Climate change: Bangladeshi women and the black community in Mexico

In Bangladesh, the rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions are polluting the drinking water sources, which is causing severe health issues to the population. Due to the high salinity levels in the water, pregnant women are suffering from serious health problems, headaches, organ damage, preeclampsia, and even death. Water salinity is also affecting the menstrual hygiene and health of women and adolescent girls, as well as the health of unborn children.

Climate change is also affecting the employment of transgender workers in Indonesia. Almost 93% of transgender women reported a significant drop in income, up to 80%, during the extended rainy season, which is full of strong winds. Many transgender women are excluded from the formal economy and try to survive as sex workers, whose earnings depend on opportunities to meet clients outdoors. Furthermore, Indonesian transgender women face more stigma and marginalisation compared to transgender men or other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

In Mexico, a community founded by escaped enslaved people living on Costa Chica – the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca – is threatened by a changing climate and poverty. It is the oldest black community in Mexico. Longer and more severe dry seasons have led to intense droughts, making the soil dry, hard, and cracked, unable to absorb water during the rainy season. As a result, rainwater flows down the soil, hitting houses in villages and weakening their foundations. Fruit and vegetable harvests are also at risk.