Women Suffer Four Times More from Heatwaves: Study 

News Desk 

Islamabad: Experts at a seminar highlighted that women experience climate impacts four times more intensely than men. The seminar titled “Climate Anxiety and its Impact on Women: Addressing the Silent Crisis”, was organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad on Wednesday.  

The seminar underscored the increased climate anxiety among women, which poses serious health risks following disasters, and called for the attention of policymakers.

Dr Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director of SDPI, noted that women experience climate anxiety in two ways: directly through their own suffering and indirectly if their family members are affected by disasters. 

He emphasized that while urban women face climate anxiety, rural women, who often lack awareness and voice, are also in urgent need of attention and further study to improve their resilience. Dr Munir also mentioned that the study would provide baseline data for future research, especially in rural areas. 

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Zainab Naeem, Associate Research Fellow at SDPI, pointed out that 2020 saw the highest temperatures in the region compared to previous years, and future projections suggest that temperatures may exceed tolerable limits.

Naeem explained that the increased intensity of heatwaves and floods has led to a rise in anxiety disorders, which are directly linked to climate change. Citing global statistics, she noted that in 2019, mental disorders affected 301 million people worldwide. 

Additionally, women, youth, and children from impoverished communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disasters. People with mental illness face a threefold higher risk of death compared to those without, she added.

The study also revealed that a one-degree increase in temperature above local thresholds correlates with a rise in suicides and violent incidents. Naeem shared that the study involved an online survey with 500 responses, including 65 percent females and 35 percent males, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years. 

It found that 38.3 percent of respondents felt direct impacts from heat, while 43.3 percent percent experienced psychological symptoms following extreme climate events. Furthermore, 91.5 percent of respondents regularly engage with climate news.

Humaira Jahanzeb, Team Lead at the Living Indus Initiative, emphasized the importance of sharing the study’s findings with policymakers and relevant departments for effective intervention. 

She noted the interconnectedness of food insecurity, employment opportunities, and health crises resulting from climate change, stressing the need for stakeholder engagement.

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Zofeen Ebrahim, an environmentalist and journalist, highlighted the challenges faced by women in Karachi’s informal settlements, where a significant portion of the population lacks education and access to the internet. 

Halima Khan, Head of Corporate Affairs at Energy Update, called for greater awareness and education on the mental health impacts of climate change, urging government authorities to integrate these issues into policymaking.

Aftab Alam Khan, an international development consultant, discussed the importance of understanding the challenges faced by women across different societal strata and the need for grassroots education on climate-related health impacts. 

Sidra Riaz, a lecturer at NUML, suggested that the study’s methodology could be improved to better reflect the South Asian context, as most evidence currently comes from the Global North.

Sher Shah Khan Bangash, a climate activist, argued that increasing the participation of women in leadership roles in climate forums and policy-making could reduce climate anxiety and promote gender justice. 

He stressed the need to train more women as climate advocates to gather effective on-ground evidence from vulnerable populations.

Jeya Jaggi, a rights activist, pointed out the lack of gender-specific data on climate catastrophes in the region as a major barrier to effective policy action. She advocated for including rural voices in future studies to address the loss of cultural identities due to climate impacts.