Exclusion and Exposure: How Social Inequality and Marginalization Shape Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation in Rural Communities

ABSTRACT Climate change affects all individuals, regardless of wealth, social class, or religious background, though its impacts and adaptation strategies vary. While existing literature examines climate change adaptation based on farming categories, geographic regions, and cropping systems, limited research explores how social class shapes adaptation responses. For instance, in Pakistan, like other South Asian nations, there is a social ranking of castes/tribes in rural areas, affecting low‐caste communities' social inclusion and resilience to threats like climate change. This study investigates how social positioning influences climate change understanding, vulnerability, and adaptation. Using a mixed‐methods approach, guided by the theoretical Model of Proactive Private Adaptation to Climate Change (MPPACC), we conducted research in a socially marginalized and highly climate‐vulnerable region of Pakistan. Data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression models, and thematic analysis. Our results indicate that structural inequalities (social status, power, and material inequalities) intensify climate change vulnerability by impairing accurate risk perception and limiting adaptation capacity. Specifically, social inequality (e.g., caste, social influence, gender) hindered farmers' access to resources needed to understand and respond to climate risks. We also found that access to credible information plays a key role in supporting adaptation and reducing vulnerability.