Intersectionality of Climate Change

Workers and Laborers: Workers and laborers, particularly those in outdoor or physically demanding jobs, are more vulnerable to climate change due to increased exposure to extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves, extreme storms, and poor air quality. Many work in industries like agriculture, construction, and manufacturing, where the physical toll of rising temperatures and climate-related hazards can lead to serious health issues, decreased productivity, and economic insecurity. Additionally, workers with lower incomes or limited job security may face challenges in adapting to or recovering from climate impacts, highlighting the need for policies that protect labor rights and workplace safety in the face of climate change.

Learn more: National Skills Coalition – Unprecedented Opportunity: Meeting the Workforce Demands of New Clean Energy, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure Investments; Climate Resolve – Exhausted! Workers Confront Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke in California

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC): BIPOC communities are more vulnerable to climate change due to a combination of historical and systemic inequities, including environmental racism, economic disadvantages, and limited access to resources, as well as the disproportionate burden they bear from climate-related impacts. These communities often live in areas more prone to climate hazards like flooding, extreme heat, and pollution, exacerbating health and economic impacts. Systematic barriers also limit their ability to recover from climate disasters and participate in decision-making processes, making it critical to address these disparities to build resilience and achieve climate justice.

Learn more: NAACP – Environmental and Climate Justice

Youth/Children: Children and youth are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their developing bodies and immune systems, making them more susceptible to health impacts like heat stress, respiratory issues, and waterborne diseases. Additionally, they rely heavily on adults for protection and resources, making climate disruptions to essential services like food, water, healthcare, and education particularly detrimental to their well-being.

Beyond immediate health risks, climate-related disasters and disruptions can lead to long-term secondary impacts, including increased anxiety, depression, and trauma from displacement or extreme weather events. The closure of youth programs and community spaces further isolates young people, exacerbating stress and diminishing opportunities for development and stability. Their limited ability to influence decisions that shape their environment further heightens their vulnerability, making it essential to prioritize their needs in climate adaptation and resilience efforts.

Learn more: UNICEF – Climate Change and Environment; American Progress- Protecting Children from Extreme Heat; Nurture Connection – The Impact of Environment and Climate Change on Early Childhood Development

Students: Students are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, which can disrupt their education, health, and overall well-being. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires, and floods can lead to school closures, displace students, and lead to chronic health impacts, thereby hindering academic progress. Students from low-income or marginalized communities are especially vulnerable as climate impacts to their mental health and academic performance can be exacerbated by financial strains from higher energy and food costs, family job losses, and damages to their homes. Schools and educational institutions often lack the resources to adequately prepare for or respond to these impacts, leaving students at risk of falling behind. Ensuring that students have access to climate-resilient infrastructure, mental health services, and continuity in their education is critical in reducing their vulnerability to climate change.

Learn more:  NPR – The unexpected links between climate change, student debt and lower lifetime earnings

Unhoused Individuals: Unhoused individuals are particularly vulnerable to climate change because they lack stable shelter and resources to protect themselves from extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold spells, storms, and flooding. Without access to safe housing, they are exposed to greater health risks, including dehydration, hypothermia, and respiratory issues from poor air quality. Additionally, limited access to healthcare, transportation, and social services makes it harder for them to recover from climate-related disasters. Addressing their vulnerability requires inclusive climate resilience strategies that prioritize safe, affordable housing and a suite of targeted support services.

Learn more: National Low Income Housing Coalition – Disaster Housing Recovery, Research & Resilience; Community Solutions – On the Connection Between Climate Change and Homelessness

Housing-insecure People: Individuals without secure housing are more vulnerable to climate change because they often live in substandard or temporary housing that does provide sufficient or lasting protection against extreme weather or natural disasters. Without stable housing, they may be forced to live in or move to overcrowded or unsanitary conditions, which will increase their exposure to health risks that climate impacts can exacerbate. Limited financial resources also make it difficult for housing-insecure individuals and families to adapt to climate change or recover from disasters, let alone meet their basic needs like food, water, and healthcare.

Learn more: Community Solutions – On the Connection Between Climate Change and Homelessness

Seniors/Older Adults: Seniors and older adults are more vulnerable to climate change due to age-related health conditions, reduced mobility, and weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events like heat waves, cold snaps, and storms. They may face challenges in evacuating during disasters or accessing healthcare and essential services in the aftermath. Additionally, many older adults live on fixed incomes, limiting their ability to adapt or recover from climate impacts. Ensuring their safety and well-being requires targeted climate adaptation strategies that address their unique needs and increase access to healthcare, social support, and emergency services.

Learn more: EPA – Climate Change and the Health of Older Adults

Immigrants: Many immigrants, particularly undocumented individuals, often work low-wage jobs, live in economically marginalized communities, and face barriers to accessing basic resources like healthcare, housing assistance, social services, and disaster relief. Immigrants who are not fluent in the local language may also struggle to receive timely and accurate information about impending climate hazards. Climate change is also a significant driver of migration, as people are forced to leave their homes due to rising sea levels, extreme weather, and resource scarcity. Language accessibility, cultural competence, and trust are essential principles for engaging immigrants in developing climate resilience solutions that address their unique needs and priorities.

Learn more: Migration Policy Institute – Research: Climate Change and Migration Dynamics

People with Disabilities: People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to a range of physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges that can limit their ability to respond to and recover from extreme weather events such as heat waves, storms, and floods. They may face difficulties in accessing emergency shelters, evacuation routes, and essential services, and many rely on medical equipment or support services that can be disrupted by climate impacts and related power outages. Additionally, socioeconomic barriers often exacerbate their vulnerability, making it harder to adapt to climate changes. Inclusive climate strategies must prioritize accessibility, healthcare, and tailored support to protect and empower people with disabilities.

Learn more: World Institute on Disability

Food Insecure People: Climate change threatens food security by reducing crop yields, increasing food prices, and limiting access to nutritious food, which is particularly harmful for communities already living in food deserts. In the wake of climate-related disruptions, greater competition for limited resources can further exacerbate food insecurity. Those already struggling to access adequate and healthy food often have fewer financial resources to secure food and to adapt to climate change overall, making them more susceptible to malnutrition and other health impacts. Addressing climate impacts on food systems is crucial to ensuring equitable access to food and improving resilience for food-insecure populations.

Learn more: USDA – Climate Change, Food Security, and the U.S. Food System

Low-income Communities: Low-income communities are more vulnerable to climate change due to a combination of economic limitations, environmental exposure, and pre-existing social inequalities. These communities often lack the financial resources to invest in climate adaptation measures, such as reinforcing homes or accessing cooling systems during heat waves, making it harder to prepare for or recover from climate-related disasters. Additionally, they are frequently located in high-risk areas like flood zones or near industrial facilities, where the effects of climate change—such as rising sea levels or air pollution—are more intense. Limited access to healthcare and social services further exacerbates their vulnerability, making it difficult to respond to both immediate crises and long-term climate impacts.

Beyond immediate physical risks, climate change has cascading financial and social impacts on low-income families. Disruptions caused by extreme weather events or prolonged climate stressors can lead to job losses, particularly for workers in industries sensitive to climate impacts, such as agriculture, construction, and service sectors. This financial instability can make it even harder for families to afford necessities like housing, healthcare and transportation. The closure of child-care services due to extreme weather, wildfires, or power outages further strains working parents, making it difficult to maintain employment and deepening financial precarity.

Learn more: USDA – Economically Disadvantaged Communities

Rural Communities: Rural communities are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their heavy dependence on natural resources and agriculture, which are directly impacted by shifting weather patterns. These areas often have limited infrastructure and fewer financial resources to invest in adaptation measures, such as water conservation or flood prevention systems. Additionally, rural populations may have reduced access to healthcare, emergency services, and government support, making it harder to recover from climate-related disasters like droughts, floods, or wildfires. Geographic isolation further compounds their vulnerability, as transportation disruptions or damaged infrastructure can delay aid and recovery efforts. As climate change intensifies, these factors make rural communities especially susceptible to economic instability and health risks.

Learn more: Fourth National Climate Assessment – Agriculture And Rural Communities

Women and People of Marginalized Gender: Women and people of marginalized gender are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to systemic inequalities and social barriers. Women often shoulder caregiving responsibilities, making them more reliant on consistent access to resources like housing, food, water, healthcare, and social services. This increases their vulnerability to disruptions to these resources caused by climate disasters like hurricanes or wildfires. People of marginalized gender, including transgender and non-binary people, frequently face discrimination in housing, healthcare, and employment, which limits their access to resources needed for climate resilience. During emergencies, these groups are more likely to experience displacement and may face higher risks of violence or discrimination in shelters or recovery programs. The intersection of economic, gender, and racial inequalities exacerbates the difficulties faced by these communities in adapting to and recovering from climate impacts.

Learn more: UN Women – Explain How Gender Inequality and Climate Change are Interconnected

Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous peoples are more vulnerable to climate change due to their deep connection to the land and reliance on natural resources for cultural, economic, and subsistence practices. Many Indigenous communities live in areas that are particularly sensitive to climate impacts, such as coastal regions, arid lands, or forests, making them more exposed to rising sea levels, droughts, and wildfires. Historically marginalized, these communities often face limited access to government support, infrastructure, and healthcare, hindering their ability to adapt to changing conditions. Additionally, the loss of traditional lands and ecosystems due to climate change threatens their cultural heritage and way of life. This combination of environmental, economic, and social factors heightens Indigenous communities’ vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

Learn more: EPA – Climate Change and the Health of Indigenous Populations

Growing Families: Pregnant women, newborn infants, and recent parents are also particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Air pollution, extreme heat, and the increased risk of natural disasters can increase the risks of complications for pregnant women, such as preterm birth and maternal stress, which can affect both maternal and fetal health. Newborn infants are also more vulnerable as their developing bodies are highly sensitive to temperature extremes, poor air quality, and waterborne diseases, which can increase the risk of potentially fatal health issues. Recent parents face heightened stress due to new caregiving demands and financial pressures that can impact both their well-being and that of their newborns.

Learn more:  The Wilson Center – The Impact of Climate Change on Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes