Missing link in climate adaptation: Why sexual and reproductive health and rights matter
When women and girls have the freedom, information, resources and services to make decisions about their reproductive lives, they are better able to protect their health, pursue their aspirations and contribute to climate adaptation, writes Dancan Muhereza
Dancan Muhereza. (File)
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OPINION
By Dancan Muhereza
Uganda is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Changing seasons, prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall are disrupting livelihoods, threatening food security and pushing many families towards poverty and malnutrition. For communities that depend on agriculture for food and income, climate change is increasingly being felt in their homes, gardens and pockets.
Climate change is largely driven by greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from burning fossil fuels such as oil, petrol and diesel, as well as industrial activities. Addressing it requires two major approaches: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Adaptation, on the other hand, means adjusting to the effects of climate change, reducing vulnerability and strengthening people's ability to cope and recover.
There is an important climate justice question here: who is responsible for climate change, and who suffers most from its effects?
Historically, developed countries have contributed the largest share of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions. Yet developing countries, including Uganda, which have contributed relatively little to global emissions, face some of the greatest climate risks. Globally, the poorest half of the population accounts for only about 10% of emissions, while the richest 10% are responsible for approximately half of global emissions.
This inequality means that climate action must go beyond reducing emissions. Countries like Uganda must also invest in strategies that help communities withstand climate shocks, protect their livelihoods and maintain their well-being. One often overlooked but powerful strategy is ensuring access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). SRHR comprises issues such as maternal and newborn health, family planning, HIV and STIs, reproductive cancers, safe abortion and post-abortion care, and gender-based violence (GBV).
Why SRHR matters in climate adaptation
At first, the connection between SRHR and climate change adaptation may not be obvious. However, climate change affects people's SRHR, livelihoods and ability to make decisions about their lives. Fore isntance, pregnant women are more likely to experience hypertension, exhaustion, miscarriages and stillbirths with higher temperatures and food insecurity. Access to quality SRHR services enables people to remain healthy, participate in economic activities, spend less of their limited resources treating preventable illnesses and recover more effectively from climate-related shocks.
Family planning is one important example of how SRHR contributes to climate adaptation. However, its role in climate discussions is sometimes misunderstood.
There is a narrative that reducing population growth, particularly in developing countries, is necessary to address climate change because fewer people would mean less pressure on natural resources. I reject this argument because it places the responsibility for solving the climate crisis on the fertility of women and girls in low-income countries.
First, access to family planning is a fundamental human right. Women and girls should be able to decide whether, when and how many children to have, without coercion or pressure. Their reproductive choices should never become instruments for managing a climate crisis they have contributed very little to creating.
Second, climate responsibility cannot be measured by population size alone. The countries and populations with the highest consumption and emissions have contributed disproportionately to the crisis. Shifting responsibility towards women in poorer countries distracts from the urgent need for high-emitting countries to reduce their emissions.
This does not mean family planning has no role in climate action. On the contrary, voluntary, rights-based family planning can strengthen household and community resilience.
When individuals and couples can plan their families, they have greater opportunities to make informed decisions about household resources, education, livelihoods and the well-being of their children. Families can better plan for their needs, invest in their children's education and manage the financial pressures that often become more difficult during droughts, floods and other climate shocks.
Importantly, family planning also helps women make reproductive decisions in a changing climate. Pregnancy and childbirth require adequate nutrition, healthcare and social support. Climate-related heat exposure, food insecurity and disruptions to health services can increase health risks for pregnant women and their babies. Access to contraception allows women to decide whether and when to become pregnant, while access to quality maternal healthcare helps protect those who choose to have children.
Family planning does not replace climate adaptation measures. Rather, it is part of the wider package of health and social services that enables families to prepare for and cope with climate-related risks.
SRHR creates opportunities for women and communities
These barriers become even more serious during climate emergencies. Women and girls may face increased care responsibilities, loss of livelihoods, disrupted access to healthcare and heightened risks of gender-based violence. Displaced women and girls, people with disabilities, refugees and other marginalised groups may experience even greater challenges.
Access to SRHR services helps address some of these inequalities. When women can make decisions about their reproductive lives, they have greater opportunities to pursue education, participate in economic activities, access resources and engage in leadership and community affairs.
These opportunities matter for climate adaptation. A woman with access to education, income, healthcare and decision-making spaces is better positioned to respond to climate risks, diversify her livelihood and participate in community-led adaptation initiatives.
Similarly, when young people have access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and services, they are better equipped to make informed decisions about their health and futures.
Putting SRHR at the centre of climate adaptation
Uganda's climate adaptation efforts must recognise that resilience is not built through infrastructure and agricultural interventions alone. It also depends on healthy, informed and empowered people.
District climate change adaptation plans and national climate policies should therefore deliberately integrate SRHR. This means investing in accessible reproductive health services, strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare, ensuring continuity of services during climate emergencies, preventing gender-based violence and involving women and young people in climate planning and decision-making.
Health facilities must also be prepared to continue providing essential SRHR services during floods, droughts and other climate-related emergencies. Community health workers and local leaders should be equipped with information to help communities understand the links between climate change and reproductive health.
Ultimately, climate justice cannot be achieved without gender equality and the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights. SRHR is not a population-control tool, nor should it be treated as a secondary issue in climate policy. It is a fundamental human right and an important foundation for building resilient communities.
When women and girls have the freedom, information, resources and services to make decisions about their reproductive lives, they are better able to protect their health, pursue their aspirations and contribute to climate adaptation. Investing in SRHR is therefore not just investing in healthier families; it is investing in stronger, more resilient communities.