DISASTER MANAGEMENT 

THE TOLL THAT EXTREME HEAT TAKES ON WOMEN

Source: The Hindu

Context: Extreme heat has increasingly become a prevailing climatic phenomenon globally and in India.

Details

• Record-breaking temperatures were observed in 2023 and continued into 2024, signalling a trend towards more frequent and severe heatwaves.
• Understanding the intersection of extreme heat, gender dynamics, and socio-economic factors is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate the disproportionate impact on women.

Disproportionate Impact on Women

• Unequal Power Dynamics: In many societies, including India, unequal power dynamics place women at a disadvantage when it comes to coping with and mitigating the effects of extreme heat. These dynamics are rooted in social structures that often limit women's decision-making power, mobility, and access to resources compared to men.
• Gender Norms: Traditional gender norms dictate roles and responsibilities within households and communities. Women are often assigned primary caregiving roles, which include domestic chores that increase their exposure to heat indoors, such as cooking in poorly ventilated kitchens.
• Access to Resources: Women's access to resources such as income, education, healthcare, and technology is frequently restricted compared to men. This disparity in access diminishes their ability to adapt to and cope with the impacts of extreme heat effectively.

The Global Gender Gap Index by the World Economic Forum ranks countries based on gender disparities in areas like economic participation, educational attainment, health outcomes, and political empowerment. India ranked 18th from the bottom indicating significant gender inequalities across these domains.

Specific Impacts on Women

• Housing Materials Trap Heat: Urban informal settlements often use materials like tin, asbestos, or plastic for housing construction. These materials have poor insulation properties and tend to absorb and retain heat, creating indoor environments that trap heat.
• Heat Chambers Effect: Due to the materials used in construction and the dense nature of informal settlements, homes can become like "heat chambers" during heatwaves. These chambers amplify the effects of outdoor heat, making indoor conditions even hotter and more uncomfortable.
• Working Conditions (Kitchens, etc.): Women in urban informal settlements often work in poorly ventilated kitchens where they cook using traditional stoves or open fires. These kitchens lack adequate ventilation or cooling mechanisms.
• Increased Care Burden: Women in urban informal settlements bear a significant care burden, including childcare, elder care, and household chores. This burden intensifies during heatwaves due to increased health risks and the need for additional caregiving.
• Productivity Loss and Time Poverty: Heatwaves reduce productivity and increase the time required to complete daily tasks, particularly unpaid domestic work performed by women in informal settlements.
• Occupational Vulnerabilities: Women employed in informal sectors such as street vending, domestic help, and cleaning services often work in outdoor or poorly ventilated indoor environments.

Challenges faced by women in Urban and Rural Areas

• Energy Poverty: Energy poverty refers to the lack of access to modern energy services, including electricity and clean cooking facilities, which is prevalent in many urban informal settlements and low-income neighbourhoods.
• Lack of Cooling Facilities: Many urban areas, especially informal settlements and low-income neighbourhoods, lack adequate cooling infrastructure such as public cooling centres, well-ventilated public spaces, or access to affordable air conditioning.
• Water Scarcity: Urban areas often experience water scarcity exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and inadequate water management practices, leading to limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
• Biomass Cooking: In rural areas, particularly in low-income households, biomass fuels such as wood, crop residues, and animal dung are commonly used for cooking due to limited access to clean cooking technologies.
• Unsafe Working Conditions: Rural communities rely heavily on agriculture and informal labour sectors where workers, including women, face unsafe working conditions exacerbated by extreme heat.
• Crop Yield Impacts: Climate change-induced extreme heat events adversely affect crop yields and agricultural productivity in rural areas, impacting food security and livelihoods.

Socioeconomic and Health Burden

• Heat-related Diseases: Extreme heat can lead to a range of heat-related illnesses, from mild conditions like heat cramps to severe conditions like heatstroke and hyperthermia.
• Maternal and Child Health Issues: High temperatures pose significant risks to maternal and child health, affecting pregnancy outcomes and children's well-being.
• Economic Losses: Extreme heat can have a profound impact on economic productivity and household income, particularly affecting women in both formal and informal sectors.
• Health Risks (Heat-related Illnesses, Maternal Health): Extreme heat poses significant health risks, leading to an increased burden on healthcare systems and affecting overall public health.
• Social and Mobility Restrictions: Extreme heat affects social dynamics and mobility, often exacerbating existing gender inequalities and limiting women’s freedom and opportunities.

Adaptation Strategies

• Climate-friendly Urban Planning: Urban planning that incorporates climate resilience is essential for mitigating the impacts of extreme heat, particularly in densely populated areas.
• Sustainable Cooling Technologies: Developing and deploying sustainable cooling technologies can provide relief from extreme heat while minimizing environmental impacts. Key Technologies:
  • Solar-powered Fans and Coolers: Utilizing solar energy to power cooling devices can provide affordable and sustainable solutions for low-income households.
  • Energy-efficient Air Conditioners: Promoting the use of energy-efficient air conditioners reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Passive Cooling Techniques: Architectural designs that incorporate passive cooling techniques, such as natural ventilation, thermal mass, and shading, can significantly reduce indoor temperatures without relying on energy-intensive systems.
• Fair Division of Care Work: Redistributing care work more equitably among household members and society can alleviate the disproportionate burden on women, particularly during extreme heat events.
• Public Provisioning of Essential Services: Ensuring the public provisioning of essential services, such as healthcare, water, and energy, is crucial for building resilience to extreme heat.

Conclusion

• To effectively combat the disproportionate impact of extreme heat on women, it is essential to adopt a holistic approach that combines climate-friendly urban planning, sustainable cooling technologies, fair division of care work, and public provisioning of essential services. Addressing social power gradients and implementing gender-sensitive policies will ensure that adaptation efforts are equitable and effective, ultimately building resilience for all members of society.