Championing Equity in Climate Action: Addressing Thermal Injustice

“Where do we situate the right to cooling in climate justice?” This was a question posed by Professor Nausheen Anwar as part of her keynote speech at Samuel Hall’s inaugural annual lecture titled ‘Asia And Africa In Conversation: Cities, Migration, And Climate Change’ organised in collaboration with the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media & Communications (GSMC), and the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC). Rising temperatures aggravate social inequalities, particularly in informal settlements and refugee camps, where water scarcity and inadequate housing and ventilation amplify the detrimental effects of heat. This is a consequence of poor and often intentional urban planning — which Professor Anwar theorised as ‘Thermal Injustice’. “Thermal justice acknowledges the disproportionate impact of increasing heat on minority groups. It emphasises the need for a fair and equitable distribution of both the risks and benefits associated with climate change, ensuring all groups share these burdens and advantages equally.”