The total income of poor households decreased in comparison to families who have not experienced a major climate stressor
Low-income households around the world experience a 5 per cent income loss from heat stress and 4.4 per cent loss from floods in an average year, compared to wealthier households, says “The Unjust Climate,” a recently released report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. The report highlights the negative effects of climate change on farmers in India.
According to the FAO report, the on-farm income sources of the rural poor in India were impacted in various ways based on the specific climate stress experienced. During periods of drought or similar situations, low-income households increase their focus on agricultural activities to support themselves since there are fewer job opportunities outside of farming.
The total income of poor households decreased in comparison to families who have not experienced a major climate stressor. “The Vulnerability of poor households to climate change is likely to be rooted in structural inequalities,” it said
FAO stated that floods in rural areas around the world increase the income difference between poor and non-poor households by around $21 billion annually and heat stress by over $20 billion a year. Long-term temperature increases result in poor households depending more on climate-sensitive agriculture compared to non-poor households. An average long-term temperature rise of 1 degree Celsius causes a 23 per cent rise in farm incomes for poor households and a 33 per cent drop in off-farm incomes compared to non-poor households, according to the FAO report.
The report recommended expanding and extending anticipatory social protection programmes to reach more people ahead of severe weather events. It was mentioned that giving efficient livelihood assistance before extreme weather events could decrease the need for negative coping mechanisms and lower the number of people who fall into poverty due to these events. The report suggested enhancing diversity in the workforce and improving opportunities for off-farm employment.
It called on policymakers to tackle obstacles related to gender in non-agricultural job opportunities. The statement mentioned that gender-transformative methodologies, utilising social behaviour change methods to confront discriminatory gender norms, have the potential to address deep-rooted discrimination hindering women from fully influencing economic decisions affecting their lives.