Nairobi - G20 governments see climate change as the greatest humanitarian challenge facing the world, according to a survey released Tuesday by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The IFRC hired a research group to poll the G20 - a powerful grouping representing both developed and developing nations - and found that many members expect to see increasing humanitarian needs driven by climate-change related disasters, poverty and hunger.
"In general terms, the issues have been that the number of disasters and their magnitude and impact have increased due to climate change," IFRC Deputy Secretary General Ibrahim Osman told journalists in Nairobi at the launch of the report.
"Drought, floods and cyclones have been observed as to increase in the coming future."
Disasters brought on by climate change are expected to cause massive population movements and increasing urbanization, as people flee catastrophic events and their traditional ways of life become less viable, Osman said.
Kenya, which is hosting a week-long IFRC and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meeting beginning Wednesday, was also included in the survey.
Kenyan Red Cross Secretary General Abbas Gullet said his country - which has undergone a long drought and is now seeing flooding in parts of the country - was a perfect example of the dire warnings.
"Kenya is an example with all forms of disaster related to climate as a result of changing patterns of weather," he said. "The intensity and frequency are drastically increasing, and we have seen huge movements of people from one part of the country to other."
Osman said he believed G20 nations acknowledge they have a responsibility to mitigate the effects of climate change and fund related humanitarian operations.
However, hopes are fading that a global agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be reached at the upcoming Copenhagen climate change conference, which begins on December 7.
The survey also found that G20 nations were concerned about conflict, access to civilians in war zones and growing urbanization and that they believed a move was needed to a more preventative humanitarianpolicy.
Hundreds of ICRC and IFRC delegates are descending on Nairobi for the global summit, taking place for the first time in Africa.
The IFRC will elect a new president, while new policies on dealing with internally displaced people and arms are expected to be agreed.
