Climate Change and Transformed Social Work - Emerging needs in Sri Lanka
(2025) SOPB63 20242School of Social Work
- Abstract
- This study investigates the intersection of climate change and social work in Sri Lanka. Incorporating theories of social and environmental justice, the focus lies on understanding how climate change exacerbates social injustices and reshapes professional practices. Drawing on qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews, as well as participant observations in climate-affected communities, the research explores emerging ethical and practical challenges. The findings reveal that climate change intensifies economic vulnerability, food insecurity, and psychosocial stress, which disproportionately impact marginalized communities within the country. Heightened gender-based violence, migration-related risks, and human-wildlife... (More)
- This study investigates the intersection of climate change and social work in Sri Lanka. Incorporating theories of social and environmental justice, the focus lies on understanding how climate change exacerbates social injustices and reshapes professional practices. Drawing on qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews, as well as participant observations in climate-affected communities, the research explores emerging ethical and practical challenges. The findings reveal that climate change intensifies economic vulnerability, food insecurity, and psychosocial stress, which disproportionately impact marginalized communities within the country. Heightened gender-based violence, migration-related risks, and human-wildlife conflicts are effects that occur within a context of historical inequalities and limited institutional support. Empirical examples illustrate how structural exclusion from decision-making processes and inadequate adaptation measures perpetuate both social and environmental injustices. The study argues that social work in Sri Lanka must adapt by integrating knowledge of climate change, community-based strategies, and advocacy to address the intertwined nature of environmental degradation and social inequality. By situating these challenges within globalized power structures and postcolonial legacies, the research highlights several findings; there is an urgent need for context-specific, justice-oriented interventions that bridge social and ecological domains. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9210543
- author
- Sandberg, Tuva LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOPB63 20242
- year
- 2025
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- climate change, social work practice, sri Lanka, minor field study, MFS, social work profession, rural areas, agriculture, poverty, social justice, environmental justice, ecological justice, coastal communities, nature resources, human-wildlife conflict
- language
- English
- id
- 9210543
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-05 10:18:24
- date last changed
- 2025-09-05 10:18:24
@misc{9210543,
abstract = {{This study investigates the intersection of climate change and social work in Sri Lanka. Incorporating theories of social and environmental justice, the focus lies on understanding how climate change exacerbates social injustices and reshapes professional practices. Drawing on qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews, as well as participant observations in climate-affected communities, the research explores emerging ethical and practical challenges. The findings reveal that climate change intensifies economic vulnerability, food insecurity, and psychosocial stress, which disproportionately impact marginalized communities within the country. Heightened gender-based violence, migration-related risks, and human-wildlife conflicts are effects that occur within a context of historical inequalities and limited institutional support. Empirical examples illustrate how structural exclusion from decision-making processes and inadequate adaptation measures perpetuate both social and environmental injustices. The study argues that social work in Sri Lanka must adapt by integrating knowledge of climate change, community-based strategies, and advocacy to address the intertwined nature of environmental degradation and social inequality. By situating these challenges within globalized power structures and postcolonial legacies, the research highlights several findings; there is an urgent need for context-specific, justice-oriented interventions that bridge social and ecological domains.}},
author = {{Sandberg, Tuva}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Climate Change and Transformed Social Work - Emerging needs in Sri Lanka}},
year = {{2025}},
}