Your search found 6 records
1 Yadav, S. S.; Lal, R. 2018. Vulnerability of women to climate change in arid and semi-arid regions: the case of India and South Asia. Journal of Arid Environments, 149:4-17. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.08.001]
Climate change adaptation ; Climate change mitigation ; Women's participation ; Arid zones ; Semiarid zones ; Water scarcity ; Food production ; Environmental management ; Indigenous knowledge ; Gender equity ; Living standards ; Poverty ; Public health ; Social aspects ; Mortality / South Asia / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048595)
(2.10 MB)
This article is a collation and synthesis of the literature review with the focus on the vulnerability of rural women in developing countries to climate change on the one hand and being pro-active in adapting to climate change on the other. The geographic coverage of the literature is global but with specific examples from India. The information presented in this paper is derived from diverse sources including journal articles and thematic books, and indicates severe adverse impacts not only on women's livelihood opportunities but also on exacerbating the workload and fatigue while decreasing their self esteem and forcing them to undertake some high risks and hazardous activities. The literature indicates that poverty, gender inequality, insecure land rights, heavy reliance on agriculture, less access to education and information are among the principal reasons for their vulnerability to climate change. The vulnerability is also confounded by the meager asset base, social marginalization, lack of mobility and exclusion from the decision-making processes in response to a disaster. However, the literature also shows that women are not only the passive victims of climate change but are also pro-active and agents of hope for adaptation to and mitigation of abrupt climate change. They utilize their experience and expertise to reduce the adverse impacts by adopting prudent strategies. They are also concerned about environmental issues, and are highly supportive of policies regarding environmental restoration. Large knowledge gaps exist regarding the vulnerability of women to changing and uncertain climate especially in arid regions. Authors of this article suggest some action plans and strategies to minimize vulnerability to climate change such as empowering women economically and educationally, organizing training and outreach programmes, and involving them in formal climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and programmes. Authors also outline research needed in order to identify and implement strategies regarding climate change. Collective and continuous efforts are critical to finding the sustainable solutions for this global phenomenon which is adversely impacting the most vulnerable but critically important members of the society.
2 Paudel, J.; Ryu, H. 2018. Natural disasters and human capital: the case of Nepal’s earthquake. World Development, 111:1-12. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.06.019]
Natural disasters ; Earthquakes ; Human capital ; Social structure ; Educational status ; Socioeconomic environment ; Mortality ; Gender ; Developing countries ; Models / Nepal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048987)
(0.73 MB)
We exploit the quasi-random spatial and temporal nature of ground tremors to evaluate the long-term impact of the 1988 earthquake on educational outcomes among affected children of rural Nepal. We employ difference-in-differences research design to show that infants born in districts severely affected by the earthquake are 13.8% less likely to complete middle school and 10% less likely to complete high school. Our findings demonstrate that children belonging to high caste groups mitigate the negative environmental shock in the long run. However, infants belonging to low caste groups are 17.6% less likely to complete middle school and 11.9% less likely to complete high school. We also find that male infants exposed to a severe earthquake perform significantly better than their female counterparts, suggesting prospects of gender bias in a patriarchal society. Together, these results provide strong evidence that earthquakes lead to deterioration of human capital in a developing country setting.
3 Medlicott, K.; De France, J.; Villalobos-Prats, E.; Gordon, B.; Graczyk, H.; Zandaryaa, S.; Mateo-Sagasta, Javier; Hada, R.; Caucci, S.; Smakhtin, V.; Pories, L. 2020. Human health impacts related to water, sanitation and climate change. In UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP); UN-Water. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2020: water and climate change. Paris, France: UNESCO. pp.68-77.
Public health ; Water supply ; Sanitation ; Climate change adaptation ; Health hazards ; Water quality ; Hygiene ; Infectious diseases ; Morbidity ; Mortality ; Water resources ; Wastewater ; Drinking water ; Malnutrition
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049603)
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentViewer.xhtml?v=2.1.196&id=p::usmarcdef_0000372985&file=/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarkedAttachment/attach_import_c5b09e0b-0c7e-42ef-aeb1-b1bae7544e4c%3F_%3D372985eng.pdf&locale=en&multi=true&ark=/ark:/48223/pf0000372985/PDF/372985eng.pdf#page=81
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049603.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049603.pdf
(1.52 MB) (37.7 MB)
This chapter focuses on the human health impacts associated with changes in water quality and quantity due to climate change. Trends in morbidity and mortality are examined in the context of health risks associated with climate change, and response options related to water supply and sanitation are presented.
