A SALT FACTORY WORKER IN CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH.
South Asia, including Bangladesh, will be among the regions hardest hit by climate change. About 20 million people in the coastal areas of Bangladesh are already affected by salinity in drinking water. Rising sea levels and more intense cyclones and storm surges could intensify the contamination of groundwater and surface water impairing development and poverty reduction efforts, causing heath issues and putting additional pressure on the country’s food production.
A TEENAGE GIRL IN TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES AFTER TYPHOON HAIYAN.
A teenage girl stands on the kitchen counter of her shattered family home. The typhoon took the lives of family members and many neighbours. According to experts at NASA, Typhoon Haiyan was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones to ever make landfall. It was 370 miles wide, hammering the Philippines with sustained winds of 315kph, and gusts reaching over 375kph.
A MAN STANDS IN THE REMNANTS OF HIS HOME AFTER THE TASMANIAN BUSHFIRES.
Scott Griffith sits in the remains of what was once his daughter’s bedroom, in Dunalley. Earlier, he, his wife and four children poked through the wreckage attempting in vain to salvage anything from their former lives.
CHINA’S ‘COAL BELT’, WEST OF BEIJING.
A masked family stands in front of their home in an industrial town west of Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang has “declared war” on pollution, describing it as “nature’s red-light warning against inefficient and blind development”.
A WOMAN AND CHILD AT A RICE DRYING AND BAGGING FACILITY, BANGLADESH.
According to the IPCC, rising sea levels will wipe out more cultivated land in Bangladesh than anywhere in the world. Many vulnerable developing nations, which contribute little to global emissions, will bear the brunt of climate change impacts with little scope to adapt.
CHILDREN STAND IN A RICE STORAGE FACILITY, BANGLADESH.
By the end of the century, more than a quarter of the country could be inundated by rising sea levels. More climate migrants are expected to come from Bangladesh than from any other country. About 15 million people in Bangladesh alone could be displaced. That’s more than three times the population of Melbourne.
A MAN IN THE DOORWAY OF HIS HOME IN TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES.
Typhoon Haiyan took the lives of over 6,000 people and injured more than 28,000. Over a million homes were damaged or destroyed by the typhoon, displacing 4.1 million people.
FARM IN HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA.
A woman poses with her fresh daikon crop. One-fifth of China’s arable land is contaminated with toxic heavy metals, often from nearby industry. Agriculture in China, already affected by local pollution, is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
A WORKER AT A RICE DRYING AND BAGGING FACILITY, BANGLADESH.
New scientific research has indicated that rising carbon dioxide emissions will make staple food crops like rice less nutritious, reducing levels of zinc and iron, and exacerbating the issues of food security.
A MAN PLANTING RICE NEAR SRIMONGOL, BANGLADESH.
Nearly half of all Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single most important crop. The rice sector contributes about half of agriculture’s share of GDP and one-sixth of national income.
SOLAR FARM IN GANSU PROVINCE, CHINA.
Women work on the construction of a solar farm. China’s burgeoning solar industry has driven down technology costs globally. Last year, the country became the world’s largest solar market. China aims to supply 15 per cent of its domestic energy use from alternative and renewable sources by 2020.
A SIGN OF HOPE IN THE WAKE OF TYPHOON HAIYAN.
A young boy flies a kite amidst the destruction caused by eight large ships washing ashore. The Philippines has not given up hope for a global agreement to tackle climate change. In an impassioned speech by the head of the Philippine delegation to the UN climate negotiations, Yeb Sano said, “We cannot sit and stay helpless staring at this international climate stalemate. It is now time to take action.”
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