Climate change is affecting not only the agriculture sector, infrastructure, natural system, water resources, energy and biodiversity but also has adverse social, economic and health impacts. For already marginalized groups, the effects of climate change are often disproportionate, as it tends to have a compounding effect.

Climate change exacerbates the vulnerabilities and challenges that transgender individuals face, as they already suffer from discrimination, stigma, and marginalization. Since they are not fully integrated into Pakistani society due to social ostracization, when calamities occur due to climate change and they have to migrate from one place to another, this social isolation leads to greater challenges as they do not even get access to basic facilities and needs. Sadly, there is a lack of support for trans-friendly facilities and shelter homes from the government, which makes their situation even more dire in the scenario of climate-induced migration and homelessness, making them susceptible to prostitution and sexual harassment.

Climate change is also having adverse impacts on the health of transgender individuals. The ones who are taking hormone therapy face a high risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion during extreme weather events such as heat waves, which are becoming increasingly common in Pakistan due to stark changes in weather patterns.

Furthermore, the economic impacts are equally appalling. Talking to Mongabay-India, a media outlet that prints environment-related news, Sana Ahmed, a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), stated, “Transgenders in flood-affected areas were refused aid by some organizations. They had to resort to begging as they don’t get jobs easily and they are turned away from work”.

Climate change also affects women very badly in terms of their health and traditional gender roles. For women in developing countries, these effects are disproportionate, owing to the prevalence of conservative social norms and limited autonomy for women. This includes increased health risks for women, an increase in gender-based violence and a negative impact on women’s education. In developing countries, people often rely on natural resources, such as water and firewood, for their daily needs. Climate change can cause droughts and deforestation, making it harder for women to access these resources, which can lead to increased workload and decreased income, as women workers are often the first to be let go in cases of economic downturns. Access to resources can affect the availability and accessibility of basic needs, such as water and food. Men may be more likely to have greater access to resources due to traditional gender roles and power dynamics, which can increase gender inequalities, further placing women in a more marginalized position.

Health risks also greatly increase for women due to climate change as well. It is observed that women are more vulnerable to harmful health impacts of climate change, such as heat stress, malnutrition, and waterborne diseases. Pregnant women are also at increased risk of complications during natural disasters, as seen during the floods last year in Pakistan. Climate change can also transform traditional gender dynamics, as women also have to take on economic responsibilities in cases of climate-induced disasters, such as floods and droughts, making it a double burden as they are already responsible for childcare and domestic labor. It has also been seen in several instances that these responsibilities have also had an incredibly negative effect on girls’ education, as many have been forced to drop out of school in times of environmental stress to take on household chores and raise their younger siblings. Additionally, climate change can also greatly increase the risk of gender-based violence, as natural disasters and displacement can exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and power dynamics, leading to increased violence against women and girls.

Women working in agriculture, forestry, and fishing may be greater affected by changes in weather patterns, such as droughts, floods, and storms, as their jobs and livelihoods are also affected by it. In Pakistan, a major chunk of the women labor force is employed as both paid and unpaid workers in the agriculture sector, due to which the repercussions on their financial independence and autonomy would be astronomical. Moreover, the risk of heat strokes, heat stress and exposure to air pollution can lead to many health issues, in addition to the harmful impacts on mental health due to increased stress and anxiety related to environmental uncertainty and loss of livelihoods.

We should raise our voices to overcome this problem of climate change by arranging corner meetings with farmers, political leaders and educating students in different institutes so that the young generation and the old generation can jointly give their input towards solving this dangerous problem and a threat to our Mother Earth. For women and transgender individuals in particular, whose pre-existing vulnerabilities are further exacerbated, there is a strong need for gender-sensitive frameworks that seek to address these vulnerabilities. Likewise, since Pakistan is among those countries that are most at risk due to climate change despite having very low carbon emissions, it is also essential for our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue its work on raising this issue in the UN with a very strong stance and conviction. It is imperative that developed countries should reduce their use of greenhouse gases to cool down the global environment, as they are the major contributors. In this way, we can avoid global warming and climate change through a holistic, global and united effort.

Talha Ashraf is a student at the University of Punjab, Lahore. He was trained on citizen journalism and climate change awareness under SSDO’s two-year project: “Youth for Civic Action and Reporting on Climate Change through Citizen Journalism in Pakistan”, funded by the Commonwealth F