“Oxfam extends our most heartfelt congratulations to President Obama for such a great honor. In these difficult economic times, with war and conflict ever present, President Obama's leadership has succeeded in setting a new tone that has instilled hope for a better future and spirit of cooperation. Now it is most urgent that the US and all nations work together to secure the necessary results.
“We hope this recognition builds momentum for the US to use diplomatic leverage and conflict response capacity to prevent mass atrocities around the globe. US civilian agencies must be organized and resourced to prevent and mitigate conflicts and protect civilians when violence does occur. Oxfam also hopes that this recognition will strengthen US resolve to use US leadership and resources for a better world.
“As the President heads to Oslo for the award ceremony in December, we also hope he will join thousands of negotiators and world leaders in nearby Copenhagen to hammer out a global deal on climate change. President Obama’s direct involvement in the negotiations can shift the momentum towards a deal. Global investment in climate change solutions and adaptation can help pave the path towards food security, disaster preparedness, and prevention of disease and war.”
]]>The economic crisis arrived as poor countries were already struggling to cope with high food prices and floods, droughts and food shortages linked to climate change.
“Green shoots of economic recovery have not reached the poorest countries which are now suffering severely in the global downturn,” said Max Lawson, Oxfam senior policy advisor.
Oxfam analysis of economic data has discovered that governments in Sub-Saharan Africa will be $70 billion worse off this year as a result of the global slump. Unlike rich countries they cannot borrow their way out of trouble. Without outside help governments will find it increasingly difficult to respond to the climate, food and economic crises and to avoid cutting spending on schools, clinics and other anti-poverty programs.
“Despite feeding their own economies a much-needed stimulus, the G20 has not yet provided even half the $50 billion bailout it promised poor countries in April.”
Oxfam is calling for a $290 billion package of measures to ease the burden on developing countries without hitting ordinary taxpayers. The package includes a ‘Tobin tax’ on currency transactions, a debt moratorium and a crackdown on tax havens.
“Existing aid levels are not enough to protect the status quo never mind reduce poverty in the face of the economic crisis, climate change and rising food prices,” said Lawson.
“The G20 has the chance to change the bad habits of the past and come up with new solutions to the problems facing poor people. A currency transaction levy on the banks that helped cause the global slump could bring in $50 billion to help those suffering in a crisis they did nothing to cause. It is time bankers paid a bonus to the world’s poor.”
Oxfam is also calling on G20 leaders to fulfill a promise made by President Obama in July to deliver new funds to help poor countries cope with climate change. This funding is vital to break the deadlock in climate change negotiations leading up to the make-or-break UN Summit in Copenhagen in December. Oxfam calculates that $50 billion per year is needed to help poor countries cope with climate change and another $100 billion is needed to help them control their emissions.
“The clock is ticking on the chances of a fair deal to prevent misery for millions at risk from climate change. It is time for G20 leaders to stand up and deliver the money needed to protect poor people,” said Oxfam climate change advisor David Waskow.
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Contacts:
Taylor Royle, 1 202 258 3508, troyle@oxfamamerica.org
Laura Rusu, 1 202 459 3739, lrusu@oxfamamerica.org
Natalie Curtis, 44 7824 503108, ncurtis@oxfam.org.uk
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"This study will be an especially useful tool to Louisiana legislators, activists and philanthropists because it provides an evidence-based portrait of living conditions in the state. It looks at our health, our education and our economic status, leading to important conclusions about how we must proceed to create a better Louisiana that is characterized by communities of opportunity," said Flozell Daniels Jr., President and CEO of the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation. "The report makes it clear that we cannot forge ahead while leaving so many people behind. It is not only unjust; it is also ineffective."
"A Portrait of Louisiana" is the second state-specific report produced by the authors of The Measure of America: American Human Development Report 2008-2009 since its release last summer. It applies the American Human Development Index—a single measure of well-being for all Americans based on indicators in three key areas: health, education and income—to life in Louisiana. Using U.S. government statistics on longevity, educational attainment and enrollment, and earnings, the American Human Development Report revealed where America is today and set a benchmark against which we will be able to assess where we are tomorrow. In countries around the world where similar studies have been done, Human Development Index findings have proven that strategic investments in health, education and employment boost people's well-being as well as national prosperity.
