The anatomy of a silent crisis
“Today, millions of people are already suffering because of climate change.” Kofi Annan
A comprehensive report documenting the global impact of climate change on human society today. The report was launched in London on 29 May 2009 by Kofi Annan as well as Barbara Stocking, who was a member of the report's Advisory Panel. The Human Impact Report is the first consolidated volume specifically and exclusively focused on the adverse impacts of climate change on human society across the world. The report is based on the latest and best information on the human impact of climate change as well as inputs from world-leading scientists and climate, humanitarian and development experts.
In order to provide an idea of the scales of impacts caused by climate change today, the report includes estimates on the numbers of deaths and casualties as a result of climate change, the economic costs of climate change, as well as projections 20 years into the future. The aim of the report is to fill a void in the general public understanding of climate change and to support senior policy-makers in handling this important issue.
“The role of this report is to document the greatest ongoing silent crisis of human history.” – Kofi Annan “Long regarded as a distant environmental or future problem, climate change is already a major constraint on human efforts. It has been creeping up on the world for years, doing its deadly work by aggravating a host of other major problems affecting society, such as malaria and poverty. This report aims at breaking the silent suffering of millions.” – Human Impact Report The vast majority of the victims of climate change are the world’s poorest groups, who are unable to cope with the additional burden, and lack any responsibility for causing it.
Climate change is nevertheless a global threat, and some 4 billion people in all parts of the world are vulnerable to its impacts today. “Their silent suffering must serve as a warning signal of the greater suffering that lies in store for the rest of us if we fail to tackle climate change together.” – Rajendra Pachauri
Estimates of Suffering due to Climate Change Today:
The full report:
Other documents: