Attachments
Climate change represents one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, with profound local impacts that ripple across ecosystems, economies, and societies. Globally, the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations has led to an increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature, a phenomenon well-documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
According to IPCC (2021), global temperatures have already risen by approximately 1.1°C since pre-industrial levels, driven largely by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. This warming trigger a cascade of effects, including melting glaciers and ice sheets, which, combined with thermal expansion of seawater, contribute to rising sea levels. NASA (2023) reports that global sea levels have increased by about 9.1 centimeters since 1993, threatening coastal communities worldwide.
The intensification of extreme weather events is another hallmark of climate change. Heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms have become more frequent and severe, causing widespread damage and displacement. In the Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019), WMO states that the number of disasters linked to weather, climate or water hazards has increased five times over that 50-year period. Ocean acidification, resulting from the absorption of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide is damaging marine ecosystems, with implications for fisheries and biodiversity (Doney et al., 2020). On land, shifting climate patterns disrupt habitats, driving biodiversity loss—a concern echoed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2022), which estimates that 1 million species face extinction risks due to climate change and related pressures.
The disastrous impacts of climate change are being felt across the world, disrupting livelihoods, displacing populations, and deepening existing inequalities. While these effects touch all segments of society, their consequences are not experienced equally. Women, in particular, bear a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts due to entrenched gender roles and socioeconomic inequalities. In rural areas of Pakistan, women are often responsible for fetching water and securing food, tasks made harder by water scarcity and declining agricultural yields. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, women and girls spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water, equivalent to a year’s worth of labour by the entire workforce in France (UN Women, 2014). During floods or heatwaves, women’s care-giving responsibilities increase, yet their access to resources and decisionmaking power remains limited (Ahmed & Mustafa, 2021). Health risks, such as heatstroke and disease exposure, disproportionately affect women due to their outdoor labor and inadequate healthcare access. Economically, women in agriculture-dependent regions face greater livelihood losses, as they are less likely to own land or access credit to recover from climate shocks (FAO, 2021). This gendered dimension underscores the need for targeted interventions to address women’s unique challenges in climate-affected communities.
Collectively, these global challenges and local impacts highlight the urgent need for adaptive strategies that address both the universal drivers of climate change and their region-specific consequences.