Fertility Intentions in Rural Malawi After Cyclone Idai

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sociology
• Demography

Background:

• Extreme weather events disrupt households, causing financial, marital, and housing instability.
• Environmental disruptions can heighten household uncertainty, impacting long-term planning.
• Fertility intentions are influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of environmental uncertainty in shaping fertility intentions.
• To explore motivations behind fertility intentions following extreme weather events.
• To advance theory on the relationship between environmental forces and fertility.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using in-depth interviews.
• Data collected in rural Malawi in July 2019, post-Cyclone Idai.
• Analysis of narratives on reproductive plans and inter-birth intervals.

Main Results:

• Majority of parents with children planned to wait at least four years for another child.
• Identified a typology of respondents preferring long inter-birth intervals.
• Motivations for birth spacing included traditional practices and uncertainty about future stability.

Conclusions:

• Environmental uncertainty significantly shapes fertility intentions.
• Future stability and resource availability are key considerations in reproductive decisions.
• Findings contribute to understanding human fertility responses to environmental change.