Impacto del cambio climático en la calidad de vida

Messias António Bumba

Authors

Messias António Bumba Universidade de Luanda Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3581-0888

Keywords:

climate change, quality of life, health, water security, social vulnerability, community resilience.

Abstract

Climate change affects quality of life through interconnected processes that compromise health, water availability, food security, household income, housing conditions, and subjective well-being. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between exposure to climate hazards and the quality of life of residents of Ecuadorian communities, while considering the protective influence of social support and community organization. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational-explanatory design was applied to a synthetic dataset comprising 420 resident profiles from six rural and coastal communities. The assessment incorporated indicators of climate exposure, health effects, water and food security, economic stability, housing conditions, community support, and life satisfaction. The results showed a negative relationship between climate exposure and overall quality of life (r = −0.58; p < 0.001). Water insecurity (β = −0.31), loss of livelihoods (β = −0.27), and climate-related health problems (β = −0.24) were the strongest explanatory factors. Social support and community organization also had a protective effect, particularly among highly exposed individuals. It is concluded that the impact of climate change on quality of life depends not only on the intensity of environmental hazards, but also on social inequalities, institutional response capacity, and locally available community resources.

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