Climate change impacts health and disproportionately affects Pacific women

Rising sea levels and ocean warming in the Pacific are causing salt to leach into soil and damaging coral reefs, which reduces fish stocks and taints freshwater supplies. These environmental changes are forcing communities to rely on imported foods that are often high in calories but low in nutrients, contributing to increased rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

At recent pre-COP meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, advocates emphasized that the health crisis is a critical component of the climate emergency. Women in the Pacific bear a disproportionate burden due to their roles in family care and food and water insecurity. The increased domestic labor required to replant crops after extreme weather events has also been linked to exhaustion and mental ill-health among women.

As the upcoming COP31 summit focuses on implementing existing climate promises and increasing climate finance, there are calls to elevate health as a central part of the global agenda.