Climate Change in Developing Countries

Overview

The fight against poverty in developing countries is inextricably linked with the climate change challenge. While industrialized countries have hitherto been the major emitter of greenhouse gases, poor people in the developing world are most vulnerable to the consequences of changing environments, because adaptation is much more difficult if resources are lacking. Moreover, in recent years, the developing world has emerged on the global greenhouse pollutant bill.

The research group aims at responding to these challenges with two distinct research angles: First, low-cost greenhouse gas mitigation strategies are examined. Energy usage and deforestation processes in poor countries, for example, offer huge potentials to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants at lower costs than in industrialized countries. Second, ways to increase the poor’s resilience against a changing local environment induced by global warming are analyzed. More specifically, the group undertakes research in the fields of energy access, local environment, water, micro-finance, and gender.

The research group is part of the research department “Environment and Resources”.