UN report says heatwaves are cutting farm output in rain-fed Punjab
A joint report by two UN agencies says heatwaves are hurting farm output in rain-fed rural Punjab. It says household incomes are falling and food insecurity is rising, with women hit hardest.
- FAO and WMO report links heatwaves to lower farm output in rain-fed Punjab
- Fruit production in high-rainfall areas has dropped by up to 50 percent
- Women and vulnerable groups are the most affected
A joint report by two UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), says heatwaves of growing intensity and frequency are hurting farm output in the rain-fed rural areas of Punjab. The report is titled "Extreme Heat and Agriculture", according to Daily Pakistan.
The report says the result is lower household incomes and rising food insecurity. Women and vulnerable groups are affected most.
It says fruit production in high-rainfall areas of Punjab has fallen by up to 50 percent, and crop yields have dropped significantly because of the heat. Severe heat also reduces milk output from large animals, while cases of foot-and-mouth disease in small livestock are rising in the region.
When farm output falls, rural families who depend on farming lose the purchasing power to buy basic food, the report says. Heat also speeds up the spoilage of vegetables, milk and other perishable goods, which cuts local supply and pushes prices up. Families produce less varied and less nutritious food for themselves and must buy more from markets, which they can afford less of.
The report gives particular attention to women. It says women in Punjab do key farm work such as harvesting and collecting water, along with heavy household labour, often in extreme heat. This raises the risk of heat-related illness for those working long hours outdoors. Pregnant and breastfeeding women face greater risks and are often the first to have their nutrition cut when food is short. The research links each 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature with a 4 percent increase in the chance of preterm birth, and says heatwaves raise that risk by up to 26 percent.
Women often do not own land or other assets needed to get loans and financial services, and they have limited access to climate information and early warning systems, so they often cannot prepare for severe heat. Rural women sometimes eat less to feed other family members, which can weaken their health and immunity.
On the wider picture, the report says heat is already a major threat to farming worldwide. It intensifies risks such as drought and raises the likelihood of destructive wildfires. If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, nearly half of the world's livestock could face dangerous heat exposure by 2100, with annual losses of about 40 billion dollars. A low-emission scenario could cut those losses by about two-thirds. Farmers may also be forced to clear more land to make up for losses, creating a harmful environmental cycle.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Farming families in rain-fed Punjab are the ones directly described in the report, which says falling output cuts their income and their ability to buy basic food. Faster spoilage of vegetables and milk reduces local supply and pushes prices up, which affects buyers in nearby markets as well. Women who do harvesting and water collection in the heat face added health risks, including to pregnancy. Rising foot-and-mouth disease cases and lower milk output also hit households that keep livestock.