Some surprising findings of "A Portrait of Louisiana" include the following:
"This report explores actions needed to build an infrastructure of opportunity so that all in Louisiana can be productive citizens and reach their full potential," said Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-author of both this report and the American Human Development Report. "Doing so is critical to the economic growth and future competitiveness of Louisiana in the knowledge-based global marketplace of tomorrow," added co-author Kristen Lewis.
"In Louisiana, where we work with 16 state and local organizations such as the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, this report clearly illustrates the conditions residents were struggling with even prior to the hurricanes of 2005—limited access to education, lower incomes, and shorter lives—and argues for a comprehensive solution for recovery," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, which helped to fund the report with the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation and the Foundation for the Mid-South. "And it comes at a crucial time, given the financial challenges facing the state and nation, to help policymakers prioritize how to use scarce funds."
"A Portrait of Louisiana," like the American Human Development Report, was published by the Social Science Research Council. Go to measureofamerica.org for the full text of the report and interactive maps of Louisiana.
]]>However, we must also soberly assess the challenges yet before Louisiana. This report paints an often troubling picture of long-standing human disparities, some of which have been exacerbated by natural/man-allowed disaster and the global economic crisis. The report's Human Development (HD) Index is a user-friendly method of comparing the condition of communities. This analysis has great potential to guide policy-making processes and to support data-driven thinking that moves beyond the assumptions of historical parochialism.
This report was developed by the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF) in partnership with Oxfam America and other organizations committed to fully recovering the lives of Gulf Coast citizens.
]]>The warning comes as world leaders prepare to join President Obama at his first United Nations address on climate change, at next week’s Climate Summit in New York on 22nd September. The meeting will be followed by the G20 Summit on the 24th September, where climate finance will be high on the agenda. With only Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in support of additional funds, Oxfam is concerned that December’s climate negotiations in Copenhagen could fail, unless action is taken now by Heads of State.
“This shouldn’t be about robbing Peter to pay Paul. New funds must be put on the table to help poor communities on the front lines of climate change adapt to the realities of a changing climate,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.
The report, Beyond Aid, outlines the dangers of raiding aid budgets to pay for necessary adaptation efforts, estimating that at least 75 million fewer children would be likely to attend school and 8.6 million fewer people could have access to HIV/AIDS treatment if aid is diverted. Without at least $50 billion a year in addition to the 0.7% of national income rich countries have already pledged as aid, recent progress toward the Millennium Development Goals could stall and then go into reverse.
“Despite having contributed little to the climate crisis, most poor families around the world are just one climate related disaster away from total ruin,” said Offenheiser. “Without adequate support to adapt to the changing climate, the effect is a downward spiral into deeper poverty and increased vulnerability. This could mean millions going without food, pulling their children out of school or selling off cattle or other assets critical to their livelihoods to pay for mounting debt caused by failed crops or lost homes. Such dramatic human consequences will also threaten to undermine global stability and security.”
There have been great strides toward the Millennium Development Goals since their inception in 2000. In just seven years, 90% of children in poor countries have been enrolled in school. Between 1999 and 2005 there was a 24% drop in the number of people living in extreme poverty. But despite these gains, poor countries are struggling to meet the MDGS and many goals still fall short of the mark. Diverting aid for climate adaptation would strain an already overstretched system.
Oxfam points to the Global Fund, set up in 2002 to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as an example of how political will on a global scale can mobilize money quickly and effectively. To date, the Global Fund has approved funding for $15.6 billion in more than 140 countries. Like the Global Fund, a fund for climate adaptation must be made available quickly, equitably governed, managed under streamlined arrangements and transparent. Currently there is no single route for delivering money for adaptation. A ‘spaghetti bowl’ of aid channels means it is impossible to determine which governments have and have not delivered their promises. To date, less than half the money pledged for adaptation funding has been delivered. Oxfam also emphasized that adaptation support should be aligned and integrated with broader development strategies and objectives, especially country led development plans.
