Climate Crises Is Not Only An Environmental Issue

When we talk about climate crises or climate change, most would assume it’s related to global warming which then affects the environment. It is TRUE but also not entirely correct. Climate crises is more than just an environmental issue. It is an existential crisis that threatens all aspects of our society.

But let’s talk about climate crises or in this case let’s start with climate change. What is climate change? It is a natural phenomenon in which Earth stabilises herself by taking into account the amount of gases emitted into the atmosphere. These gases are produced naturally from volcanic eruptions to bush fires to animal activities. Now this is when the term changes to climate crises. It starts as anthropocene climate change, meaning that it is induced significantly by humans due to the increase of industrial revolution and the increase of global population. This anthropocene period, mostly known as the Great Acceleration, happened after the 1950’s especially after the world wars ended and we entered an overall peace period as what we know now.

However, climate change is a global issue that affects everyone but not everyone is affected equally. Women, children, indigenous communities, older generations, people with health conditions are amongst the most at-risk group of people affected by this climate crisis. Climate crises is more than just natural disasters or the melting of glaciers and sea level rise.

The extreme changes of our earth’s surface due to the impacts of climate crises can be traced back to the exploitation of land and natural resources in the late 18th century. Recent studies have shown the connection between global climate change and postcolonialism. Global climate change is exacerbating existing economic, social, and racial disparities, which were originally established and perpetuated during the era of colonisation (Harriet, 2021). This is where the term intersectionality is used to describe the connection between climate crises and other social crises. Environmental intersectionality covers advocating for climate justice which in most times advocates for other social issues. Here I will discuss some other factors that relate climate justice to other social justice issues.

In the late 1800s, the industrial revolution started, then the numbers of slavery being traded increased and the expansion of certain western empires began. The extraction of natural resources from the colonies helped power the economy of those empires but damage and conflicts to the area and its people that can be seen until now. Now, those empires have become smaller and some even gone, but the extraction system is still the same. This view portrays climate change as a new form of imperialism that follows the same patterns and routes as historical colonialism and globalisation (Harriet, 2021). 

Figure 1. Causes of forest loss in Papua and West Papua Province from 2001 – 2018. (Source: Gaveau, 2018)

For Indigenous communities, this post-colonialism or neocolonialism is still ongoing with greater consequences for the environment. Land loss due to deforestation for plantation companies is one of the reasons why indigenous communities in Papua and West Papua Provinces are experiencing neocolonialism (Gaveau, 2018). Often masked as development, indigenous peoples’ decisions are rarely accounted for in the conversation for the greater acceleration of development. Indigenous communities, due to their close relationship with nature, are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. For example, the extreme changes in weather patterns can affect agricultural practices which results in failed crops or draughts. In July 2022, people in the district of Kuyawage in Lanny Jaya Regency experienced droughts and hails that caused failed crops and increased hunger. Another case is coastal floods that happen yearly due to the extreme weather conditions and sea level rise. Earlier this year in Biak, Andey in Numfor experienced coastal floods due to the heavy rainfall which then caused landslides. These effects threaten their livelihoods, availability of traditional food, access to clean water, and overall well-being. However, indigenous peoples have the knowledge of living in harmony with the environment and to create a climate resilient community. 

Poverty-stricken areas are often forgotten and experience hardship in access to food & water in harsh and extreme weather conditions. In some cases the results of segregation due to past colonialism also plays a part in creating these areas. For example in Jakarta, as a result of 400 years of colonialism has left the city sinking. Segregated communities built by the Dutch resulted in an unequal water piping system (Thornell, 2021). 

These poor conditions often result in gender-based violence in least developed communities. Due to the extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, displacements and conflicts happen which puts women and girls under threat of violence. The pressures created by poor harvests, livestock loss, reduced earnings, and food insecurity can indeed contribute to heightened tensions and conflict within families, potentially leading to an increase in domestic violence. Men often turn to alcohol to cope with these stresses which only worsen the disagreement in the household (Gevers et. al, 2020) . The UN estimates that globally women and girls are 14 times more likely than men to die during a climate disaster. 

Neocolonialism, loss of indigenous lands, increase in poverty, gender-based violence and extreme changes in climate all directly affect us mentally and physically. In research, areas with coal burning activities have proven to result in respiratory problems (Hagemeyer et. al, 2019). Climate change itself increases the chance of airborne tropical diseases. Poor health conditions are related to this with Papua being the least developed province in Indonesia. The burden of these issues can create a cycle of trauma which is also known as intergenerational trauma. 

On the other hand, Inadequate infrastructure and limited access to resources further compound the challenges faced by these communities. Remote regions may lack proper transportation networks, making it difficult to transport food and supplies. Additionally, limited access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities can contribute to a cycle of poverty and vulnerability. Climate change only worsen the social injustice happening in these communities.

Overall, what we need is to end this system. Fighting for climate justice can bring social equality for a better future. When the most at- risk communities are supported to be climate resilient, social welfare can be achieved by building a sustainable community system. When mega-corporations are being held accountable for their damages, ongoing harm to the environment and its people can stop. These issues are interconnected and that is what many young activists are echoing in their advocacies. What we need is system change, not climate change.

References

Gaveau, D. (2018). Drivers of forest loss in Papua and West Papua. CIFOR, Factsheets(-), 2. https://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/factsheet/7444-factsheet.pdf. –

Gevers, A., Musuya, T., & Bukuluki, P. (2020, January 28). Why climate change fuels violence against women. UNDP. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://www.undp.org/blog/why-climate-change-fuels-violence-against-women

Hagemeyer, A. N., Sears, C. G., & Zierold, K. M. (2018, Sept 28). Respiratory Health in Adults Residing Near a Coal-Burning Power Plant with Coal Ash Storage Facilities: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 16(19), 3642. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193642

Hartnett, R. (2021). Climate Imperialism: Ecocriticism, Postcolonialism, and Global Climate Change. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 20(2), 138-155. https://journals.jcu.edu.au/etropic/article/view/3809. https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.20.2.2021.3809

UNDP. (2021, March 8). International Women’s Day 2021 – Women and Climate Security in the Pacific. UNDP. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://www.undp.org/pacific/news/international-womens-day-2021-women-and-climate-security-pacific

Disclaimer: Some of the content on this article is generated with AI Assistance. For instance, the outline and English grammar improvement. However, all the content is reviewed and edited based on Author experience.

Author :
Dina Danomira
Tutor at SAGU Foundation