CLIMATE CHANGE

Changing climate hurts Myanmar

By Aye Sapay Phyu and Sann Oo

MYANMAR has suffered more than almost any other country in the world from the harmful effects of climate change, according to a report issued as world leaders meet for the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen. A survey issued by the NGO Germanwatch on December 8 placed Myanmar second on a list of countries badly affected by extreme weather events during the period 1990-2008. For the year 2008 alone, Myanmar featured in the top three worst-hit countries, together with Yemen and Vietnam, AFP reported. Bangladesh, Yemen, the Philippines and Honduras also suffered greatly during the period in question. “While Vietnam and the Philippines are relatively regularly affected through storms and flooding, as can be seen in the Climate Risk Index editions 2006, 2007 and 2008, the high figures for Myanmar and Yemen are exceptional,” the report said. The study takes into account a range of factors, including the total number of deaths from storms, floods and other weather extremes, deaths per 100,000, losses in absolute US dollar terms, and losses as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP). All the 10 most affected countries from 1990 to 2008 were developing countries in the low-income or lower-middle income country group. In total, 600,000 people died as a direct consequence of more than 11,000 extreme weather events, which together caused losses of US$1.7 trillion. Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in May 2008, was the most devas-tating storm in the country’s history, causing the death of 85,000 people, with a further 54,000 people missing, the loss of K3.3547 trillion in the public sector and K8.3800 trillion in the private sector, according to official Myanmar government figures. AFP quoted Germanwatch as saying that weather extremes are an increasing threat to life and property around the world, and their impact is likely to intensify in the future due to climate change. Similarly, the Asian Development Bank estim-ated in its April 2009 report on the Economics of Climate Change in South East Asia that by 2100, the region is likely to suffer more than the global average, with a reduction in regional GDP of nearly 7pc every year as a result of climate change. The report said climate change could seriously hinder Southeast Asia’s sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts, and called for urgent action to combat climate change. The British foreign office has announced a proposal by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a US$10 billion “Copenhagen Launch Fund” to help developing countries tackle climate change immediately, with priority given to the poorest and most vulnerable. But advocacy groups say between $50 billion and $160 billion will be needed each year to fund adaptation by 2030, with some projections reaching as high as $350 billion. SOURCE:http://www.mmtimes.com/no501/n005.htm