“Quality, long-term aid does make a huge difference, as poor country governments have used it to scale up spending on education and health to help fight poverty,” said Offenheiser. “As developing countries governments undertake adaptation efforts, they should not have to make the choice between education and storm warning systems, or between children’s vaccines and drought resistant seeds.”
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The international community must make a new commitment to fund adaptation to climate change. Funds must be additional to the promise to deliver 0.7 per cent of rich country income as aid and raised and managed in new ways. A global adaptation finance mechanism is needed, able to deliver the scale of funding required and governed according to the principles of equity, subsidiarity, transparency, and accountability. This will insure against future development losses and help to resuscitate the international climate negotiations, laying the foundations for a fair and safe deal at Copenhagen at the end of 2009.
]]>“Even with aggressive efforts to reduce emissions, the consequences of climate change will be severe. Increased temperatures, rising sea levels, and more intense droughts, floods, and storms threaten the existence of many communities— especially in developing countries,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser. “Many American firms stand to benefit from an increase in adaptation market opportunities that spur innovation and create jobs.”
“We see investments in adaptation as a win-win,” said Brian Bieron, Senior Director, Federal Government Relations and Global Public Policy, eBay. “Adaptation efforts that respond to more severe climate impacts at home and abroad can create new jobs and drive economic growth. They can also help developing countries cope with a changing climate.”
Sectors outlined in the briefing paper where early and rapid growth is more likely to include the following:
Water management: Demand is increasing for technologies that improve water use efficiency and help to ensure that growing need does not outstrip shrinking water supplies. Many American companies are already leaders in developing advanced water management technologies.
Agriculture: The need for agricultural solutions to feed a growing global population presents enormous business opportunities for American companies that are developing solutions like drought-resistant seeds, drip irrigation systems and innovative pest-control technologies.
Disaster preparedness: US firms have a broad range of technologies that can help prepare for and recover from hurricanes, cyclones, and other extreme weather events, from advanced forecasting systems and resilient building materials to portable backup equipment.
Coastal and natural resource management: More than 60 percent of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of a coastline, putting millions of people at risk as sea levels rise and we face increasingly severe storms and heavy rains. New technologies, such as forecasting equipment and construction techniques that strengthen homes against the effects of high water and wind, will protect coastal areas vulnerable to these impacts.
Insurance: Climate change will significantly increase the costs of insurance payouts for weather-related disasters over the coming decades. American expertise in areas like risk mitigation and financial innovation, drive growth in this sector.
Climate change information and consulting services: Consulting firms can help both the public and private sector to understand the threats posed by climate change and develop adaptation strategies.
“Investing in adaptation strategies, such as flood defenses and efficient irrigation systems, will lessen the impact of future natural disasters and drive economic growth by strengthening infrastructure and spurring the development of new technologies,” said Offenheiser.
]]>"The impacts of climate change are extremely severe in the areas we visited,” said Christensen in Peru today. “The farmers we met and talked to are already living very hard lives, and are now being forced to adapt to the effects of the rapidly changing climate."
Christensen has documented the trip with a series of photographs that will be exhibited in New York, Washington, London and at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen this December. A short film of the expedition, captured by award-winning Director Richard Bullock, will also be shown.
“One of the women I spoke to, Elizabeth Ayma, told me that because rainfall are less frequent now and impossible to predict due to the climate changes, this is having a huge effect on crop production,” said Christensen. “As a result, her family has less food to eat and less produce to sell, resulting in her not being able to afford her children's school fees. The lack of nutritional vegetables also affects her family's health."
"Climate change in Peru is already devastating and we welcome Helena's commitment to show this to the rest of the world. Peru is on the frontline of climate change, along with other developing countries, which have played little part in causing the problem,” said Frank Boeren, Oxfam’s coordinator in Peru. “It is crucial that rich leaders do the right thing at Copenhagen so that we can begin to stop run away climate change and protect vulnerable people around the world."
