Women, Water, and Climate Change: How the Changing Climate is Affecting Women and Water Sources in Four Case Studies

The close-knit relationship between women and the environment is timeless, each having a significant influence on the other. In the last fifty years, this relationship has been increasingly strained by the adverse effects associated with climate change, including warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and an escalating frequency of large storm events. In underdeveloped nations, these impacts are most readily evident when examining water sources, which are yet another crucial component in the lives of women. The effects on socially accepted gender roles for women, such as water collecting, have been exacerbated by these environmental changes, thus, situating climate change as an even greater threat to the lives of women in developing countries. With fewer water resources, women and young girls are forced to walk longer distances to retrieve water for their families, sometimes risking their lives to do so and reducing the amount of time they have in their day to pursue more fulfilling activities such as gaining an education. In recent studies, it has been determined that women experience a disproportionate level of health concerns and social injustices when compared to men living in the same conditions. Previous research mainly addresses the sociopolitical discrimination women face regarding climate change. This ultimately leaves room for missing conversations about the scientific implications climate change has on the environment and women. This paper aims to answer questions concerning why water sources are running out or becoming inundated with non-potable water, how they chemically change in areas with increasing temperatures, and how women’s roles are inherently affected by these environmental shifts. To do so, four case studies will be analyzed from Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ethiopia, and Nepal, all at equatorial latitudes, as that is where the most drastic environmental changes are happening. To decrease the gender barriers surrounding climate change, women need to be more involved in management and governmental conversations. Additionally, water resources need to be a top priority in climate change mitigation policies based on protection and preservation.