AlertNet: Africa wants $67 bln per year to compensate global warming

As if they were picking up last week's call to invest in developing countries to combat climate change, African leaders will most likely ask at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations this December $67 billion per year from 2020 onwards to compensate for damages that Africa suffers from the developed world's induced climate change -AlertNet reported.

Experts say Africa contributes little to the pollution blamed for warming, but is likely to be hit hardest by the droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising sea levels forecast if climate change is not checked. "This is the time for Africa to aggressively engage to ensure that climate change is effectively addressed," Jean Ping, chairman of the AU Commission, told delegates.

AlertNet: investing in developing world better for climate change than cutting emissions

AlertNet reported about a study commissioned by Bjorn Lomborg, head of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, that revealed the huge benefits of investing in adaptation to climate change in the developing world. In fact, the study claims that

A total of $10 trillion spent on adaptation, ranging from research into drought-resistant crops to measures to limit a spread of diseases such as malaria, would provide $16 trillion of economic benefits over the coming century.

The effects of investing in climate change adaptation in the developing world would be much higher, economically spoken, than purely cutting carbon emissions. A combination of both, however, would result in the highest benefits. Up for discussion in Copenhagen this December!

AlertNet: Farmers to help combat climate change

A new study from the World Agroforesty Centre in Nairobi revealed that farming and forestry are not mutually exclusive, AlertNet reported. This is very important news in the ligtht of the upcoming climate change negotiations to be held in Copenhagen this December. The report showed that on an area of agricultural land twice the size of the amazon, 10% was covered with trees - which would amount to the definition of a 'forest' used by the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation, if it weren't for the fact that it is located on farmland. If farmer's role in combating deforestation would be acknowledged, the report claims that farmers could cover up to 20% of their land with trees.

The report said that farmers keep or plant trees for uses such as production of fruit, nuts, medicines, fuel, building materials, gums or resins. Trees also provide shade for crops, work as windbreaks, boundary markers or to help avert erosion. And trees are often hardier than crops or livestock so can be a backup for farmers on marginal land in hard times.

BBC: Branding Humanitarian Aid - In Pictures

BBC News has put online a series of pictures on the branding of humanitarian aid. They're not that many, so have a quick look!

Happy World Humanitarian Day

19 August will from now on be dedicated to all humanitarians, commemorating those that have lost their lives doing their jobs. The day is very symbolic, as it coincides with the day that a bomb hit the UN compound in Iraq in 2003, leaving 22 deaths among the present UN personnel, including Sergio Vieira de Mello.

As a tribute to all humanitarians, there is now World Humanitarian Day. The family of de Mello also created a Sergio Vieira de Mello foundation to honour those people that have contributed in a special way to the humanitarian cause and to peace and conflict resolution.

It has also been a day to think about humanitarian action in the world of today. Many news sites have reported on the humanitarian space necessary to operate in safety honouring the humanitarian principles (IRIN/AlertNet), the growing lack of this space and the need for higher security measures for humanitarians in Afghanistan (IRIN, Mediapoint Press). Neil Barry, humanitarian specialist at ODI, has put up an interesting post reflecting on his two decades of experience as a humanitarian and humanitarianism in general.

POSTonline: hurricanes at a 1000 year high

The POSTonline reported on a new independent study from Pennsylvania State University that the last decade has seen more hurricanes than any similar period ever before - that is, up to a 1000 years back.

The research suggests that warmer temperatures produce more storm activity - meaning that coming climate change could increase the frequency and severity of hurricane activity.

There's also a possibility that climate change could alter the frequency of El Niño, which blunts hurricane activity, and counteract the effects of future ocean warming.

IDS Bulletin: Climate change meets urban challenges

A very interesting article appeared in last year's IDS Bulletin on climate change. In this article, David Dodman and David Satterthwaite analyse Institutional Capacity, Climate Change Adaptation and the Urban Poor. The analysis the authors present is highly relevant as it focuses on two key issues of BRC policies - climate change and urbanisation.
Next to the impact climate change can have on the urban poor, the authors discuss mainly how authorities can and should respond to the problem. There are also some specific suggestions for international organisations and NGOs. Humanitarian organisations can

• play important roles in climate change adaptation at the urban scale
• provide appropriate sectoral funding (e.g. for urban infrastructure to reduce climate change vulnerability)
• support the development of necessary technical and regulatory capacity
• support adaptation activities directly