Written by Saanvi Bapat
Climate change is a problem that affects every single person all over the world. But in fact, those who are most affected are already suffering from socioeconomic inequalities. BIPOC communities, or those that are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change, even though they have contributed very little to it.
There is a large intersection between racial wealth inequality and the impact of climate change. The racial wealth gap highly prevalent in our world today stems from the lack of financial access for those of color due to systemic and structural racism, and as a result, these people have fewer resources to face climate change.
Climate change means higher temperatures, leading to many forms of natural disasters, like extreme floods, rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, and storms. 70% of the world’s low-income communities depend on natural resources for their livelihood, the same natural resources that are being destroyed due to climate change. Their crops and livestock are killed due to the change in rainfall patterns, floods, and storms. Those who depend on fishing and marine ecosystems are also affected due to rising sea levels and temperatures.
In addition to this, many low-income communities are facing food and water scarcity. Those who reside in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are already at risk for crop failures and hunger, which is escalated by climate change.
Furthermore, air pollution is the highest for those in economically developing countries, because of improper air quality controls, dependence on fossil fuels, a higher population, and much more. For example, those in South Asia face some of the worst air quality in the world, with 7 million people losing their lives each year. Extreme wildfires and amped-up use of industrial plants and factories amplify this problem as well.
Climate change is a huge environmental problem for those who are already at a disadvantage due to their income and race, but to further this, combating climate change can be expensive. For example, physical damage to homes, businesses, and other property can cause a financial strain and amount to high costs. This forces those in low-income families to come under even more tension.
The irony in this is that these low-income and BIPOC families contribute very little to climate change. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, the lowest-income countries produce only one-tenth of emissions, but as discussed, are the most heavily impacted by climate change.
One major example of this disparity between climate change contributions and its effects is in the area of Sub-Saharan Africa. This region of the continent has contributed the least to climate change and global warming but is facing the brunt of it. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the average temperature in western Sub-Saharan Africa will rise to around 50°C by 2100, around double the average global temperature, showing the severity of global warming in this area.
So, what are a few things we can do to help Sub-Saharan Africa and other similar communities? In our everyday lives, we can try to be more conservative with our consumption and waste of resources, keeping in mind those who are struggling with food and water scarcity every day. We can also play our part in trying to reduce the horrific rate at which climate change is currently going, by buying more sustainable and long-term products, reducing our energy usage, and trying to drive electric cars or carpool.
Something our governments can and many are currently doing is focusing on financing the push to respond to climate change. For example, in November 2022, the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced the creation of a loss and damage fund for vulnerable and low-income countries to help them respond to the impacts of climate change.
Overall, though climate change is a global problem, many of us still have not felt the full effects and horrifying reality of the issue. There are many countries and communities out there that have already been fighting and struggling and are facing even more damage mostly due to the actions of people living in much more privileged backgrounds. Trying to sacrifice a little amount of comfort by carpooling with someone else or cutting your eight-minute shower in half will help out someone on the other side of the globe.
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