Research indicates that women and girls in South Sudan are experiencing heightened risks due to severe heat exacerbated by climate change. February’s heatwave, linked to human-caused climate change, led to school closures and increased health risks for women, who already face significant systemic inequalities. Recommendations for addressing these challenges include improving school infrastructure and adapting educational practices to cope with extreme weather.
Recent research highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls in South Sudan as they face increasing health risks from record-breaking heat. Findings from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) reveal that February’s heatwave, made ten times more likely by climate change, reached temperatures 2 degrees Celsius higher than normal. The extreme heat resulted in school closures due to student heat strokes, affecting education disproportionately for girls and intensifying gender inequalities.
In South Sudan, schools are typically constructed with iron roofs that trap heat, while lacking air conditioning, creating unsafe learning environments. As high temperatures are expected to continue throughout March, these conditions exacerbate educational disruptions for girls, further complicating their return to school. Researchers emphasize that women and girls often bear the brunt of climate-related challenges, with traditional gender roles forcing them to undertake household duties in harsh conditions, thus increasing their health risks.
To mitigate the effects of extreme heat in schools, improvements in ventilation, tree planting, and using lighter colored paint on buildings are recommended. Altering school schedules to adapt to climate conditions could also help maintain education continuity. Friederike Otto, a climate scientist, noted that persistent gender inequalities demand immediate attention to avoid further damage to vulnerable populations, especially women, amid ongoing climate crises.
The study, conducted by a multi-national team of researchers, found that the severe seven-day heat experienced this year in South Sudan would have been highly unlikely without the global temperature rise of 1.3 degrees Celsius. This warming trend correlates with increased occurrences of heat-related complications during pregnancy, including higher rates of miscarriage and stillbirth, accentuating maternal health issues in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally.
As climate change continues to intensify heat events in South Sudan, predictions suggest occurrences of extreme temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius could become annual by 2100 if fossil fuel dependence persists. Sarah Kew from WWA stated that what were once rare extreme heat events are becoming commonplace, which poses significant challenges, particularly for women and girls, stressing the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The findings from this study underscore that women and girls in South Sudan are significantly more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, specifically the chronic heatwaves exacerbated by global warming. These climatic shifts disrupt education, threaten health, and perpetuate gender inequalities. Effective interventions, such as improving school infrastructure and adapting educational practices, are crucial to support affected populations. There is a pressing need to address the underlying social inequities and significantly reduce carbon emissions to mitigate further climate-related challenges.
Original Source: www.climatechangenews.com
