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11/27/2007
Sahara News
International - The United Nations Development Program's new "Human Development Report" warned that the "polluter pays" principle applies on a global scale. It stated that wealthy industrialized nations whose greenhouse gas emissions are mainly responsible for climate change will need to contribute $86 billion by 2015 to help the poorer nations adapt to climate-related disasters. Olav Kjorven, head of UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy, said that 600 million more people in Sub-Saharan Africa alone will go hungry as droughts affect farming; an extra 400 million people will be exposed to malaria and other mosquto-borne diseases; and another 200 million will be flooded out of their homes. Industrialized countries are failing to meet their targets for cutting greenhouse gases by 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol, the report added, stating that only France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom have reduced their emissions somewhat.
- summary by Louise Shaler