Environmental anthropology is a branch of anthropology that examines the relationship between human societies, cultures and the natural environment. It studies how people understand, use, manage and transform their surroundings and how environmental changes, in turn, influence human life, social institutions, economy and culture. Earlier environmental anthropology often focused on traditional ecological knowledge, adaptation and the relationship between communities and their immediate environments. However, the field has expanded considerably in response to climate change, globalization, environmental degradation, technological development and social movements. Current environmental anthropology is therefore more interdisciplinary, politically aware and concerned with questions of justice, sustainability and human–non-human relationships. One important current trend is the growing study of climate change and its social and cultural consequences. Climate change is not treated only as a scientific or physical problem but also as an anthropological and social issue. Anthropologists examine how rising temperatures, changing rainfall, floods, droughts, sea-level rise and extreme weather events affect different communities. They study people's perceptions of climate change, their strategies for adaptation and the cultural meanings they attach to environmental changes. Particular attention is given to vulnerable populations such as indigenous communities, farmers, fishing communities and people living in coastal and dry regions. Environmental anthropology also examines how climate change can influence migration, livelihoods, health, food security and social relationships. A second major trend is the study of environmental justice. Environmental problems do not affect all people equally. Industrial pollution, mining, deforestation, waste disposal and climate-related disasters often place greater burdens on economically and politically weaker communities. Environmental anthropologists investigate who receives the benefits of development and who bears its environmental costs. They examine conflicts over land, forests, water, minerals and other natural resources. This approach connects environmental questions with issues of class, inequality, gender, ethnicity, indigenous rights and political power. Environmental justice research therefore challenges the idea that environmental problems are simply technical