Countries Affected by Climate Change Look to Summit for Help
Relief officials in Africa say environmental studies since the
1970's have shown the steady advance of the desert and irregular
rains cause floods and drought in Sahelian countries Last
updated on: December 07, 2009 3:30 AM As officials from more
than 100 nations begin talks in Copenhagen on a new global
climate deal, Sahelian countries already affected by climate
change want the conference to help them adapt to shifting
agricultural production. At the last global climate change
conference in Kyoto, the United Nations established a fund to
address the "urgent and immediate" needs of developing
countries. The Least Developed Countries Fund prioritized more
than 400 climate-change projects. But eight years later, a study
by the Danish government says just one of those projects has
been funded. Relief officials in Africa say the Copenhagen must
do a better job of addressing the needs of developing countries.
Thomas Yanga directs operations for the U.N.