A 70-year-old woman in Canada displayed deteriorating health problems after this summer’s record-breaking heat waves and massive wildfires. In what is believed to be a first, her doctor diagnosed an alarming underlying condition: climate change.
As global warming accelerates, humanitarians are increasingly worried about the health impacts of extreme heat. But there’s a problem: in many lower-income countries, we don’t have the numbers, my colleague Will Worley reports from COP 26.
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“In many developing countries, we’re not even counting the dead due to heat waves, but we know they exist,” says Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre.
This year, Iraq saw temperatures climb above 50 degrees Celsius. At least 570 people died during the heatwave in Canada — a signal that even relatively high-income countries are vulnerable to health impacts of extreme heat. Health experts worry about elevated levels of strokes and kidney failure, as well as long-term health problems, including mental health issues.
As the risks increase, it is more important than ever for countries to share mortality data, so that the full effects of rising global temperatures on human well-being can be studied and prepared for.
Read: Extreme heat is the climate disaster that needs more attention
The 55-strong Climate Vulnerable Forum group of countries — who were let down by promises to provide $100 billion a year in climate finance — are now calling for a Climate Emergency Pact to be part of the final agreement at COP 26.
+ Catch up on all our global development news coverage during COP 26. Plus, to make sure you don’t miss out on essential climate coverage beyond COP 26, sign up to Devex Pro and start your 15-day free trial.
On the menu
Remember the United Nations Food Systems Summit way back in September? My colleague Teresa Welsh is keeping tabs on the various pledges and announcements from that landmark — and more than a little controversial — gathering, to see if world leaders follow through.
The only major financial commitment made by a government at the summit was the $5 billion pledge from the U.S. Agency for International Development toward tackling global hunger. Teresa has the details on how that money will be spent.
Devex Pro: How USAID's $5B investment in Feed the Future will be spent
Food systems have also been discussed at COP 26 — though there was no food systems-focused day — but not everyone is happy with how the issue has been addressed. Paul Adepoju reports for Devex that some advocates feel the climate conference has overemphasized reforestation and technological solutions while failing to present actual plans and strategies for countries to achieve food security in the context of climate change.
Read: Advocates question the COP 26 approach to food systems
+ For the inside track on how agriculture, nutrition, sustainability, and more intersect to remake the global food system, sign up for Devex Dish, and receive the latest edition on Wednesday.
Canary in the coal mine
More than half of coral reefs have been lost in the last 50 years, and 90% of them are projected to disappear even if the world succeeds in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the most ambitious climate target. A quarter of marine life depends on coral reefs, as do nearly 1 billion people for their livelihoods.
Hence the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, which was established last year in an attempt to help fill the massive funding gap for climate finance dedicated to this vital and threatened ecosystem. Catherine Cheney reports on GFCR’s race to deliver new reef restoration and conservation approaches before they disappear.
Read: Can this new fund save coral reefs before it's too late?
Under cover
Nearly 40% of low-income countries have either never published data about debt online, or have not updated that data in the last two years, according to a new analysis from the World Bank.
The lack of debt transparency pushes up borrowing costs for these countries just as their need for external finance is expected to hit $429 billion between 2023 and 2025.
Read: Lack of transparency on debt will hurt economic recovery, says World Bank
ICYMI: Last month, the World Bank released a report saying low-income countries saw their debt burdens rise 12% in 2020 to a record $860 billion.
Tech tactics
“[We] categorize these technologies into three big buckets: the ones that are already here are already mature, the ones that are on the other extreme end, which need R&D support, and everything in between.”
— Olamide Oguntoye, tech policy lead, Tony Blair Institute for Global ChangeEach of those buckets requires different kinds of support from policymakers, funders, and investors, Oguntoye explains during a Devex @ COP 26 panel discussion.
Read: To find the signal in the noise of climate tech, consider 3 things
In other news
The World Food Programme confirmed Wednesday that Ethiopian authorities have detained 72 drivers contracted to deliver humanitarian aid into Tigray. [Al Jazeera]
The World Bank plans to launch a replacement for the controversial Doing Business report in two years, which its board decided to scrap in September. [Reuters]
Climate activist Greta Thunberg and other petitioners have urged the United Nations to declare climate change a “Level 3 emergency,” the global body's highest designation, which was used for COVID-19. [New York Times]
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About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
