By Issue

Because...
• Climate change makes poor people even more vulnerable, which is a threat to any potential gains in development.
• Africa is already critically affected by more irregular weather patterns and extreme weather.
• Most of Africa's agriculture relies on rain - not irrigation - so irregular rains can be disastrous.
• Work in many of Comic Relief's other grants programmes are already being affected by climate change.
• Increasingly scarce water and fuel affects the workload of women and girls.
• Small increases in average temperature very significantly reduce harvests.
• Water borne diseases, especially diarrhoea, are increasing with rising temperatures.

• Climate change is a relatively new threat to development. Comic Relief is already working in this area, funding a series of grants to learn how best to increase the resilience of poor people in Africa, and also get their voices heard in climate change negotiations.
• We have funded research with partners on: the impact of a changing climate on fairly traded products; how conflict is made worse by climate change; how the threat of land being taken for biofuels can be addressed; and on how best to prepare for disasters and extreme weather.
• We have supported African environmentalists to come together to share learning and influence decision-makers nationally and internationally, to make sure the needs and rights of those most affected are addressed.
• We supported African delegates to be trained and to take part in the Copenhagen climate talks, to make sure their voice was heard.
• We are supporting the development of alternatives in the carbon market - looking at how people most affected by climate change can benefit.

See a full list of our live international projects