CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN VULNERABILITY: ANALYZING DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS ACROSS POPULATIONS

Climate change is a global crisis, but its impacts are not equally distributed. Vulnerable populations including Indigenous communities, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), low- income groups, and those dependent on
climate-sensitive livelihoods—bear a disproportionate burden. These
communities often lack the economic, political, and infrastructural capacity
to adapt to environmental shifts, making them especially susceptible to
climate-induced hardships.
Indigenous peoples, for instance, are deeply connected to the land and natural
resources, both culturally and economically. Climate change exacerbates the
difficulties already faced by these groups, including political and economic
marginalization, displacement, and the erosion of traditional knowledge
systems. In Africa’s Kalahari Desert, Indigenous communities are
increasingly forced to live around government-drilled bores for water due to
rising temperatures and expanding dunes, leading to heightened dependence
on external support and loss of autonomy. Similarly, SIDS such as Tuvalu
are on the frontline of the climate crisis. Rising sea levels, tropical cyclones,
coral bleaching, and saltwater intrusion threaten not only livelihoods but also
the very existence of these nations. Tuvalu, comprising nine low-lying coral
islands, has been classified by the United Nations as "extremely vulnerable"
to climate change, highlighting the existential risk posed by environmental
degradation.
This paper explores how climate change intensifies existing inequalities,
disrupts traditional ways of life, and threatens cultural and biological
diversity. It underscores the urgent need for climate justice recognizing the
unique vulnerabilities of these communities and ensuring their inclusion in
global and national policy responses. Adaptation strategies must be locally
grounded, culturally sensitive, and supported by robust financial and
technological aid from the international community. Without immediate
action, climate change will continue to widen the gap between the resilient
and the vulnerable, turning an environmental issue into an even deeper social crisis.
Keywords: extremely vulnerable, global crisis, national policy,
environmental issue, climate crisis.