More than three billion people are “highly vulnerable to effects of climate change” – primarily in low- and middle-income countries that have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions. In Africa, floods have increased tenfold, severe storms have quadrupled, and droughts have tripled since the 1970s – twice as fast as for the rest of the world.

For rural and remote communities, the impact of these extreme weather events is especially acute. Drought exacerbates malnutrition crises. Flooding and extreme temperatures lead to a greater burden of diseases like cholera and malaria and can make travel to clinics for routine care like prenatal check-ups and child immunizations nearly impossible.