challenges, including resistance to global climate funding, pose obstacles to achieving significant new financial commitments.

Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, stressed that climate disasters now impact communities worldwide, with the heaviest toll still falling on the poorest populations. He stated, “No nation, no community is immune,” underscoring the need for immediate global action. “From rising seas and heat waves to unrelenting droughts and flooding, the impacts of climate change are now everywhere,” Verkooijen said.

The consequences of insufficient adaptation were underscored last month when over 200 people lost their lives in Spain due to extreme flooding, a tragedy some have attributed to inadequate preparedness. Climate scientists continue to warn that extreme weather events will only become more intense and frequent with rising global temperatures.

Guterres concluded, “We can’t postpone protection. We must adapt now.”