Gender, climate change and livelihoods: vulnerabilities and adaptations

Abstract

Abstract This book applies a gender lens to examine the implications of climate change for livelihoods in vulnerable states. The goals are to enhance awareness of climate change as a gender issue, and to highlight the importance of gender in identifying livelihood vulnerabilities and in designing more robust climate adaptation measures, especially in climate-sensitive industries such as agriculture. The contributions in this book examine how the consequences of climate change affect women and men in different ways, and address the implications of climate change for women's livelihoods and resource access. The book is organized into two main sections. The first section (Chapters 2-8) examines disparities in the vulnerability of women's and men's livelihoods to climate change. The chapters in this section address issues such as gender inequalities in the household distribution of labour; differential access to agricultural livelihood inputs and assets; gender-based threats to personal safety and security; and gendered vulnerability to and experiences with climate disasters, food insecurity, and infrastructure development. The second section (chapters 9-16) takes a gender-based view of various climate adaptation initiatives in areas that rely on agriculture for subsistence and production. The contributions in this section address gender-inclusive participation in climate policy planning and decision making, the role of gender in livelihood adaptation measures, and any successes, failures, or opportunities for improvement that emerge from these efforts.