The global goal of eradicating extreme poverty, defined as living on $2.15 per person per day, by 2030 remains a formidable challenge, increasingly threatened by the growing impacts of climate change experts are saying. According to the World Bank, nearly 700 million people, approximately 8.5 percent of the global population—are currently living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 per day. Around 3.5 billion people, or 44 percent of the global population, are living below the $6.85 per day poverty threshold, often reflecting conditions in upper-middle-income countries, the bank said. Read also: Oyo trains 22,370 on soil, climate change as farmers hail Makinde Recent climate disasters, including earthquakes in Thailand, floods in Nigeria, heatwaves in India, and droughts in Morocco, demonstrate how climate change exacerbates poverty. In Nigeria alone, floods in October 2024 affected 9.2 million people, submerging vast areas of farmland and causing production losses in staple crops like maize and rice, potentially costing nearly $1 billion according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). With 92 million Nigerians suffering from protein deficiency, the country’s multidimensional poverty rate stands at 63 percent largely linked to climate disruptions. Latest WorldBank reports highlight that climate change is exacerbating global poverty, with one in five individuals facing the threat of extreme weather events in their lifetime. These events have the potential to devastate livelihoods and hinder efforts to combat poverty, especially as the risks tied to climate hazards continue to rise unless decisive actions are taken to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bolster resilience, WorldBank stated. While significant progress has been made globally, the number of people living below this threshold has largely remained stagnant since the 1990s, primarily due to population growth. Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 16 percent of the world’s population, is disproportionately affected, accounting for 67 percent […]