Paper details

Paper authors	Hajar Al-Kaddo
In panel on	Climate Change and Humanitarianism
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Humanitarian stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the impacts of global challenges, such as climate change, the food crisis, water and energy security. Such factors affect the overall operating environment of humanitarian action and actors due to the convergence and increase of humanitarian needs.

Decreased international donor funding, the over reliance on altruism and charity within the sector and the increase of geopolitical tensions also severely affect humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian actors now have more of a complex role to play and therefore must become more innovative in combating climate change and the sectors over reliance on fossil fuels.

Looking towards better uses of energy sources is one way in which humanitarians can work towards preventing and decreasing the effects of climate change affecting the most vulnerable. During humanitarian crises, access to safe, reliable, and clean energy for crisis-affected people can be difficult to achieve. Shortage of funding, limited policies and practices for sustainable and clean energy provision within the humanitarian sector are currently inefficient, polluting, unsafe for the users and harmful to the surrounding environment.

Although the politicisation of climate change has seen an increase over the past number of years, this presents a window of opportunity for humanitarians. Humanitarians must work towards persuading donors, governments and stakeholders to re-think their contributions to humanitarian aid in a more innovative and sustainable way. Simultaneously, humanitarians must show their ability to innovate and solve bigger issues, such as climate change.

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