4 Beshir, H. A.; Maystadt, J.-F. 2020. In utero seasonal food insecurity and cognitive development: evidence on gender imbalances from Ethiopia. Journal of African Economies, 29(4):412-431. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jafeco/ejz028]
Gender analysis ; Cognitive development ; Food insecurity ; Food security ; Human capital ; Child development ; Food shortages ; Nutrition ; Education ; Investment ; Mortality ; Public health ; Households ; Communities / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050001)
(0.32 MB)
Food insecurity is pervasive and highly seasonal in Ethiopia. In this study, we investigate the effect of seasonal food insecurity on child development. Exploiting the Young Lives Ethiopia dataset, we study the gender-specific impact of in utero exposure to seasonal food insecurity on cognitive development and the probability of being on the expected grade for children of age 8 up to 12. We find that at age 8, in utero exposure to food insecurity negatively affects cognitive development, only for boys. At age 12, such exposure significantly reduces cognitive development for all children, but with a significantly higher magnitude for boys. The impact is almost three times bigger compared to the one estimated for girls. Corroborated with other outcomes, we explain such gender imbalances by the accumulative nature of the scarring effect rather than the culling effect or gender differences in parental investment.
5 Donde, O. O.; Atoni, E.; Muia, A. W.; Yillia, P. T. 2021. COVID-19 pandemic: water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as a critical control measure remains a major challenge in low-income countries. Water Research, 191:116793. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116793]
COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Water ; Sanitation ; Hygiene ; Public health ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Disease transmission ; Disease control ; Morbidity ; Mortality
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050207)
(0.61 MB)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the deadly respiratory disease called coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), an ongoing global public health emergency that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. We review literature on the transmission and control of SARS-CoV-2 and discuss the challenges of focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as critical control measures in low-income countries. A significantly higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related deaths has been reported for the United States of America and other high-income countries in Europe and Asia, regardless of advanced medical facilities in those countries. In contrast, much lower COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality rates have been documented in many low-income countries, despite having comparatively higher socioeconomic burdens and suboptimal medical facilities. By September 29, 2020 over one million deaths have been reported. On the same day, the cumulative total of COVID-19 related morbidity for Africa was 35,954 with 3.5% of the global COVID-19 related deaths. We present arguments for the relatively low COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates in many low-income countries and discuss the critical importance of WASH for preventing the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. We observe that the key recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization to effectively control the pandemic have been difficult to implement in low-income countries. We conclude that the pandemic reinforces previous pronouncements that adequate and effective WASH measures are crucial for public health and recommend closer coordination between public health and WASH sectors.
6 Chowdhury, J. R.; Parida, Y.; Goel, P. A. 2021. Does inequality-adjusted human development reduce the impact of natural disasters? A gendered perspective. World Development, 141:105394. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105394]
Natural disasters ; Social inequalities ; Gender ; Women's participation ; Flooding ; Vulnerability ; Mortality ; Agricultural sector ; Social change ; Cultural factors ; Political aspects ; Economic aspects ; Decision making ; Households ; Government ; Villages / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050259)
(0.59 MB)
This paper examines how inequality-adjusted human development (IHD) helps minimize male and female flood fatalities across 19 Indian states between 1983 and 2013. We investigate if a higher achievement in the IHD index has affected male and female flood deaths differently while controlling for direct spending on disaster adaptation measures and socio-political factors. The empirical results suggest that Indian states with better IHDI score experience lower flood fatalities in aggregate. A 10% increase in IHDI at the sample mean results in the probability of 38 fewer total deaths from floods. Furthermore, we find a gender-differentiated impact of disasters as males suffer fewer flood fatalities than females with a rise in IHDI. The findings suggest that an additional 10% increase in IHDI at the sample mean results in the probability of 26 fewer male deaths from floods, and the same 10% rise in IHDI shows the probability of 12 fewer female deaths due to floods. Women’s involvement in social, political, and economic decision-making measured through women’s participation in voting in elections, grant them access to flood mitigation and aversion measures, which can reduce the impact of a disaster. However, the current participation rate is not adequate to reduce female flood mortality substantially. Women’s socially constructed responsibilities impose constraints on their participation in activities outside the household, including their mobility to the non-agricultural sector, and therefore, reduce access to warning information, which can increase vulnerability to disasters.
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