Intersectionality and Climate Justice: Addressing the Climate Vulnerabilities of LGBTQIAP+ Communities in the Global South
Why is it important to examine climate change through an intersectional lens?
Climate change affects different groups in different ways, and when we approach climate justice, we must understand its complexities alongside the underlying socio-economic and structural inequalities that shape these experiences. Climate justice cannot be comprehensively understood through a purely national, corporate, economic, or one-size-fits-all perspective. Rather, it is essential to recognise the layered and intersecting identities through which discrimination and disproportionate burdens are experienced in order to develop equitable climate responses.
Failure to adopt an intersectional perspective risks implementing measures that unintentionally reinforce or deepen existing inequalities. In my view, addressing a problem only partially or for a select group is not a genuine solution; instead, it simply adds another layer to the existing problem. Effective climate action must therefore acknowledge that people experience climate change differently depending on the multiple social, political, economic, and cultural identities they occupy.
Those who are most vulnerable to climate-related crises often exist at the intersection of race, class, gender, socio-economic positionality, and citizenship status. These intersecting identities shape not only their exposure to climate risks but also their capacity to respond, adapt, and recover. Consequently, climate justice requires policies that recognise these overlapping vulnerabilities rather than treating affected populations as homogeneous groups.
When vulnerable communities are excluded from decision-making processes, accountability is significantly weakened. Policies developed without their participation often fail to reflect their lived realities and specific needs, resulting in less effective climate responses. Such exclusion not only worsens the already difficult conditions faced by marginalised groups but also produces broader consequences for society by limiting the effectiveness, legitimacy, and sustainability of climate governance.
What unique climate vulnerabilities do LGBTQIAP+ communities in the Global South face, and how can policies better address them?
I would like to emphasise that LGBTQIAP+ communities in the Global South experience climate change through unique intersectional vulnerabilities that significantly intensify the impacts of climate-related crises. These vulnerabilities arise not only from environmental hazards themselves but also from the social, political, legal, and economic inequalities that shape the everyday experiences of these communities.
Such unique climate vulnerabilities include compounded mental and physical health burdens resulting from minority stress, institutional discrimination, unequal access to healthcare, economic inequality, insecure employment, and residence in unhealthy or overcrowded settlements, often clustered within high-density neighbourhoods. Many LGBTQIAP+ individuals also experience harassment in the workplace and discrimination within educational institutions, further reducing their capacity to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from climate-related disasters.
The positionality of a community significantly influences its ability to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Institutional and societal discrimination, together with the absence or denial of legal recognition and protection, directly affects the ability of LGBTQIAP+ individuals to cope with climate crises. These structural barriers create a vicious cycle of vulnerability, where existing inequalities increase climate risks, while climate impacts further deepen social and economic marginalisation.
These challenges extend beyond experiencing disproportionate climate impacts. They also shape access to emergency response and disaster recovery. Queer individuals are frequently excluded from disaster relief programmes, social protection mechanisms, and humanitarian assistance. The fact that the legal framework of a country may fail to recognise transgender persons should never be used to justify excluding them from employment opportunities, welfare schemes, disaster relief, or even official disaster casualty records. Such exclusion represents not only a failure of climate governance but also a violation of fundamental human rights.
Furthermore, the invisibility of LGBTQIAP+ communities within climate decision-making and policy negotiations constitutes another important dimension of climate vulnerability. When policies are designed without the meaningful participation of those most affected, they are unlikely to address the realities and priorities of these communities.
The proposed policy responses should therefore promote inclusive institutions that extend beyond environmental protection alone. Climate justice must be pursued through a holistic approach that encompasses legal recognition, anti-discrimination protections, affirmative action, inclusive governance, public discourse, and sustained dialogue. Addressing climate vulnerability requires strengthening institutions that recognise and protect the rights and dignity of LGBTQIAP+ communities across all sectors of society.
In addition, there is an urgent need for more research on the impacts of climate change on LGBTQIAP+ communities. The absence of reliable data often provides another justification for denying targeted climate policies and interventions, regardless of whether such exclusion is intentional. Closing this evidence gap is therefore essential. Doing so will enable affected and vulnerable communities to document and own their own narratives, contribute their lived experiences to climate research, and participate meaningfully at the negotiating tables where climate policies and adaptation strategies are developed.
Another pressing policy priority is the adoption of community-led and decolonial approaches to climate action. Such approaches should recognise the value of local and Indigenous knowledge systems and empower communities to design solutions that are context-specific, inclusive, and culturally relevant. Community-driven initiatives not only strengthen climate resilience but also ensure that adaptation and mitigation strategies are equitable, participatory, and responsive to the diverse realities of those most affected by climate change.