Extreme weather can be the 'most important cause of poverty'

In his article for the BBC, Matt McGrath presents the new report compiled by the Overseas Development Institute, arguing that where disasters like drought are prevalent, they can be the most important cause of poverty. "If the international community are serious about ending extreme poverty they need to get serious about reducing disaster risk for the poorest people," said Dr Tom Mitchell, the ODI's head of climate change.

Citing the example of the recent Cyclone Phailin in India, Dr Mitchell said that "the very fact that it killed so few people means that the chances of raising big finance for recovery efforts are going to be pretty slim. It has not got the big numbers attached to it," highlighting the need for donor countries to prioritize aid at the countries that need it most, in terms of disaster risk reduction.