Climate change leaves rural women most exposed — SISDEV
By Ahmed Ahmed
Rural women are the most vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, particularly bush burning, the Executive Director of the Savannah Institute for Sustainable Development (SISDEV), Madam Titi Yakubu, has said.
Yakubu made this assertion in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Bauchi, stressing that climate change continues to worsen the living conditions of women in rural communities who depend heavily on natural resources for survival.
She explained that women play a central role in agriculture, family nutrition, and household wellbeing, making them disproportionately affected when the environment is degraded.
According to her, bush burning has significantly contributed to water scarcity in rural areas, forcing women and girls to walk long distances in search of water.
She noted that this exposes them to harsh weather conditions, physical stress, and health risks linked to heat and dust.
Yakubu also observed that climate change has intensified rural-to-urban migration, as many men leave their communities in search of alternative livelihoods.
This, she said, places greater responsibility on women, who are left to care for their families alone with limited resources.
“This situation fuels food insecurity, increases school dropout rates, and exposes women and children to abuse and exploitation,” she said.
She further explained that deforestation caused by bush burning has destroyed vital non-timber forest products such as firewood, vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs, which rural women traditionally gather for household use and income generation.
The SISDEV executive director noted that the loss of these resources weakens family economies, disrupts local value chains, and worsens poverty, malnutrition, and maternal health challenges in rural communities.
Yakubu warned that smoke from firewood and bush burning poses serious health dangers to women and unborn children, including respiratory illnesses and eye-related problems.
She called on women, youths, traditional leaders, and government institutions to work together to curb bush burning, protect the environment, and adopt sustainable practices to safeguard livelihoods and ensure a healthier future for coming generations.
