The Humanitarian Impact of the Climate Crisis

Intense and frequent weather events, extreme temperatures resulting in drought, flooding, and rising sea levels – a combination of factors including severely threatened ecosystems and biodiversity impact populations in some of the world’s most impoverished regions.

In arid climate zones and coastal regions alike, the climate crisis is disproportionately affecting vulnerable people and communities – exactly those who have contributed the least to climate change and CO2 emissions. The IPCC’s reports clearly show that Africa and the Asia and Pacific regions are those most affected while also having the least capacity to respond to crisis situations. It is the vulnerable communities in those regions, affected by climate crisis, that Askehave Climate Foundation has set out to support under its humanitarian programme.

Though man-made humanitarian crises such as war, conflict, and violence still account for the majority of humanitarian needs, climate change and related extreme weather is increasingly causing multiple disaster and crisis scenarios and escalating vulnerabilities in already difficult situations. According to IPCC, the likelihood is high that the climate crisis and subsequent disasters may affect shelter, infrastructure, health, food security, nutrition, access to clean drinking water and water for productive purposes in those regions. Additionally, the changes in the natural environment limits opportunities for sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries, all climate sensitive livelihoods that marginalised communities are dependent on.

Focus on Asia

The Askehave Climate Foundation has chosen to focus this first round of funding on the Asia and Pacific Region. The region is marred by multiple climate change related disasters on an annual basis. Key humanitarian multilateral institutions such as the UN and EU have recognised the climate crisis as a significant threat multiplier, and the IDP International Monitoring Centre has also documented that climate change has a caused significant internal displacement in the region.

Humanitarian needs in the region have been verified, while it was also a factor for the choice of region that humanitarian access is relatively easy, and that partners are able to operate unhindered, in collaboration with local governments. During the scoping of the priorities for support, the Askehave Climate Foundation has been in contact with several humanitarian donor agencies, to understand the dynamics of the situation, and to verify that that the contributions from Askehave would be relevant in the context. Partners invited to partake in the first grants competition have been identified based on their operational capacity and outreach in the region, their documented understanding of the climate related needs, crisis patterns and vulnerabilities in the region.

Asia and the Pacific Region will be the focus of the humanitarian work strand of Askehave Climate Foundation from 2023-26, after which the Board with re-evaluate where additional humanitarian support is needed in assistance of vulnerable people affected by the climate crisis.