Paper short abstract:

Our paper brings a focus on intersecting inequalities in analysing how environmental crises are experienced by young refugees. It addresses a dearth of knowledge on the impact of climate change for displaced populations, particularly those who already face gender and age-related vulnerabilities.

Paper long abstract:

Due to climate change, the average temperature in Jordan has risen by 1.5-2 degrees in the last 30 years, and is expected to rise another 3.8 degrees by 2080. Jordan is the second most water scarce country in the world due to a combination of climate change and population growth. The impacts of intensifying environmental challenges are anticipated to acutely affect the country’s large refugee population, particularly adolescents and young people, who already lack access to education and other services, face serious economic precarity due to labour market restrictions placed on refugees and have limited protection due to precarious housing infrastructure.

Drawing on mixed methods research with vulnerable refugees (Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian) aged 14-18 in Jordan, this paper examines the relationship between social and economic inequalities and risks of environmental challenges among adolescents affected by forced displacement. Quantitative data from over 4,000 adolescents provides background on experiences of household water insecurity. Using an intersectional lens, analyses explore similarities and differences between the experiences of refugee youth in adapting to climate change on the basis of age, gender, economic and geographical inequalities.

We find that overlapping forms of exclusion, injustice, and economic and institutional dynamics lead to further marginalisation of young people in the context of forced displacement; exacerbate gender inequalities; and impact their ability to cope with environmental challenges. As both climate and global refugee crises intensify, social-environmental systems which address structural barriers to climate resilience and adaptation are essential in ensuring that no adolescent is ‘left behind’.