The Climate Injustice

Written by Kaho Ishihara

Climate change not only affects the environment, but it also impacts poverty around the world. 

How Does Climate Change Affect Global Poverty?

According to the United Nations, “Climate change disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable.” These effects range from health, food and water supply, and education.

a) Health:

Climate change increases the number of extreme weather events, such as floods, heatwaves, droughts, and tornadoes, creating an environment that is favorable for pathogens, leading to an increased spread of diseases. For example, it is predicted that a 2-3 °C increase in temperature will result in more than 150 million additional cases of malaria worldwide. 

b) Food and Water Supply:

Global warming causes extreme heat and changes in precipitation patterns, leading to water shortages during peak production periods and decreased crop yield. These changes result in higher consumption prices, impacting poorer populations that already struggle with having a stable food supply. The World Health Organization reports that 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. With an increased number of droughts and changes in precipitation patterns, water availability decreases. Especially in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where water scarcity is already common, global warming further risks their access to water.

c) Education:

In response to these economic shocks, families may need to rely on child labor to generate additional income to support their family members. This deprives young children of the opportunity to educate themselves, increasing the inequality between developed and underdeveloped countries.

Why does Climate Change Affect Poorer Populations?

This disproportionate effect stems from the fact that poorer individuals often rely more on natural resources and have less protection from the impacts of climate change. Underdeveloped and developing countries often have weak health infrastructure, and therefore, their populations will not be able to cope with the disastrous impacts of extreme weather events as well as developed nations such as the United States. The World Bank states that “Nearly one in five people is at high risk from climate-related hazards.”

Although 74 of the lowest-income countries only contribute to one-tenth of the greenhouse gas emissions across the world, they are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change,” urging the necessity for the world to reduce climate change.

Sources

• https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/human-security#:~:text=4.,agriculture%2C%20forestry%2C%20and%20fishery.

• https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/01/climate-crisis-poor-davos2023/

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

• https://www.who.int/news/item/26-08-2025-1-in-4-people-globally-still-lack-access-to-safe-drinking-water---who--unicef#:~:text=Ten%20key%20facts%20from%20the,directly%20from%20untreated%20surface%20sources.

• https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/economic-impact-climate-change-northwest-farms#:~:text=Increased%20temperatures%20can%20also%20lead,by%20as%20much%20as%2040%25.

• https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/poverty/cfis/roadmap/subm-roadmap-eradicating-poverty-igo-94-world-bank.pdf