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Why are poor countries and communities often more vulnerable to climate change impacts?

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Grinnell Glacier shrinkage — Global warming A series of photographs of the Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould in Glacier National Park, Montana, in (from left) 1938, 1981, 1998, and 2006. In 1938 the Grinnell Glacier filled the entire area at the bottom of the image. By 2006 it had largely disappeared from this view.

Poor countries and communities are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of global warming primarily due to their limited adaptive capacity.12

These populations often lack the financial and structural resources necessary to implement risk-management procedures, such as constructing dams or drainage systems, to protect against severe weather, flooding, and rising sea levels. Furthermore, many impoverished areas lack access to essential infrastructure like air-conditioning, which increases the risk of heat-related mortality.1

The vulnerability is compounded by a heavy reliance on agriculture and livestock production, particularly in tropical regions where even small increases in temperature are projected to decrease crop productivity. Disruptions to these food sources, combined with reduced access to safe water and potential increases in infectious diseases, place these communities at a higher risk of malnutrition and declining health. Ultimately, the inability to adapt to these environmental stressors threatens the basic economic infrastructure and survival of the world's most marginalized populations.12