A distressing correlation between climate-related shocks and the prevalence of child marriage

Climate change is often discussed in terms of rising sea levels, extreme weather events and threats to food security. But another devastating consequence of our warming planet that often goes overlooked is its impact on child marriages. This is more evident in Bangladesh, which is prone to various natural disasters induced by climate change. 

Although Bangladesh made significant progress in curbing child marriages, the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation. In this context, it has become all the more important to consider the impact of the climate crisis on the rate of child marriages and adopt effective policy measures to tackle it. 

The link between climate change and child marriage is manifested through several intermediate factors. Climate change has been driving extreme weather events like heatwaves and droughts while causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of disasters like floods, cyclones and hurricanes. These weather shocks, in turn, affect rural communities' agricultural productivity and capacities. 

As an adaptability strategy, poor and vulnerable households across the world are forcing their daughters into early marriages. Bangladesh is not an exception in this regard. A similar phenomenon has also been observed in Africa. 

However, Bangladesh's vulnerability to natural calamities puts it in a riskier place concerning child marriage. Due to several factors, including geographic location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon climate, Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climatological, hydrometeorological and other geophysical hazards. 

In May 2023, Bangladesh was vulnerable to the extremely severe cyclonic storm Mocha. Although Bangladesh is now regarded as a global leader in disaster management, the vulnerability to natural disasters only heightens with the climate crisis worsening. The impact of these natural disasters, through various socio-economic channels, may worsen the child marriage situation in Bangladesh, where patriarchal norms are deeply entrenched. 

Empirical research published in Global Public Health suggests that, in Bangladesh, 62% of all child marriages occurred within the first 12 months in the five years following the 2007 cyclone Sidr. Moreover, the closure of schools during such events, where they were used as emergency shelters, resulted in the loss of academic years. This, in turn, results in parents marrying off their girls.

In some communities, there is a preference for young brides in marriage as they are regarded as fertile and also easier to dominate. For impoverished parents, any doubts about their daughter's behaviour or character can increase the cost of dowry; given the constant risk of sexual harassment and insecurity during natural disasters, families under distress often opt to marry off their daughters at a young age as a means of seeking protection and easing their burdens. 

From an economic perspective, poverty is a primary cause of child marriage. According to the UNFPA, in South Asia, girls from the poorest quintile are four times more likely to become child brides than those born into the wealthiest quintile. 

With climate change and increased poverty, families are marrying their daughters off early, as it involves a one-time payment rather than ongoing expenses for their daughter's care. This is especially true in areas where dowry practices are standard, as the costs associated with marriage can be reduced after a disaster.

New UNICEF figures show South Asia has the largest number of child brides globally. This region has 290 million child brides, accounting for 45% of the global total, which calls for further efforts to eliminate the practice of child marriage.

A qualitative survey on female victims of child marriage, conducted in 2021 in eight villages in climate-affected coastal Bangladesh, found that more than two-thirds of the respondents had experienced at least one natural disaster before marriage. It also indicated a deep link between climate-related shocks and the prevalence of child marriage.

Bangladesh's Child Marriage Restraint Act 2016 has loopholes that allow girls under 18 to get married under "special circumstances." These loopholes in the legal framework only add to the grievances of young girls vulnerable to forced marriage.

One way to address climate change and its impact on the rate of child marriage is to adopt a holistic approach toward empowering young girls and their families. This entails incorporating strategies like agricultural skills training, life skills, empowerment training and property rights reform. Additionally, it is essential to involve women and girls in planning disaster response actions and promoting their access to sustainable energy and time-saving technologies. 

We are responsible for working together to stop climate change from becoming a driving force behind child marriage in Bangladesh. Now is the time to pay attention and act. We have the power to make a change, to reduce carbon footprint and to support vulnerable communities. 

Countries historically responsible for carbon emissions need to come forward and assist poorer countries in tackling the challenges of climate change. Additionally, we must pursue our governments to take consistent policy actions, including funding renewable energy projects, safeguarding at-risk areas and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Aerica Rishiraj is a Research Intern at The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India.

Raktimava Bose is an Associate Fellow at The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India. 

Omar Raad Chowdhury is a Research Associate at South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.