Call for Write-Ups: Uncovering the human cost of climate change

Climate change is no longer just an environmental crisis. It is rapidly becoming a labour crisis.

On Java’s northern coast, rising sea levels and recurrent floods have forced factories to halt production. Thousands of Pantura workers have lost income and now live with deep uncertainty, reshaping the lives of families and communities. Journalist Asnil Bambani’s investigation, The Plight of Pantura Workers Displaced by Climate Change, reveals how environmental shocks can quickly spill over into economic and social crises.

A similar pattern emerges in Paraguay. The Pulitzer Center’s report The Impact of Extreme Heat on Delivery Workers documents how outdoor workers struggle through life-threatening temperatures, with little room to stop or protect themselves, even as their health and productivity deteriorate. Together, these stories point to a global reality that climate change is eroding workers’ safety, stability, and future across multiple sectors.

Through Call for Write-Ups: Uncovering the Human Cost of Climate Change, the Pulitzer Center and The Conversation Indonesia invite researchers and academics to examine this issue through the lens of research. Your piece should connect the journalistic findings discussed in the Conversation Corner episode with relevant studies, data, or public policy to help the public grasp the scale of climate risks facing workers.

What can you write?

Short reflections, critiques, or analytical pieces that:

• Link the featured journalistic reports to research, data, or public policy.
• Offer evidence-based insight into how climate change is reshaping work, labour rights, and social protection.

Technical guidelines

• The article reflects your own thinking and ideas in response to the selected journalistic work.
• Length: 600–900 words.
• Written in English (preferred) or Bahasa Indonesia, in an accessible, popular style.

Reference report:

The Plight of Pantura Workers Displaced by Climate Change^[1]

Use Asnil’s report as your key reference. It provides a vivid case study of how climate shocks disrupt work and livelihoods, offering a strong foundation for deeper analysis on their impact on workers, communities, and public understanding.

Rewards

• Publication on The Conversation Indonesia for one best write-up selected from three TCID x Pulitzer Center webinar episodes (Q1 2026).
• Cash prize of IDR 5,000,000 for the best piece.

Deadline & submission

Submission deadline: 10 January 2026

Submit your write-up via: http://bit.ly/WriteUp-Climate^[2]

To strengthen your thought, we encourage you to rewatch the Conversation Corner discussion “Who protects workers when the planet heats up? How climate change threatens workers’ safety and livelihoods in Indonesia and Paraguay” on YouTube @ConversationIDN.

Your voice can help shift the narrative and illuminate the real human cost of the climate crisis. Send in your write-up, contribute your expertise, and be part of a collective effort to ensure that workers’ stories and risks are not overlooked as the planet continues to warm.

*

Contact person:

Binar Lestari – SEA Education Coordinator, Pulitzer CenterEmail: binar.lestari@gmail.com

References

1. ^{^} The Plight of Pantura Workers Displaced by Climate Change (pulitzercenter.org)
2. ^{^} http://bit.ly/WriteUp-Climate (bit.ly)