The Overlooked Side of Heat Stress: Women, Workers, and Climate Adaptation

As the world rushes to adapt to the changing climate, we are unintentionally leaving behind the very people who do the most difficult work. While experts discuss a "Just Transition," they often ignore the millions of women and rural migrants in the informal sector who have never received the training or tools to keep up. In our villages, women who have spent their lives farming are being pushed aside by new climate technologies they weren’t taught to use, losing their independence in the process. In cities, migrant workers in construction and waste picking are forced to work under the scorching sun, with no safety nets and no access to the "new adaptations."

The change is happening so quickly that the rural poor, who are already struggling, cannot keep up. For them, climate adaptation does not present a fresh opportunity; instead, it feels like a sudden closure of another avenue. They are compelled to work extended hours in hazardous heat for survival, resulting in a state of "time poverty" that prevents them from acquiring new skills.

If we don’t offer targeted training for these informal workers, our transition won't be "just"—it will be a privilege for only a few. In essence, we are placing the greatest burden of a changing climate on the most vulnerable, providing them with the least required support.

Watch our full podcast and understand how Prof. Vidhya Venugopal talks in depth about the situation and shares valuable insights.