International Review of the Red Cross - Humanitarian debate: Law, policy, action. ENVIRONMENT

The evolution of humankind is largely dependent on the quality of the environ- ment and the resources it provides, and the natural environment plays a vital role in ensuring the survival of present and future generations. The earth and its environment are potentially under threat because of numerous human-induced factors, and climate change may drastically alter the conditions of human sustainability.
The consequences of climate change on communities are increasingly being felt in many parts of the planet. Climate change is not merely an environ- mental, scientific, or economic issue; it has become a humanitarian issue too. Increased climate variability and greater intensity and frequency of extreme weather events aggravate humanitarian needs in emergencies and lead to water and food stress, as well as to changing patterns in the geographical spread of diseases. Over the last two decades the number of recorded disasters has doubled from approximately 200 to over 400 per year, while over the last decade the number of people affected has tripled.