The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says climate change is causing a "deep injustice" for people living in the developing world.
The Christian Aid chairman has blamed Western nations for creating the problem that he claims has seen the poorest people in the world "suffer most acutely" from the devastating effects of global warming.
His comments are backed up by a new report from the charity using personal stories from seven different countries; Bangladesh, Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, El Salvador, Bolivia and the Philippines.
Dr Williams said: "Among all the facts and statistics, the summits and debates, it is essential for us to remember the specific human faces of those who suffer because of climate instability.
"Far from being a vague threat in the distant future, a warming world is very much a present reality, with global temperatures already having risen by 0.8°C since before the industrial revolution.
"Stronger storm surges, heavier rain, and scarcer resources are part of what countless people across the world live with daily, with far fewer resources to deal with it than we have in the developed world."
The report Taken by Storm: Responding to the Impacts of Climate Change, reveals the stark reality of life as a result of extreme weather events such as drought and flooding.
The charity is hoping to put a human face to the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which published its latest report on the impacts of climate change.
The UN panel concludes there'll be more extreme weather - damaging crops, increasing food prices and even risking world peace.
It also says we need to tackle greenhouse gases now to mitigate against the effects of global warming.
Dr Alison Doig, Christian Aid's Senior Climate Change Adviser told Premier's Victoria Laurence on the News Hour that politicians in the West need to act now, before it's too late.
As well as showing the different ways people are experiencing a distorted climate, the Christian Aid report outlines some of the ingenious ways people are adapting their lifestyles to survive.
Measures range from farmers receiving weather forecasts by text message in Kenya, to the introduction of saltwater resistant ducks in flooded Bangladesh.
Despite this resilience, the report is clear that adaptation measures offer only a temporary solution.