By Kim McGrath
In December 2023, the Peruvian Andes were hit by a severe drought followed by a wave of nighttime freezing temperatures. The “cold shock” didn’t just wither crops and cause widespread hunger; it reached deep into the homes of the families who live there.
“We knew that households in the highlands of Peru faced loss of income from exposure to sub-zero conditions. And they were also confined indoors due to the weather,” said economist Leah Lakdawala.
“There can be bad circumstances when you’re trapped inside with someone who could be potentially dangerous, and who is, on top of that, under a lot of financial stress. There are plenty of agricultural communities worldwide, not just in Peru, even in the United States, that suffer the consequences when it gets very cold.”
The ‘double jeopardy’ of cold
By analyzing nearly a decade of data from the Peruvian Highlands—a region where extreme cold events are becoming more frequent—Lakdawala and her colleagues identified two primary ways that prolonged extreme cold affects family well-being.
Forced time indoors during frigid weather can cause anxiety, restlessness and irritability – also known as “cabin fever.” In homes with a history of domestic violence, being trapped inside during a long cold snap could be potentially dangerous, Lakdawala explains.
Source : wfu.edu