Heat Stress and Climate Vulnerability among Farm Women Engaged in Cucurbit Cultivation: An Environmental Physiology Perspective
E. Shirin Hima Bindu *
Department of Resource Management and Consumer Science, College of Community Science, PJTAU, Hyderabad, India.
R. Neela Rani
All India Coordinated Research Project on Women in Agriculture, PJTAU, Hyderabad, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Increasing ambient temperatures and humidity associated with climate change have intensified occupational heat stress among agricultural workers, particularly women engaged in manual vegetable cultivation. The present study examined the relationship between environmental stress parameters viz., temperature and relative humidity and physiological responses such as heart rate, fatigue perception and recovery among farm women involved in cucurbit cultivation. The study was conducted in a semi-arid region of Telangana with a purposive sample of fifty farm women. Environmental parameters were recorded during active work periods and interpreted using Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Heat Index (HI) risk categories based on physiological data. Results showed that field conditions frequently exceeded recommended thermal safety limits, corresponding with elevated working heart rates, increased fatigue perception and delayed recovery. The findings highlight heat stress as a critical climate-linked determinant of occupational vulnerability among farm women and underscore the need for climate-responsive occupational health interventions such as WBGT-guided work–rest scheduling, heat-stress awareness and adaptive farm work practices to safeguard women’s health under changing climatic conditions.
Keywords: Heat stress, WBGT, heat index, climate vulnerability, farm women, heart rate, fatigue