According to the World Bank, the increasing number of droughts, floods, heatwaves, sea-level rises and fiercer storms are likely to accompany increasing global warming. This caused a vicious cycle of crop failures, food shortages, rising food prices, malnutrition and diseases, and therefore exacerbated poverty.

Millions of people around the world are likely to be pushed back into poverty because climate change is undermining economic development in poor countries. In this light, climate change symbolizes the complex nature of international development as it magnifies food security, water security, and energy security.

The 2010 floods in Pakistan have affected about 20 million people, many of whom lost homes or livelihoods. Along with damage from fiercer storms, many people try to escape the effects. Many African countries are experiencing consequence of extreme unpredictability and variability in water supplies, and increased health challenges such as malnutrition. In sub-Saharan Africa, increasing droughts and excessive heat are likely to mean that the staple crop maize will no longer thrive in about 40% of current farmland within about 20 years.

In the Sahel region, more than 10 million people, always among the poorest, suffer from food insecurity and more than 1.4 million children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition. The impact of crises in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012 still persists and has limited the possibilities of rebuilding the livelihoods of affected families.

The world is determined not only to collectively respond to reducing carbon emissions, but also to unite in advancing sustainable solutions for all. Governments have gathered in United Nations Conference Rio+20 in order to agree on sustainable solutions of climate change, and establish a roadmap to environmental policies. Along with such international efforts, governments, corporations, non-profits, and individuals need to come up with environment-friendly policies and systems that help improve the current situation faced by many developing countries.