Povertà. Tra disuguaglianze ambientali e sociali

Poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and the promotion of sustainability may appear to be contradictory objectives, but they are profoundly interconnected (Baghaki, 2014). While the environmental impact of climate change is widely discussed in public debates, its social implications remain under-explored. It is crucial to prioritize the connection between climate change impacts and inequalities in public agendas, especially given the heightened vulnerability of low-income and impoverished individuals and families in both developed and developing countries. Poor communities worldwide, particularly in developing regions, face unprecedented challenges and acute inequalities due to environmental injustices arising from unequal wealth distribution. The correlation between the climate crisis and rising inequalities, though intuitive, has been substantiated by recent studies (Diffenbaugh & Burke, 2019). This chapter offers an analysis of climate change through the lens of inequality, drawing on international studies and research. The exploration of the relationship between environmental crises and the structure of inequalities invokes the concept of environmental justice, discussed in the second section. The third and final section addresses poverty from an eco-social perspective, aiming to understand this phenomenon in close connection with environmental risks.