Changing Climate Patterns and Women Health: An Empirical Analysis of District Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Abstract

Climate change, the greatest environmental challenge of current era, affects human health badly. Natural hazards such as storms, droughts, excessive rains, floods, droughts and increasing temperature always threaten human health. South Asian rural women bear more household responsibilities than men in terms of fetching water and burning biomass fuel for cooking and heating. To obtain these resources women have to go out and are more exposed to outdoor environment and the increased exposure make them more amenable to the effects of changing climatic and weather patterns. The objective of this study is to document women health impacts under climate change in District Rawalpindi, Pakistan. We find that climate change increases the incidence of diseases which affect physical health. In developing countries, extreme weather patterns disproportionally affect vulnerable population like women, children and others bear burden of illness. Pakistan also faces heat waves fluctuation during summer and extreme rainfall pattern which have severe effect on overall health of individuals. We conclude that climatic changes (increasing heat intensity, dry spells, unusual rains and others) affect women health badly. The state has to improve our climate by offering effective policies. This may include reforestation, plantation in and outside homes and environmental friendly policies like renewable energy that is a shift from coal and oil investing energy projects. Increase of green areas within urban localities is also needed.