Abstract
This paper examines climate change adaptation and gender issues through an application of a feminist intersectional approach. This approach permits the identification of diverse adaptation responses arising from the existence of multiple and fragmented dimensions of identity (including gender) that intersect with power relations to shape situation-specific interactions between farmers and ecosystems. Based on results from contrasting research cases in Bihar and Uttarakhand, India, this paper demonstrates, inter alia, that there are geographically determined gendered preferences and adoption strategies regarding adaptation options and that these are influenced by the socio-ecological context and institutional dynamics. Intersecting identities, such as caste, wealth, age and gender, influence decisions and reveal power dynamics and negotiation within the household and the community, as well as barriers to adaptation among groups. Overall, the findings suggest that a feminist intersectional approach does appear to be useful and worth further exploration in the context of climate change adaptation. In particular, future research could benefit from more emphasis on a nuanced analysis of the intra-gender differences that shape adaptive capacity to climate change.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-016-0833-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
International initiatives, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Sustainable Development Goals, recognize that understanding the vulnerability and adaptation responses of local communities to climate change is critical to promote mechanisms for climate change-related planning
Socio-economic and cultural adaptation strategies in Uttarakhand In Uttarakhand, both men and women prioritized the strategy of household income diversification, i.e. wage labour in or nearby the village, sale of home-made products, petty trade (5), as a means of guaranteeing livelihood security
This paper contributes to facilitating the recognition of diverse and multiple adaptation responses and the link with gender in the context of climate change
Summary
International initiatives, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Sustainable Development Goals, recognize that understanding the vulnerability and adaptation responses of local communities to climate change is critical to promote mechanisms for climate change-related planning. In the context of climate change, adaptation refers to adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (IPCC 2014). It involves adjustments in lifestyle, behaviours and socioeconomic structures (i.e. livelihood security-based responses) as well as in land use and management of biodiversity and ecological processes (i.e. ecosystem-based responses) (Smit et al 2000; Ojea 2015; Vignola et al 2015). A significant body of literature on gender and climate change shows that women and men perceive and experience climate change differently, and usually women are more vulnerable due to their dependence on natural resources
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