The Hindu : International : Sea level rise `will hit the poor most'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 13, 2004

International

International

Sea level rise `will hit the poor most'

London: Rich nations are prepared to spend up to $32 billion to protect the European coastline from rising sea levels — but have promised only $0.41billion to help poor nations confront climate change, according to a new report out on Friday. In fact, the cost of defending the coastline of just one nation, Tanzania, from a one-metre rise in sea level could total more than $14 billion. Cast Adrift, a report from the pressure groups Greenpeace and the New Economic Foundation, highlights the gap between the developing and developed worlds as the latest round of climate change talks gather pace in Argentina. Global average temperatures have been rising for more than a decade, increasing the risk of more frequent windstorms, floods, droughts and even ice storms. These would mean extra insurance liability and business risk, additional construction costs, warning systems, sea and river defences, and greater spending on water, health, agriculture and tourism. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has estimated that the annual construction costs alone for adaptation to climate change could fall somewhere between $14billion and $73 billion. ``The world's richest nations are set to hold back the flames of global warming with one hand while pouring oil on the fire with the other,'' said Andrew Simms of the New Economic Foundation. —

Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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