Climate change impacts marginalised people differently
CLIMATE CHANGE is affecting individuals, families, communities, societies and systems around the world. The impacts of climate change are being felt across many social, economic, environmental and political systems. Climate change is contributing to more intense and frequent extreme weather events. Wildfires, floods, storms, extreme precipitation, drought, and extreme heat are among the most serious. Many extreme weather events contribute to increased stress on water supplies, particularly in drought conditions. Many local governments, civil society organisations, and private sector businesses are developing plans to better prepare for more extreme weather and their social, economic and environmental impacts. At the same time, individuals are being encouraged to become more resilient in the advent of environment disasters. Yet, resilience is not fixed or static, and can change over time depending upon the context and social environment. Governments will continue to play an important role in providing support for services and programmes that can help individuals adapt to the effects of climate change, participate in climate transitions and engage in climate change mitigation.
Wildfires have become annual events that result in the loss of critical infrastructure, people’s homes and community spaces with devastating social, economic and environmental impacts for communities. In Western Canada, it is proving very difficult for affected communities to rebuild and recover following wildfires, particularly as the recovery process intersects with the economy, health and mental health impacts, and social processes. Given the long-term impacts of disasters on individuals and communities, there is a need to rethink how communities are supported. The 20192020 bushfires in Australia, fueled by drought and high temperatures, captured the world’s attention as the impacts of climate change on humans and animals were portrayed in society.
The impacts of climate change and disaster are experienced differently by men and women due to their gender roles and relationships in society. Women’s caregiving roles in the household and community are affected by climate change effects on their livelihoods and resources. Women’s experiences and perspectives on climate change are critical to inform climate change adaptation and mitigation policies at the local and global levels.
The impacts of climate change are experienced in communities, and the role of place has emerged as an important consideration in developing sustainability
policies and recovery plans. Community members value the natural and physical environment, which are changing due to the impacts of climate change and related disasters. People’s sense of belonging and attachment to place is an important consideration that can inform climate change policies and sustainable development initiatives.
Forced migration and environmental displacement due to climate change is taking place in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia, with implications for the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. While migration is a climate adaptation strategy, it also presents challenges for all involved, from those displaced to host societies. According to
2019, “estimates for the number of environmental migrants by 2050 range from 25 million to 1 billion …” Thus, climate change as a push factor and driver of migration is expected to increase in the coming years. Small Pacific islands affected by sea level rise will face migration as fresh water becomes contaminated by seawater.
Acts of civil disobedience are on the rise due to climate change. In Canada, indigenous and non-indigenous people who oppose the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline through indigenous territory in Northern British Columbia have effectively used blockades to disrupt rail traffic. Ideological tensions have resulted in a polarised political and economic climate between oil and gas supporters, and environmental groups, during a time when climate change action is urgently needed.
The youth-led climate strikes in 2019-2020 represent a new voice in climate activism. The Global Strike brought thousands of participants into the streets on every continent for global climate protests. As children and youth demand action on climate change, the message is on the human—environment connection with a focus on the most vulnerable people in society. As the impacts of climate change are experienced, there is a need for greater collaboration and partnerships to explore how to better facilitate a “just transition”. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2019, indicates “the impacts of climate change will not be borne equally or fairly, between rich and poor, women and men, and older and younger generations.” It is critical to consider how social, economic and environmental justice can be advanced using a human rights approach.
Greater attention is needed on the social dimensions of climate change, which are related to the experiences of people and communities, and how to best meet the needs of those most vulnerable and marginalised. Research is needed to better understand and address these social dimensions, which has the potential to shift the current climate change discourse.
CHANGING CLIMATE has significant impact on water—direct or indirect— leading to serious social and economic issues in highly vulnerable countries such as India. Millions of poor are struggling to live with low adaptive capacity, fast diminishing reliable water resources, large-scale wetland degradation and unsustainable water management.
Water resources are fast depleting and deteriorating. Fall in surface water availability due to changing rainfall pattern increases dependency on groundwater. Groundwater level has been receding at an alarming rate in many parts of India, as a result of over-extraction and changing seasonality and intensity of rainfall. In the coastal zones, this is leading to salinity intrusion in aquifers. Water scarcity causes conflicts over allocation and clash between people. Climate change impacts will have direct consequences for water security with its reflection on food security. A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute found that more than half the world’s population and approximately half of global grain production will be at risk due to water stress by 2050.
Failure in agriculture due to hydrological extremes affects rural economy. In large parts of rural India, life still depends on agriculture. Disasters like floods and prolonged droughts cause anxiety-related responses as well as mental health disorders. Thousands of farmers in India committed suicide in the last few decades. By the late 21st century, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of drought and a large part of the globe may experience famine.
Food scarcity or food quality issues also can affect mental health. In addition to agriculture, possible crisis in the inland fishery sector is also a threat to food security. Aquatic species are generally more sensitive to water temperatures, and the stratification of water bodies can be impacted by climate change, affecting fish growth and viability.
Associated with hydrological extremes, water-related health issues are worsening. Floods are increasing in frequency and intensity. Floods contaminate freshwater supplies, heighten the risk of water-borne diseases and create breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects. They also cause drowning and physical injuries, damage homes and disrupt the supply of essential services including medical and health. The World Health Organization warns that increasingly variable rainfall patterns are likely to affect the supply of freshwater. A lack of safe water can compromise hygiene and increase the risk of diarrhoeal disease, which kills
over 500,000 children every year.
Shortage of reliable water often leads to disputes over water sharing in transboundary water resources. Existing water disputes are likely to worsen and new disputes are likely to ignite. The problem will become more serious in a country like India, with regional interests dominating national interests and vested political interests making solution and consensus difficult. There are several other socio-economic and environmental issues related to climate change impact on water that affect human life such us hiking prices of food and water unaffordable to the poor, competition and conflicts over the allocation of water and food, migration, violence, setbacks in tourism, wildfire and loss of species and large investments for adaptation and mitigation. Safe water is becoming a costly commodity. Even today, in certain countries, bottled water costs more than fruit juice. Human migration creates tension among countries and different classes of people within countries. Though migration due to water shortage associated with changing rainfall pattern has been happening for centuries, it has been accelerated in the last few decades with abnormal changes in global climate. Hydropower may become more expensive when the rainfall pattern changes. Reduction in river runoff due to low rainfall or sedimentation in rivers and reservoirs due to erosion and sedimentation caused by intense precipitation can significantly affect hydropower generation. States such as Kerala are already facing this situation.
Some classes of people are more vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change, including children and elderly, the chronically ill, born with birth defects, pregnant and postpartum women, and people already suffering from mental illness. People with lower socio-economic status, migrants, refugees and the homeless may also be more vulnerable. In India, thousands of extreme poor may find it difficult to survive without safe water.
The World Economic Forum has ranked water crises as number one in global risks, with potential to cause damaging economic and social impacts across entire countries and sectors. Living with climate change will mean coping with the impacts on water, and taking the necessary steps to reduce the vulnerabilities of communities and economies. Even when water-related disasters are at our doorsteps, politicians rarely consider it as serious. The answer of Yudhishthira to the question of Yaksha in the epic “What is the most wonderful thing you see around” is relevant today. “Even when countless creatures go to the abode of ‘Yama’ (god of death), those who remain behind believe it is not applicable to them and they are immortal”.