Weather worries

ACCORDING to scientists, for 800,000 years of Earth’s existence the amount of carbon in the atmosphere did not exceed 300 ppm (parts per million). Then in 1911, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere exceeded that level for the first time. Since then, carbon in the atmosphere has only been increasing. This year, carbon levels in the atmosphere exceeded 425 ppm.
Increased carbon dioxide and the effects of greenhouse gases have led to a host of problems that impact human health. The higher temperatures are especially dangerous for vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women. Premature births, a leading cause of early childhood deaths, go up during heatwaves. The temperature in many parts of Pakistan this summer was above 40 degrees Celsius. And going by the pattern over the past few years, the trend is likely to persist. This suggests that climate change produces a distinct and special risk to children, especially those who live in the hot regions of the world.
According to Unicef, one-third of all children globally experience four to five heatwaves in a year. It goes without saying that risks to their health may be exacerbated by poverty. In fact, climate change can adversely affect crop output, resulting in food insecurity and poor nutrition for growing bodies.
Climate change can also impact levels of air pollution and is believed to aggravate smog. Studies suggest that symptoms of asthma and other allergies are increasing in children, especially in the poorer countries, leading to non-attendance at school. And it is not just on account of illness that children face disruptions in their education schedule; every year, millions of children face weeks of school closure due to adverse weather conditions, including intense heat and heavy rain, as we have witnessed. Excessive heat also means that children cannot play outdoors, and are subjected to a crowded environment inside their homes, which are often poorly ventilated.
Temperatures are more acute in large cities, such as Karachi and Lahore, where the proliferation of concrete and asphalt surfaces has created the urban heat island effect — that is, the temperature in these cities is often several degrees hotter than in the adjoining areas. Summer has thus become a time of dread, with temperatures continuing to soar year after year, with no respite in sight.
There seem to be few choices before parents in the hotter months, especially as children are particularly vulnerable to heatstroke. Of late, there has been some awareness of the matter, but are hospitals and clinics doing enough to treat young victims of heatstroke? Special wards are needed in the summer months that are equipped to treat children and babies who have suffered the effects of intense heat. Similarly, can medical outlets cope with the rising cases of allergies and respiratory illnesses? Developing the requisite facilities and training staff to operate them efficiently requires advance planning and funding. It is simply not enough to have a climate change ministry. It is necessary to address what the weather means for our children’s everyday health.
Then there is the matter of mental health. A recent qualitative study carried out by Shazia Soomro, Dianen Zhou and Iftikhar Charan focuses on the psychological effects of rising temperatures on Pakistani children, particularly the rise of “climate anxiety”. According to the authors, children are a vulnerable population because they are still growing physically and intellectually, and the increased tribulation and uncertainty caused by climate-related factors means that they can suffer a more permanent impact. Naturally, children in poverty-stricken and under-resourced areas are the most susceptible, although each child is affected differently, depending on a host of circumstances.
The study, published in the African Journal of Reproductive Health, looks at how extreme weather events affect the educational achievement of Pakistani children. These weather events include heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall. While the jury may be out on the exact parameters of an ‘extreme’ weather event, Pakistan has suffered heavy monsoon rains that have far exceeded expectations for some years now. The authors of the study found that even accounting for changes in the river flow and patterns of snowmelt, the severity of the new monsoon could only be attributed to climate change. This was true also of the devastating flood of 2022, which affected 33 million people in the country.
The study found that extreme weather events were causing attachment disorders, depression, panic attacks, phobias and anxiety among children. In addition to these mood disorders, a regressive impact on children’s ability to control their emotions was also observed; many of the youngsters experienced cognitive deficits, behaviour issues, learning difficulties, language development problems, adjustment challenges and generally poor academic performance.
There is a high proportion of children whose mental health has been affected by climate change. Children affected by the 2022 floods still report anxiety displacement stress, depression and sleep disorders. While the study focuses on a small cohort, it is likely that the results seen among them can be extrapolated to the at least 670,000 children that the authors say were affected by the floods. Interestingly, many spoke about the trauma of the flash floods that occur in Sindh every year. Many also noted how isolated they feel from the natural environment because they live in such heavily urbanised areas.
Pakistan cannot reverse climate change by itself. However, given that the recurrence of these extreme weather events annually is certain, efforts can be made to prepare for coming disasters by teaching children protocols that can be followed when they occur. A level of preparedness will help the children, who have been born into a polluted and environmentally hazardous world, and equip them with some tools to handle the situation in the face of a very hot and difficult future.
The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.
[email protected]
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024