After millennia of human progress, civilization now faces a historic juncture. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, floods, cyclones, droughts, salinization, and rising sea levels are no longer distant threats-they are today's stark reality. Climate change is no longer only an environmental crisis; it has become a deep social and economic challenge, affecting poverty, food security, health, employment, and social equity.The window to secure a liveable and sustainable future is narrowing rapidly. At the heart of this crisis lies a harsh and undeniable reality: climate change is no longer just an environmental issue - it is a poverty multiplier.
The Stark Global Picture: According to the World Bank, by 2030 climate change could push 130-132 million people into extreme poverty worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that without effective adaptation measures, Bangladesh could lose up to 9% of its annual GDP by 2050, with over 13 million people becoming internal climate migrants.
Climate Change as a Poverty Booster: Climate change does not merely create new forms of poverty; it amplifies existing ones - absolute poverty, multidimensional poverty, chronic poverty and intergenerational poverty. Rural poverty remains most exposed, but urban poverty is rising as a secondary effect due to climate-induced migration.
Bangladesh: A Frontline State: Few countries illustrate this injustice more clearly than Bangladesh. Ranked among the most climate-affected nations by the Global Climate Risk Index, Bangladesh faces recurrent floods, cyclones, river erosion, sea-level rise and salinity intrusion.
The economic implications are profound. The World Bank estimates that without climate adaptation, Bangladesh could lose up to 9 percent of its GDP annually by 2050 due to climate impacts. By the same year, approximately 13.3 million Bangladeshis may become internal climate migrants.
Agriculture, which employs roughly 40 percent of the country's workforce, is highly climate-sensitive. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that each 1°C rise in temperature reduces global wheat yields by about 6 percent and maize yields by around 7 percent. In coastal Bangladesh, salinity intrusion already affects over one million hectares of arable land, reducing rice productivity and dietary diversity.
Food Insecurity and Nutrition Crisis: Climate shocks are a major driver of global food insecurity. In 2023, 735 million people faced chronic hunger, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Climate-related disasters alone caused approximately $96 billion in crop losses worldwide in 2022.
Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall reduce yields and nutrient quality. By 2050, climate change could push up to 132 million additional people into hunger. Research suggests around 150 million people may face protein deficiency, and up to one billion women and children could suffer from increased zinc deficiency due to climate-related crop declines.
Health Impacts: A Growing Emergency: Climate change is also a public health crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year due to heat stress, malnutrition, malaria and diarrheal diseases.
A study published in The Lancet indicates that heat-related deaths among people over 65 have increased by over 70 percent in the past two decades. In South Asia, extreme heat events are now estimated to be 30 times more likely compared to pre-industrial times.
Health shocks deepen poverty: For day-laborers, one week of illness can eliminate a month's savings. Medical expenses force families to sell productive assets. Productivity declines under heat stress. Poverty and climate-related illness reinforce one another.
Climate Migration and Urban Poverty: Climate change is increasingly a driver of internal displacement. River erosion, cyclones and sea-level rise displace thousands annually in Bangladesh. The World Bank projects 13.3 million internal climate migrants by 2050.
Most migrants relocate to cities such as Dhaka and Chattogram, settling in informal settlements with unsafe housing, limited sanitation and insecure employment. Rural climate poverty thus transforms into urban poverty - less visible but equally severe.
Climate change functions as a "push factor," making certain areas unlivable. Migration without adequate planning strains urban infrastructure and social services, increasing inequality and vulnerability.
Women, Children and Intergenerational Poverty: Climate poverty has a gendered face. Women rely heavily on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and natural resource management, yet have less access to land ownership, credit and insurance. During climate shocks, women walk farther for water, unpaid care burdens increase, and girls are more likely to drop out of school. Economic stress often leads to early marriage.
Maternal nutrition is particularly at risk. Pregnant women require approximately 300 extra calories per day. In food-insecure households, women often eat last and least. The WHO estimates that 40 percent of pregnant women globally are anemic - a condition exacerbated by climate-induced food shortages. Undernourished mothers face higher risks of anemia, preterm birth and low birth weight babies. Thus, climate change has become an intergenerational poverty driver.
Water Scarcity and Livelihood Disruption: Approximately 1.2 billion people globally live in areas with high water scarcity. Altered rainfall patterns reduce irrigation reliability, causing crop failure and livestock loss. Infrastructure and market disruptions further reduce farmer income. Fisheries and aquaculture suffer from warming waters and salinity intrusion.
Climate change affects livelihoods both directly - through reduced production - and indirectly - through health, infrastructure damage and displacement. The poorest, who rely most on climate-sensitive sectors, are hit hardest.
The writer is climate activist
