Climate Change Intersecting Socio-economic Vulnerabilities of Kalash Indigenous Community in Nothern Pakistan

Abstract

Climate Change has a significant effect on all walks of life or human activities across the world. However, indigenous communities in different parts of the world are more susceptible to the worst effects of climate change due to their dependency on natural resources. Climate change directly affects natural resources such as forests, water, grazing land, bio-diversity and traditional foods of indigenous communities. This study explores how climate change overlaps or intersects the socio-economic, and bio-cultural marginality of the Kalash indigenous community, living in northern Pakistan. The qualitative research paradigm was used to explore how climate change overlaps or intersects the socio-economic marginality of the Kalash Indigenous community. It reveals that climate change has significantly affected natural resources such as water, biodiversity, forests and crops of Kalash's indigenous community. Climate-induced natural disasters affected their livelihood resources and compelled them to migrate or be displaced from their native town. It reveals that climate change also affects women's marginality in Kalash's indigenous community. It also reveals that climate change overlaps and intersects with the socio-economic marginality of Indigenous communities and policymakers should give priority to indigenous communities who have a dependency on natural resources to protect them from the worst effect of climate change across the world.