World Bank, Senior Vice President, Otaviano Canuto in his blog at the Huffington Post reveals that the recent hikes in food prices have forced an additional 44 million people into extreme poverty (earning less than $1.25 per day). However on the other side, the data from the World Bank also shows that poverty reduction measures taken by countries across the globe has also reduced the overall poverty.

According to Mr. Canuto, there might be a link between the climate change and poverty as it might effect the agricultural productivity and might also effect poor people’s health, access to water and natural resources, homes and infrastructure.

In my opinion, this is very true. As for instance, the recent (2010) floods in Pakistan has effected 70 million acres (69,000 km^2) fertile land, killed nearly quarter a million of livestock and washed away thousands of tons of grain stock. Studies have already shown that the floods were one of the most devastating aftermath of climate change which is gradually happening with severe potential to limit the ability of developing countries to meet developmental goals. As a result of the floods, the food supplies in the country hit severely, which further resulted in food price hike. Until now, the country has not yet managed to recover due to reliance on foreign and local aid, cut on national and provincial developmental budgets, and high rehabilitation and reconstruction costs in flood affected areas.

On the worse side, it is also expected that such natural catastrophes in the form of earthquakes and floods might be witnessed in the region in near future as well, which certainly will make the picture further grim, from poverty and development perspective.