In the largest city of Nicaragua’s sugar cane-growing region, agricultural workers – who have scant labour protection and usually come from poor families – see little option but to risk their health working in extreme heat, being made more intense and frequent by climate change. Exposure is causing cases of damaged and failing kidneys. This is complicated by consequential anxiety and depression.
“You shouldn’t work if your kidneys are failing; you shouldn’t risk dehydration, exposing yourself to high temperatures or straining yourself physically, but people can’t afford not to work, and some of the only work available around here is in the fields.”