Impoverished more subject to flooding

The evidence suggests that inequality aggravates the position of the disadvantaged groups of the society vis-à-vis climate change impact in the following three major ways (Figure 1). a. increase in the exposure to climate hazards, b. increase in the susceptibility to damage caused by climate hazards, and c. decrease in the ability to cope with and recover from the damage. To have a preliminary idea about how these channels work, consider the following example. One of the consequences of climate change is increased flooding. Evidence shows that inequality often compels the disadvantaged groups to live in areas that are more prone to flooding, thus increasing their exposure to flooding caused by climate change. Second, among all living in the flood zone, the disadvantaged groups prove to be more susceptible to the damages caused by flooding. For example, their houses get completely washed away or be damaged seriously, because these are often made of flimsy materials. By contrast, the houses of the more well-to-do suffer less damage because these are generally made of sturdier materials, such as brick and concrete. Finally, the disadvantaged groups have less ability to cope with and recover from the damages caused by floods. For example, the rich may buy insurance and thus get compensated for the damages. By contrast, the disadvantaged groups may not be able to afford such insurance and thus have to absorb the entire loss, leading to greater loss of their asset position.