Climate shocks can disrupt services that millions of vulnerable people rely on, yet care is largely absent from adaptation plans and national funding estimates. Investing in climate-resilient care can prevent cascading health and economic crises while creating jobs and easing pressure on public budgets.
After a summer of apocalyptic headlines, a new survey finds that people across the political spectrum are deeply concerned about preparing for the effects of global warming. The adaptation imperative may end up being the kind of crisis that forces us to stop neglecting the green agenda and act at the necessary scale.
The devastating floods in Nepal demonstrate what happens when reckless development puts climate-vulnerable communities in harm’s way. They also highlight a climate-finance system that is unable to provide the funds countries need in the immediate aftermath of such disasters.
The dangerous flooding in Nepal and Tibet has demonstrated, once again, the need for prearranged disaster-risk financing to prepare for the economic chain reactions triggered by natural disasters. Asia's policymakers must act now to help cash-strapped Nepal and strengthen other countries' resilience before the next crisis hits.