Climate Consequences: Disasters, Migration, Poverty & Hunger
There are many current and potential consequences of climate change. Natural disasters including storms, forest fires, and heat waves will become more intense and happen more frequently. Slow-onset changes and one-off disasters will create displacement and migration. Poverty will grow as climate change harms economies and hampers the flow of goods and services. And hunger will increase due to growing poverty and disasters' impact on farms. These impacts will have dramatic consequences for health and disproportionately harm people with disabilities.
In some cases, there are either no or very few resources connecting certain climate impacts to disability and/or health. When that's the case, sections below will include resources that make the best connections possible. For example, there are few resources on climate migration and disability – so we also include resources on climate and migration, and resources on disability and migration in general.
Natural Disasters
Climate Change
USGS: How can climate change affect natural disasters?
Articles, multimedia, and publications related to climate change and natural disasters
United Nations: UN News - Global erspective Human stories
Climate and weather disasters surge fivefold over 50 years, but early warnings save lives – WMO 2021 report
NOAA: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar weather and climate disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI:10.25931/stkw-7w73
Carbon Brief: Clear on Climate
World map displaying how climate change affects extreme weather around the world
Disability: Rightsholders & Resources
The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
U.S. disability-led organization with a mission for equity for people with disabilities and access to services, programs, and procedures before, during, and after disasters and emergencies
FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination
Provides services and funding for people with disabilities before, during, and after disasters
Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network
Network of organizations with a collective aim to secure the active participation and meaningful contribution of persons with disabilities in DRR policy
A list of resources about the rights of people with disabilities in disasters and public health emergencies
Global Disability Justice In Climate Disasters: Mobilizing People With Disabilities As Change Agents
Engelman, A., Craig, L., & Iles, A. (2022). Global disability justice in climate disasters: Mobilizing people with disabilities as change agents. Health Affairs, 41(10), 1496–1504. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00474
Majority of disabled people never go home after disasters
Frank, T. (2023). Majority of disabled people never go home after disasters. E&E News by POLITICO. https://www.eenews.net/articles/majority-of-disabled-people-never-go-home-after-disasters/
Health: Rightsholders & Resources
CDC: Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters
Fact sheets, resources, and public service announcements related to health concerns after disasters
AIHA: Health and Safety Issues in Natural Disasters
Resources provided to enable recovery efforts after natural disasters while minimizing potential exposure to hazardous materials and conditions
Public health implications of multiple disaster exposures
Leppold, C., Gibbs, L., Block, K., Reifels, L., & Quinn, P. (2022). Public health implications of multiple disaster exposures. The Lancet Public Health, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(21)00255-3
Mitigating Health Disparities After Natural Disasters: Lessons From The RISK Project
Raker, E. J., Arcaya, M. C., Lowe, S. R., Zacher, M., Rhodes, J., & Waters, M. C. (2020). Mitigating health disparities after natural disasters: Lessons from the risk project. Health Affairs, 39(12), 2128–2135. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01161
Extreme Heat
Climate Change
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Climate Change Indicators: Heat Waves
Indicators describing extreme heat events across the United States
Resilience Strategies for Extreme Heat
Huber, K. (2017). Resilience Strategies for Extreme Heat. Center For Climate and Energy Solutions, 1–14.
US Climate Resilience Toolkit. Extreme Heat
Toolkit encompasses a heat events guidebook, heat safety tool, recognizing and preventing heat-related illness information
Disability: Resources & Reading
Human Rights Watch: Canada: Disastrous Impact of Extreme Heat
Information regarding how to identify, prevent, and treat heat-related illness in older adults and people with disabilities living in British Columbia
Health: Stakeholders & Resources
National Integrated Heat Health Information System
Information and resources such as a heat and health tracker, assistance with paying energy bills, related news, and heat forecast
Key facts regarding global heat and health information
NRDC: Climate Change and Health: Extreme Heat
Interactive map of the U.S. providing information about extreme heat in your local county
Migration
Climate Change
UNHCR: Climate change and disaster displacement
Information related to the protection and assistance of refugees displaced by the impacts of the climate emergency
International Organization on Migration (IOM): Migration, Environment and Climate Change
An intergovernmental migration agency seeking to bring environmental migration to the forefront of national concern through research, policy, and advocacy efforts
Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
The White House. (2021). (rep.). Report on the Impact of Climate Change and Migration (pp. 1–37). Washington, DC.
Report on internal displacement in the context of the slow-onset adverse effects of climate change
United Nations. (2020). (rep.). Report on internal displacement in the context of the slow-onset adverse effects of climate change. A/75/207. (pp. 1–24).
Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration
Lustgarten, A., & Kohut, M. (2020). Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-change-will-force-a-new-american-migration
Migration Data Portal: Environmental Migration
Information and quantitative data on population displacement and migration due to the impacts of climate emergencies
Buy-In for Buyouts: The Case for Managed Retreat from Flood Zones
Freudenberg, R., Calvin, E., Tolkoff, L., & Brawley, D. (2016). Buy-In for Buyouts: The Case for Managed Retreat from Flood Zones. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. ISBN 978-1-55844-354-9
Disability: Stakeholders & Resources
Seeking a disability lens within climate change migration discourses, policies and practices
Bell, S. L., Tabe, T., & Bell, S. (2019). Seeking a disability lens within climate change migration discourses, policies and practices. Disability & Society, 35(4), 682–687. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1655856
UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency: Persons with disabilities
Policies and guidance, reports and documents, and a facilitator's guide about the protection of persons with disabilities in forced displacement
United Nations: Refugees and migrants with disabilities
An article about the status of refugees and migrants with disabilities
Crossing the Border: How Disability Civil Rights Protections Can Include Disabled Asylum-Seekers
Truong, T. Q., DiMatteo, E., & Ives-Rublee, M. (2022). (rep.). Crossing the Border: How Disability Civil Rights Protections Can Include Disabled Asylum-Seekers. Center for American Progress.
