29/05/2025

THURSDAY | MAY 29, 2025

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Cost of climate crisis on poor nations E XTREME weather, fuelled by the climate crisis, has cost some of the world’s poorest countries US$156 billion (RM663 billion) across the past each year on average over the last two decades. Haiti, Kenya and Grenada are among the nations already facing substantial losses, more than 2% of their GDP per year. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes can increase that number substantially, given the damage they can do quickly. COMMENT

what is really happening during sleep. How to prevent microsleep 0 Get at least seven to nine hours of restful sleep the night before a long journey. 0 Avoid driving between midnight and 6am. 0 Take breaks every two hours. 0 Share driving duties whenever possible. 0 Avoid heavy meals, alcohol or sedatives before driving. 0 Consult a doctor if you feel excessively sleepy despite sufficient rest. Delaying your journey is better than risking your life. Microsleep is silent but deadly. However, it is entirely preventable. DrLim Poh Hin is a consultant neurologist at Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com This means that poorer nations, some of whom are facing further strain from regional conflicts, are disproportionately taking the brunt of climate-related destruction. These effects will only continue to get worse, warn ODI Global’s researchers, who estimate at least a further US$235 billion in these countries from climate-related damages if the planet warms by 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels. According to climate scientists at Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, each of the past 10 years (2015–2024) was one of the 10 warmest years on record. The monthly global average temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for 11 months of the year. “The escalating costs from climate change will have a serious toll on economic growth and living standards, and a wider risk of geopolitical stability in some regions,” said Wilkinson, a research fellow at ODI Global. “Climate change contributing to a poorer and more dangerous future is bad for everyone but we are not too late to change course.” Risk of famine and poverty In the wake of extreme weather events, communities are heavily reliant on aid as people are displaced from their homes and access to food and infrastructure is disrupted. In 2023 alone, the countries in this study received some £7.5 million (RM43 million) in aid from the US and the UK, with millions of people relying on life-saving food assistance. But with the total dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK cuts threatening access to aid for some 55 million people, this support is drying up. In Ethiopia, food shortages in the northern region have led to starvation. A funding gap of US$222 million has already forced the World Food Programme to suspend malnutrition treatment for 650,000 women and children. Just this week, the UK government refused to reconsider its cuts to aid spending and could not commit to funding for nutrition, the International Development Committee reported. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Demands for action from the world’s most vulnerable and the requirements for delivering security for British citizens are fundamentally aligned. “That is why we are supporting those who are experiencing the worst impacts of the climate crisis and working together with partners to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement.” This article was produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

two decades. Intense drought, flooding, cyclones and more have impacted 364 million people and caused more than 42,000 deaths since 2000 – 17,000 of which can be directly attributed to climate change. The nations hardest hit are Somalia, Haiti and Uganda. Researchers at ODI Global, an international think-tank, also found the climate crisis had contributed to billions of dollars worth of agricultural losses, with farmers across Somalia and Ethiopia forced to abandon their livelihoods amid growing food scarcity, saying the stark findings should serve as a “wake-up call for global policymakers”. “If the UK suffered tens of billions of pounds worth of damage caused by other countries’ actions, our government and the public would rightfully be shouting from the rooftops about the injustice,” said Mike Childs, head of policy at Friends of the Earth. “Yet this is the reality for many countries on the frontlines of climate breakdown that have contributed virtually nothing to global emissions.” With President Donald Trump slashing US aid spending and the UK planning on cutting billions of pounds in funding, the devastating impact on countries most affected by the climate crisis due to losing support for food and disaster prevention is inevitable. “It’s deeply unjust that those who have done the least to contribute to the climate crisis are paying most dearly for it – the UK has a central role to play in righting that injustice,” said Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party. “While governments like ours delay, countries like Somalia and Ethiopia, and small island nations – some of the world’s poorest countries – are paying the price. “The government’s recent cuts to the foreign aid budget are particularly disturbing, with so many across the world relying on essential humanitarian aid as a result of extreme weather caused by the climate crisis,” added Denyer. More devastation every year The study of 53 low-income countries includes the 36 Small-Island Developing States in the Caribbean, Pacific and the Atlantic, and 17 countries in the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa. Since the year 2000, these countries have suffered US$395 billion in losses and damages from extreme weather events, US$156 billion of which can be attributed to the climate crisis. “Every year, we see more devastation from the worsening effects of climate change,” said Emily Wilkinson, principal research fellow at ODI Global. “Wealthier nations urgently need to scale up

