Journal article
Extreme weather should be defined according to impacts on climate-vulnerable communities
Nature climate change, v 14(5), pp 462-467
01 May 2024
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Climate change and related extreme weather events (EWEs) are expected to widen social and health inequalities. Yet, EWE thresholds and associated adaptation strategies do not centre experiences of vulnerable communities. This study explored the impacts of temperature- and precipitation-based EWEs for women in informal settlements, whether meteorological definitions of these EWEs capture impacts and whether self-reported impacts can be used to develop impact-based thresholds. We combined meteorological data with longitudinal monthly survey data collected from September 2022 through February 2023 from a probability sample of 800 women in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Findings suggest that women experience health, economic, environmental, emotional, social and property impacts; thresholds of EWEs currently used for early action and preparedness are not capturing impacts; and, while self-reported impact data may provide an excellent first step in the process of (re)defining thresholds for some EWEs (for example, precipitation-based), more research and discussions with communities are needed.
Defining thresholds for extreme weather events is important for adaptation but often ignores impacts on climate-vulnerable communities. This research finds current practices do not capture experiences of women in informal settlements and self-reported impact data could help to address the issue.
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Details
- Title
- Extreme weather should be defined according to impacts on climate-vulnerable communities
- Creators
- Samantha C. Winter - Columbia UniversityMark R. Winter - Drexel UniversityLaNae Plaxico - Columbia UniversityAnna K. Balakrishnan - Columbia UniversityMillicent Dzombo - Drexel UniversityLoni Phillip Tabb - Columbia Global CenterEbuka Ukoh - Columbia UniversityChloe Lincoln - Columbia UniversityLena Moraa Obara - Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyStephanie Achieng Otieno - Drexel UniversityRichard Muita - Kenya Wildlife ServiceSusan S. Witte - Columbia Univ, New York, NY 10027 USA
- Publication Details
- Nature climate change, v 14(5), pp 462-467
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- National Institute of Mental Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R21MH127356 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Electrical and Computer Engineering; Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001207059200002
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85191030640
- Other Identifier
- 991022028938004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences