Dear Reader,

Climate change-induced extreme heat has an unusual effect on vulnerable communities. While that is known for some time now, a new global study only reaffirms it. 

The analysis by Adelphi Global “is the first of its kind to trace a direct link between the physical health tolls of climate change and the resulting strain on already strained family budgets and national economies.” 

Spanning eight diverse economies — Bangladesh, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, and South Africa — the research bridges the gap between climate science, public health, and economic analysis.

What bothered me the most was the inescapable pit it pushes economically vulnerable people into.

I recently met Pinky, a transgender woman from Chennai, on a suburban train where she begs for a living.

In May this year, she suffered a heat stroke that hospitalised her for a week. "I had to stay indoors for a month after that," she said, noting that the heatwave affected her physically, mentally and economically.

Pinky knows that the city has become unlivable during summer, and venturing outdoors means suffering from dehydration, acute headaches, and skin irritations. Her hopes of saving money for her gender affirmation surgery have waned. 

“The compound effect of falling incomes and rising costs is felt most acutely in Bangladesh, India and Nigeria, where high working-hour losses, heavy out-of-pocket burdens and weak social protection systems combine to create cascading risks of poverty,” the study says, warning that these dynamics could push significant portions of the population below the poverty line.

I wonder how many marginalised communities are bearing the brunt of climate change in ways we are yet to understand.

Warmly,
Laasya Shekhar
Managing Editor

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🗞️ ICYMI: Climate-Impacted Communities Across Asia Are Taking Their Fight To Court

Worsening climate impacts, corporate greenwashing, and slow government action have driven communities across Asia to the courts.

“That’s what I hope I can do, even though I’m just an ordinary person,” said Trixy Elle, a fish vendor in the Philippines and a litigant. “If one day my grandchildren ask me what I did for nature, at least I have an answer: I fought for your future.”

This story is copublished by Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to reporting on climate change. Read more here.