"We are at a critical tipping point. We need to put pressure on our governments in order for them to take the necessary, radical steps that are needed. There's no time left, it is absolutely imperative to act now,” said Christensen. Of the global talks in Copenhagen in December, she said “Hopefully the only benefit of this UN conference won't be just a boost to Danish tourism.”
]]>Farmers in Cusco are reporting irregular rains and intense heat. This is affecting their potato and corn crops: in recent years, production has fallen by at least half. The Peruvian Ministry of the Environment corroborated this information in its 2009 National Environmental Study, which revealed that 80,000 hectares (about 195,000 acres) of potato and 60,000 hectares (148,000 acres) of white corn have been lost in the last 12 crop years due to climate change. Livestock farmers also report that new diseases are affecting their animals.
Cirilo Quispe Latorre, mayor and resident of the district of Cachimayo. “Eighty percent of the farmland is seasonal. In other words, if there is rain, we plant. If there isn’t enough rain, we can’t keep planting. I’m a native of this region. When I was a child, there was quite a lot of water in this region. There were toads and frogs that you don’t see any more. It’s a big worry. And if I go up to the mountains around Urubamba, I see that they’re almost black now. I worry and tell my children that those mountains used to be white with snow. Now that I’m a bit older, they’re black. What’s happening? A big change is taking place on our planet. I don’t know who’s going to come and sort out this situation. It’s worrying. The rains used to start in October, and we would plant broad beans, wheat, and potatoes. Now the rains begin around mid-December, and we lose more than a month and a half of growing time. Now, by the end of March the rains are over. It used to rain throughout most of April, with the dry season only starting in May. So, the rain has decreased at the beginning and the end.”
Teresa Rocca Mismi, communal farmer in the community of Chacacurqu. “I have potato and corn crops. There isn’t as much rain. The hail that’s fallen (we don’t normally see hail in this region) is what’s affected us. It hailed in mid-February. For example, the potatoes that should be big by now are just seeds. I don’t know why we’ve had hail this year. The rain used to start in October, now it’s December. This has been happening for five years. We want the authorities to help us.”
Local residents in rural Piura report that changing rainfall patterns are damaging their mango and cassava crops. They also have noticed public’s health problems, specifically the emergence of diseases such as dengue fever (spread my mosquitos) and leishmaniasis (spread by sand fleas). A Ministry of Health employee corroborated this information, confirming the appearance of dengue in populations where the transmitting agent (the Aedes aegypti mosquito) never had existed previously.
Marco Sandoval García, president of the Santa Catalina Peasants’ Association. “When I was a lad, I remember that there would be two harvests a year in the lower rice-growing area. Now there’s only one. I also remember that in my community, we had drinking water 24 hours a day. Now it’s just two or three hours, depending on the rain. All the drinking water for Patachaco used to come from a single spring. Now we have to take it from two springs... There’s a shortage of water... The springs aren’t the same any more. Some of them are drying up. The elders say that the cassava never used to rot and could be harvested throughout the year. Last year, no one harvested cassava because it all rotted. My orange tree was full of blossoms, but then we had a sharp frost and all the flowers fell off. There’s instability. The climate is strange. For example, although it’s winter, we’ve just had seven days of strong sun. Some farmers think this is because there’s been a lot of deforestation of the hills. They don’t know that climate change is affecting the whole world. We’ve caused so much damage ourselves, with deforestation and pollution.”
Katerine Rosillo Quispe, Ministry of Health employee in charge of Health Center 1 in La Huaquilla (Morropón, Piura). “We’ve got high numbers of dengue transmitting agents in the region, which hadn’t been seen before. Those dengue mosquitoes are new for us. In La Huaquilla, the whole population is exposed: children, adults, the elderly. Climate change greatly affects health, especially as other types of pathologies appear, such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, but above all, the dengue mosquito.”
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