Street vendor job is on front line of climate change Survival in Southeast Asia- video w transcript

They sell in scorching heat, then flash floods wipe out their products. Cities in the SA region rely on street vendors for food and supplies. Now cloud bursts and violent storms hit harder each year. Vendors do find ways to adapt; they buy tarps and adjust what they sell. But climate change is making their cycle of poverty worse. WATCH: Street Vendors on the Climate Frontline: Heat, Floods & Survival in Southeast Asia- Climate Impacts Tracker Asia Sep 1 2025 report transcript below Heating Planet blog

Music] 0:02 In the streets of Southeast Asia, 0:04 millions of vendors wake up every day to 0:07 make a living. They sell food, drinks, 0:10 clothes, and daily essentials. They keep 0:13 cities alive and make sure families can 0:15 afford to eat. But today, their 0:18 livelihoods are under threat from 0:20 something far bigger than they are, 0:22 climate change. Street vendors are on 0:25 the front lines. They're exposed to the 0:27 scorching heat, the sudden floods, and 0:30 the violent storms that are hitting the 0:32 region harder each year. Unlike big 0:35 businesses, they don't have insurance. 0:37 They don't have safety nets. 

[KE: Transcripts here for readers writers and researchers. Plus, video can disappear. The printed word is forever.]

When 0:40 climate disasters strike, many are left 0:42 to cope alone. A new report by StreetNet 0:46 International and Oxfam shows just how 0:48 serious the problem is. In Cambodia, 0:52 flash floods can wipe out half of a 0:54 vendor's daily business in just a single 0:56 day. Rising heat spoils fresh produce, 1:00 raises costs, and puts vendors health at 1:03 risk. In Laos, where most food and drink 1:06 vendors are women, unpredictable weather 1:08 keeps customers away, and destroys 1:11 goods. And in Vietnam, typhoons, tidal 1:14 surges, and heat waves damage stalls, 1:17 equipment, and even put lives in danger. 1:20 These challenges are not just about lost 1:22 income. They're about health and 1:25 survival. Extreme heat can cause 1:28 dehydration, fatigue, and even heat 1:30 stroke. Floods and storms ruin not only 1:34 merchandise, but also the small savings 1:36 many vendors depend on. And because 1:39 their work is informal, they often get 1:41 no government support, no subsidies, and 1:44 no compensation. 1:46 Women's street vendors face even more 1:48 obstacles. Many juggle caregiving and 1:51 household responsibilities on top of 1:54 running their stalls. Heatwaves, 1:56 flooding, and illness make their already 1:59 heavy burdens even harder. Without 2:02 mobility support, child care, or 2:04 financial assistance, it's nearly 2:06 impossible to recover from climate 2:08 shocks. Despite the odds, vendors are 2:12 finding ways to adapt. They buy tarps to 2:15 protect their goods, adjust what they 2:17 sell depending on the weather, and rely 2:19 on family, friends, and unions for 2:22 support. But these solutions only go so 2:25 far. They can't stop the bigger cycle of 2:28 poverty and vulnerability that climate 2:30 change is making worse. The report makes 2:33 one thing clear. Street vendors need 2:36 recognition, protection, and support. 2:39 That means formalizing their work, 2:41 giving them access to clean water, 2:43 electricity, and safe vending spaces. It 2:46 means offering financial help like 2:49 grants or microloans so they can recover 2:51 after disasters. And it means creating 2:55 policies that recognize the unique 2:57 challenges women vendors face from 2:59 mobility to child care. Street vendors 3:02 are essential. They feed cities. They 3:06 support families. They keep communities 3:08 going, but climate change is threatening 3:11 their survival. If we want resilient 3:14 cities and secure food systems, we can't 3:17 leave them behind. Because in the fight 3:19 against climate change, protecting the 3:21 most vulnerable isn't just the right 3:24 thing to do, it's the only way forward. 3:27 If you found this video helpful, please 3:29 give it a like, hit subscribe, and 3:31 follow our channel for more 3:33 conversations about climate concepts and 3:36 everyday life. Thanks for watching, and 3:39 we'll see you in the next one.

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[KE: Everything climate scientists predicted about global warming since the 1970s is coming true only faster, including the most impoverished populations being the first to have their lives destroyed]