CLIMATE change is an urgent global crisis that has led to an increase in extreme weather events. In many regions, temperatures have risen, the water cycle has been disrupted, heavy rainfall, flooding, and sea levels have gone up. The 2021 assessment report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a dire warning, stating that global surface temperatures had already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial period. It also cautioned that the world may experience 1.5°C to 2°C of warming earlier than previously projected. With ongoing heatwaves in several countries, including Pakistan, that prediction seems to have already been achieved. Unprecedented temperatures are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged, with significant implications for public health and healthcare systems.

Climate change is not globally uniform and affects some regions more than others. It has already affected Sindh during the past 40 years. Upper Sindh’s districts, where I was born, have warmed by up to 1°C across my lifetime. The hottest day of the year is, on average, 1.5°C hotter than before; the summers are sweltering and humid. Similarly, the impacts of climate change are not equal, affecting some groups more than others. Women and girls are affected by climate-induced disasters more than others, as the impact of extreme events is exacerbated by sociocultural and gender norms and traditions that are mainly biased against them.

“In summer, if they [men] want to kill us, they do not need to use a weapon and can get away with a murder easily by demanding women to cook on a fire in this scorching heat,” said a woman participant of a stu­­­dy on the impact of climate change on Sindh.

The most vulnerable populations are pre-gnant and breastfeeding women in Sindh, particularly in the upper districts like Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, and Khairpur, where temperatures reach 45°C to 49°C. There are concerns emanating from natural disasters like extreme heat, flooding, and heavy rain, as well as cultural factors and gender-discriminatory practices. Emerging evidence shows that extreme heat is linked to complications for both mothers and babies, including gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. Exposure to climate hazards during and after pregnancy can affect mental health and lead to

Women bear the brunt of the impact of climate change.

increased stress, anxiety, and depression, which are risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the impact of climate change due to the interplay of gender and social norms. Women often engage in outdoor and household work, putting them at greater risk of exposure to temperature extremes and infectious diseases. This includes pregnant and post-delivery women. Emergencies caused by climate change, as well as mental and economic stress, also increase the risk of violence against women and children.

An international non-profit organisation, White Ribbon Alliance, conducted a study in Sindh in 2022 and released a report called Birth in a Burning World. The report was based on interviews of women in Shikarpur district. The interviewed women shared their lived experiences of bearing the burns of heatwaves, which were intertwined with sociocultural norms and gender inequalities that exacerbate the impact of heatwaves on their health and well-being. Several women described fainting in the heat, hospitalised because of dehydration, lethargy, loss of appetite, and struggling to manage a pregnancy or a newborn and their work, which inclu­ded farming, caring for livestock, carrying water, and cooking over a fire. The interviewed women also reported that there is a rise in domestic violence during heatwaves.

“Extreme heat is becoming a major issue these days as women’s outdoor workload has increased. We are responsible for collecting more water because water consumption has increased due to hot summers. This makes us weak and dehydrated. I do all household chores, such as cooking, taking care of the children and livestock, and collecting water. Still, I feel the heat the most during cooking as we use firewood, which also increases the temperature,” said a pregnant woman who participated in the study.

Climate change poses immediate and long-term health risks, particularly for women, newborns, and children. To address this, the government should raise awareness of the impact of heat on vulnerable populations through public service messages, provide targeted relief such as cash transfers, subsidise the purchase of solar panels and batteries for power storage and ensure access to drinkable water for staying hydrated and cooling.

The writer is a medical anthropologist at Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

X: @Sbhanbhro

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024