Africa

The Climate Vulnerable Countries' Forum over 9 -10 November has just concluded  meeting in the Maldives and released a statement calling for "ambitious emission reduction targets consistent with limiting global average surface warming to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and long-term stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at well below below  350 p.p.m."

The forum is composed of countries from the Caribbean, Africa, South and South-east Asia, and the Pacific - many being vulnerable to sea level rise. The low lying Maldives announced in March plans to become the world's first carbon neutral nation, and
 embracing 100% renewable energy instead of oil.
 

"Children are already dying because of climate change and without urgent action these deaths will increase," said Rudolph von Bernuth, Emergency Director for Save the Children. "Nearly nine million children die every year before their fifth birthdays from simple causes like diarrhoea and pneumonia. Climate change will make these threats worse. Climate change is a global emergency for children."

Media Release - Published: 06 NOV 2009 - Oxfam Australia

To chart the impact that climate change is having in Sudan, Noureldin Ahmed Abdalla has written about his experiences working on adaptation projects in Africa.

"Our greatest concern about climate change is the damage it is causing to our agriculture. Sudan’s economy, like that of many developing countries, is heavily based on farming and livestock keeping, the major employment sectors of the country. More than 70% of the population relies on traditional and subsistence agriculture, the majority of which are dependent on rain-fed agriculture and pastures. This all makes our economy extremely vulnerable to any slight changes in the weather. These changes are happening now and many people’s livelihoods are under threat"

Read more at:

. By John Vidal, The Guardian Unlimited, April 11, 2007.