From lost crops to outbreaks of disease and destruction of life and property in shoreline communities, poor people are especially vulnerable to the effects of environmental disasters caused by climate change. This Synergos paper summarizes the likely impact of climate change on the poor, and makes a number of recommendations for donor intervention, including supporting advocacy, supporting pilot programmes that help find ways to integrate economic development, poverty reduction, greenhouse gas emis­sions reduction and increased adaptive capacity, supporting institutions that can provide essential service such as sanitation, health and education, and providing increased funding for emergency preparedness.