Climate change is already fuelling hunger, poverty and conflicts. In particular those who already live in poverty are most affected. Their simple dwellings, often on steep slopes and banks, offer no protection against the increasingly destructive storms and heavy rainfalls. Smallholder families lack the reserves to bridge crop failures. State support for disaster prevention and emergency aid is rare.

In our projects, many people are successfully adapting to the consequences of the climate crisis. For example, by improving organic farming practices and reproducing and developing traditional seeds. Scientists from all over the world confirm in the IPCC's World Climate Report that successful adaptation takes place where the experiences of the population are valued, supported and incorporated into government programmes. They urgently recommend involving the local population in climate strategies. Misereor also supports its partner organisations in this.

But in many places, loss and damage cannot be averted, for example when rising sea levels cause groundwater and soil to become saline, land areas sink into the sea or hurricanes of previously unknown proportions devastate entire regions. We draw particular attention to people living in informal urban settlements. In cooperation with scientists, partner organisations have identified how these people are already affected today and how development cooperation, climate policy and local decision-makers can better support them. At international level, we are working to ensure that they are supported in coping with the loss and damage caused by those responsible for the climate crisis and that government programmes focus on these marginalised population groups.