Devastating droughts and subsequent floods have led to US$151 billion in losses and damages, US$75 billion of which ODI Global estimates is attributable to climate change. – REUTERSPIC

brain temporarily shuts down. When you are behind the wheel, those few seconds can cost lives. Who is at risk? Anyone who is sleep-deprived is at risk. However, the danger increases significantly among long-distance or night-time drivers, shift workers, students cramming through the night, parents of young children and people with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. Sleep is not just rest; it is the body’s time to heal. Sleep helps regulate hormones, reduce stress, strengthen immunity and maintain healthy weight and heart function. Microsleep is not just about not sleeping climate finance and also make sure it reaches the right places. For remote or unstable places facing conflict or other vulnerabilities, getting projects off the ground may be harder but the benefits will also be more keenly felt by affected populations.” In 2023, the COP28 climate summit agreed to the creation of the Loss and Damage Fund, which would provide financial support for some destruction caused by climate change. But wealthy, higher-polluting countries pledged a total of US$768 million to the fund; a fraction of the financial losses that vulnerable countries face and will continue to face. It was agreed this year that the fund will pay | out US$250 million of this sum until the end of 2026. Hurricanes, droughts and flooding To calculate the proportion of losses and damages resulting from climate change, ODI Global’s research uses climate mapping studies combined with figures from EM-DAT, the international database covering mass disasters worldwide and United Nations disaster reports. Tropical cyclones – often referred to as hurricanes or typhoons – and flooding have caused the most damage in Small-Island Developing States like the Bahamas, which has lost at least US$4 billion from climate attributed events. Scientists believe tropical cyclones are becoming more intense due to the climate crisis, resulting in warmer seas and stronger winds heightening their impact. Meanwhile, rising sea levels from melting ice caps are contributing to increased flooding of low elevation islands. Severe droughts and deadly flooding have

ravaged the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, severely impacting many communities that rely on agriculture. The ODI Global report found that climate change contributed to at least US$11.5 billion in losses and damages to livestock and crops in these countries, causing lasting harm to livelihoods and food supplies in agrarian areas with already high poverty rates. Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia have suffered tens of billions of dollars in losses between them but Somalia has suffered the worst of all. Devastating droughts and subsequent floods have led to US$151 billion in losses and damages, US$75 billion of which ODI Global estimates is attributable to climate change. Somalia’s extended droughts have been exacerbated by the climate crisis, contributing to lower rainfall, warmer air temperatures and higher evapotranspiration – the combined processes that move water from the Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. These droughts in recent years have caused widespread crop failures and livestock losses, plunging many farmers and herders into poverty. Nearly half of Somalia’s eight-million-strong population has also faced food insecurity. Somalia is facing drought and low crop yields once again. This time, charities are worried that aid cuts will limit their ability to respond to food shortages. Many of the nations included in the ODI Global study have smaller economies, increasing the impact of climate crisis-related losses. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, such damage has cost nearly a tenth (9.25%) of GDP

Silent threat on Malaysian roads

AGE

HOURS

1–2 years 3–5 years 6–12 years 13–18 years

11–14 10–13 9–12 8–10

COMMENT

by Dr Lim Poh Hin

Adults

7+

Recommended sleep duration by age group

AS Malaysians gear up for the school holidays, thousands are expected to hit the highways – whether to balik kampung or enjoy a family getaway. However, amidst the excitement, there is an often-overlooked danger lurking on our roads: microsleep. Even a few seconds of microsleep while driving at 110km/h can be fatal. Microsleep refers to brief, involuntary episodes of sleep lasting between one to 30 seconds. Your eyes may still be open but your

enough; sometimes it is a symptom of an underlying condition: 0 Obstructive sleep apnea: Interrupted breathing during sleep, often with loud snoring. 0 Narcolepsy: Sudden and uncontrollable sleep attacks during the day. 0 Absence seizures: Brief, staring spells that can look like microsleep, especially in children. Doctors may recommend a polysomnography (sleep study) to uncover