Climate change impacts reproductive health

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 29: Experts have said that climate change has highly impacted sexual and reproductive health and rights and the issues should be addressed with high priority.

Climate-induced disasters like floods, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods and other forms of disasters can disrupt infrastructure and access to health services making it difficult for people, especially women and adolescent girls, to access sexual and reproductive health services, they said.

Speaking at the National Conclave on Climate Change and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Forests and Environment and Ipas Nepal on Monday, experts pointed out that in disaster-affected areas, the focus is often on emergency relief that sidelines the need for SRHR care like abortion, contraception and maternal care.

Speaking at the programme Dr. Bimal Regmi, a climate expert, said that various studies conducted in Nepal and experiences, underscored the significant impact of climate change on SRHR.

“The impact of climate change varies across individuals and communities, affecting not only physical well-being but also social, cultural and economic aspects,” Dr. Regmi said.

“There is ample evidence that climate change is impacting SRHR across the nation. Pregnant women and new mothers are facing nutritional challenges. During disasters, there is a heightened risk of sexual violence and forced displacement further exacerbates such vulnerabilities," he said.

Likewise, Joint Secretary and Chief of the Climate Change Management Division, Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal, said that SRHR issues were considered during the formulation of the climate change policy and the National Adaptation Plan. 

“Formulating climate change programmes and policies without addressing health-related issues is meaningless. To tackle these challenges effectively, four ministries—the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Water Supply, the Ministry of Forests and Environment, and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens-must work collaboratively during programme implementation,” he said.

State Minister for Forests and Environment, Rupa BK, highlighted the lack of grassroots-level awareness about the impact of climate change. “We have failed to reach the root level to raise awareness about the effects of climate change. No research has been conducted so far to assess the impact of the Thame disaster on women and adolescent girls. There is still a long way to go in ensuring access to health services for women and girls affected by disasters,” she said.

Khusbu Poudel, Programme Specialist for Climate, Gender, and SRHR at Ipas Nepal, stated that climate change has been contributing to an increase in cases of violence in Nepal. “However, there has been no in-depth research on the impact of climate change-induced disasters on women and girls in Nepal,” she said.

Jagadishwor Ghimire, Country Director of Ipas, Prof. Dr. Shivaraj Adhikari, Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission; Dr. Tanka Barakoti, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population; Dr. Meghnath Dhimal, Chief of the Research Section at the Nepal Health Research Council; Dr. Bhim Prasad Sapkota, Chief of the Health Coordination Division at the Ministry of Health and Population and Susmita Sapkota, Deputy Mayor of Sharda Municipality in Salyan also spoke on the occasion.