Gender, Development and Climate Change

In the face of extreme weather events, desertification, and a rise in sea levels, governments and communities around the world increasingly recognize that the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change is urgent. The global agenda and negotiations focus on what governments, corporations, and institutions can do in the search for large-scale technological solutions. Yet women, men, and local communities all have roles, responsibilities, and interests that hold the potential either to harm or to benefit their environment.

This book considers the gendered dimensions of climate change. Ranging in scope from high-level global decisionmaking to local communities, the contributors examine the potential impacts of environmental degradation and change on vulnerable groups. They highlight the different vulnerabilities, coping strategies, and risks faced by men and women, and the socio-economic implications of changing livelihoods and insecurity. Examples of mitigation projects that have successfully integrated gender concerns are explored, as well as initiatives that have overlooked gender considerations and resulted in different outcomes for women and men.