Migration Data Portal: Disability and Human Mobility
Information and data regarding persons with disabilities and forced displacement
Data on disability and migration – what do we know?
Vidal, E. M. (2022). Data on disability and migration – what do we know?. Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. https://www.data4sdgs.org/blog/data-disability-and-migration-what-do-we-know
Health: Stakeholders & Resources
An international, transdisciplinary network working to better represent the Global South through strengthening research, education, and knowledge translation
IOM: Health and Migration, Environment, Climate Change
Documents and publications available
Migrant Clinicians Network: Climate Justice
Information regarding the climate crisis and its inequities. Additional information such as blogs and learning resources.
Special Issue: Climate and Environmental Change Impacts on Health and Health Care --The Context of Food Insecurity, Conflict and Forced Migration. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. (2021)
Climate-induced migration and health issues. A toolkit for policymakers. Working Paper
Bharadwaj, R., & Huq, S. (2022). Climate-induced migration and health issues: a toolkit for policymakers. International Institute for Environment and Development, 1–17. https://doi.org/ISBN 9781837590148
The Climate Change, Migration, and Health (Care) Nexus: Implications for Low-income Regions
Ruyssen, L., & Scheerens, C. (2020). The climate change, migration, and Health (Care) Nexus: Implications for low-income regions. Our World: Brought to you by United Nations University. https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-climate-change-migration-and-healthcare-nexus-implications-for-low-income-regions
Krzesni, D., & Brewington, L. (2023, July 11). Climate change, health, and Migration: Profiles of resilience and vulnerability in the Marshall Islands. East-West Center. https://www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/climate-change-health-and-migration-profiles-resilience-and-vulnerability-in-the
The health impacts of climate-related migration
Schwerdtle, P., Bowen, K., & McMichael, C. (2018). The health impacts of climate-related migration. BMC Medicine, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0981-7
Poverty and Hunger
Climate Change
Poverty and Climate Change: Reducing the Vulnerability of the Poor through Adaptation
Report regarding climate change and the poor, adaptation lessons from the past, and adaptation efforts for the future
Why Climate Change and Poverty Are Inextricably Linked
McCarthy, J. (2020, February 19). Why climate change and poverty are inextricably linked. Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/climate-change-is-connected-to-poverty/
Additional link to the report “Shock Waves”
Climate Change and Social Inequality
Islam, N., & Winkel, J. (2017). (rep.). Climate Change and Social Inequality (pp. 1–32). New York, NY: United Nations: Department of Economic & Social Affairs. ST/ESA/2017/DWP/152
World Hunger Education Service: Hunger and Climate Change
Data, graphs, and other information regarding hunger and climate change
Global Hunger Index: Climate Change and Hunger
Mukerji, R., (2019). Climate Change and Hunger. Global Hunger Index.
Global hunger and climate change adaptation through international trade
Janssens, C., Havlík, P., Krisztin, T., Baker, J., Frank, S., Hasegawa, T., Leclère, D., Ohrel, S., Ragnauth, S., Schmid, E., Valin, H., Van Lipzig, N., & Maertens, M. (2020). Global hunger and climate change adaptation through international trade. Nature Climate Change, 10(9), 829–835. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0847-4
Disability: Resources
CBM: What does climate change have to do with poverty and disability?
People from Cambodia and India describe their local expertise of the issue of poverty and disability
Financial Inequality: Disability, Race and Poverty in America
Goodman, N., Morris, M., & Boston, K. (2019). Financial Inequality: Disability, Race and Poverty in America. National Disability Institute, 1-26.
Advancing Economic Security for People with Disabilities
Altiraifi, A. (2024, March 4). Advancing Economic Security for people with disabilities. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/advancing-economic-security-people-disabilities/
Poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Banks, L. M., Kuper, H., & Polack, S. (2017). Poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189996
Disability and food access and insecurity: A scoping review of the literature
Schwartz, N., Buliung, R., & Wilson, K. (2019). Disability and food access and insecurity: A scoping review of the literature. Health & Place, 57, 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.03.011
Health: Stakeholders & Resources
Energy, Poverty, and Health in Climate Change: A Comprehensive Review of an Emerging Literature
Jessel, S., Sawyer, S., & Hernández, D. (2019). Energy, poverty, and Health in Climate Change: A Comprehensive Review of an emerging literature. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00357
Partners in Health: How Climate Change Impacts Health for Impoverished, Vulnerable Communities
Extreme weather, food insecurity, infectious disease driven by environmental degradation
How climate change is adding to the health risks of poor people
Manderson, L. (2019). How climate change is adding to the health risks of poor people. GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-climate-change-adding-health-risks-poor-people