Newspapers are often filled with headlines about climate change having disastrous repercussions on communities worldwide—from rising sea levels to increasing temperatures. While people across the globe suffer from the impact of the climate, it is the marginalised communities that face the brunt of it. This blog explores who these marginal communities are, what has been the impact of climate change in recent years on these communities, and how these communities can be empowered.
Marginalised communities are affected disproportionately by climate change, and hence, it is pertinent to include their voices in climate decisions. This includes people who are systematically disadvantaged and excluded from social, economic and political life. Most of these groups have limited access to resources, decision-making processes, and opportunities, which makes them more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Examples of such groups include women, elderly, racial, caste, and ethnic minorities, refugees, people with disabilities, and indigenous people. We look at three recent examples of the impact of climate change on the marginalised to illustrate our point.
The Impact of Climate Change in Recent Years
In 2023, Cyclone Mocha hit the Bay of Bengal region and caused significant damage in Bangladesh and Myanmar. In particular, the Rohingya community was badly affected—their refugee camps were destroyed. The cyclone was a result of climate change. It happened due to the increase in temperature in the Indo-Pacific region, which is faster than the global average. This temperature increase has led to many unexpected heatwaves, floods and droughts, with the small islands and marginalised communities facing the maximum risk.
The heatwaves in India this year disproportionately hit the economically disadvantaged making people unable to fulfil their basic needs including water, electricity and medicine. In India, caste also plays an important role, with marginalised caste groups like Dalits being traditionally occupied in jobs in brick kilns and having to work near furnaces in scorching heat. The tribal households also reportedly have 10%-30% less access to electricity. The Centre for Policy Research found that India’s Heat Action Plans, India’s primary policy response to economically damaging and life-threatening heatwaves, are poor at identifying and targeting vulnerable groups.
Rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands threaten the very existence of low-lying Pacific Island nations. Marginalised communities in these regions, including indigenous populations, are facing the loss of their homes, land, and cultural heritage. The situation is forcing many to consider relocating, leading to the loss of traditional ways of life and creating “climate refugees.” The lack of global attention and resources exacerbates their vulnerability. Sea-level rise becomes an existential threat for small island States, and the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise disproportionately affect women, girls, Indigenous and other historically marginalised communities.
What Can We Do to Empower These Communities?
These disparities highlight that climate decisions cannot be based on a one-size-fits-all approach. It is critical to amplify the voices of these communities in the decision-making process.
As a starting point, it is important to give them enough representation in climate policy planning so that they can appropriately emphasise and actively prioritise social equity goals while designing climate initiatives. In the past, such initiatives have often been out of reach for these communities due to the lack of explicit consideration for climate justice. For example, while climate-smart agriculture practices can lead to better yields and enhancement of soil quality, these approaches often demand years of investment, making it inaccessible for poor farmers who most need it.
Including these groups in the policy designing process through institutional mandates can enable the setting up of clear targets for social equity in climate action. For instance, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Research has set a 30% local content target in the development of Noor Solar Power Station, giving preferential treatment to hiring residents and using locally sourced raw materials in building the facility. This resulted in a significant increase in employment in the area, particularly for low-skilled labourers.
At a grassroot level, a concerted effort is necessary to educate these groups about their role in climate action and engage them in the climate discourse such that they actively advocate for their needs and rights. Fatou Jeng, the founder of Clean Earth Gambia, rallied thousands of young people and women to implement sustainable practices in Banjul through a series of training exercises.
As such, climate education must also be included within school curricula to sensitise the future generations to the social inequalities which lie at the center of today’s climate crisis. A rapid survey of UNICEF offices in 94 low- and middle-income countries indicated that only 18% included climate change education in their Education Sector Plan. Case studies indicate that students at an urban high school in the US successfully applied what they learned from environmental science lessons in a social justice context to their local communities.
Engaging marginalised communities in the research phase is another effective way of identifying policies which better address their needs and challenges. This can help recognise the barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from benefiting from climate initiatives. As a case in point, the Bangladeshi government implemented several community-based adaptation programmes in 2022-23, thus empowering local communities to lead in designing flood-resistant infrastructure tailored to their needs.
In Conclusion
It is crucial to bring social equity goals to the forefront of climate initiatives and proactively advocate for climate justice at all levels – from the communities being impacted to the policymakers. To elevate marginalised communities, they must be engaged in the research and development phase to gain unique insights into how different policy measures affect these groups, the key barriers they face in accessing the benefits of climate initiatives and the actions that can be taken to remove those barriers. Targeted training programmess and integration of climate justice in school curriculums can help bridge this gap such that these communities take up a more proactive role in tackling climate change. Lastly, those who do not belong to the marginalised groups need to be sensitised and made more aware of how their actions leading to climate change have disproportionate impact on the less privileged. This might also lead to people pushing for sustainable practices, equitable policies, and corporate responsibility at an individual level.
Author’s Bio: Prachi Jain is currently pursuing the Post Graduate Programme at the Indian School of Business. An alumnus of Ashoka University, in her previous role, Prachi was a part of the marketing communications at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. She has worked on sustainability and SDG communications, leading initiatives that underscored the importance of responsible business practices. Prachi is passionate about leveraging her expertise in strategic communication to amplify the perspectives of those most affected by climate change.
Author’s Bio: Sejal Nathany is currently pursuing the Post Graduate Programme at the Indian School of Business. An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Sejal has previously worked in the strategy team at Nomura Services. She is deeply passionate about addressing climate change and advancing social equity. With a focus on the intersection of these critical issues, Sejal is committed to advocating for inclusive and just climate policies that uplift marginalised communities and ensure that their voices are heard in global climate conversation.
DISCLAIMER : The views expressed in this blog/article are author’s personal.