How Climate Change is Slowing Human Development Worldwide
How Climate Change is Slowing Human Development Worldwide Introduction: Climate Change and the Crisis of Human Progress Over the past three decades, the world has made remarkable gains in human development. Millions have escaped extreme poverty, life expectancy has increased, literacy rates have improved, and access to technology has expanded. The concept of human development—strongly shaped by the ideas of Amartya Sen and institutionalized globally by the United Nations Development Programme —emphasizes expanding people’s capabilities, freedoms, and opportunities. However, climate change is now threatening to reverse many of these achievements. Climate change is not only an environmental issue; it is a development crisis. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, droughts, floods, and biodiversity loss are directly affecting health, education, income, food security, housing, and equality. In short, climate change is slowing—and in some regions reversing...