Engendering the Climate for Change: Policies and practices for gender-just adaptation

This pilot research was carried during 2010-2011. The research report and policy brief (in English and Hindi) have been published and will be released at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on September 29, 2011.

This research demonstrates that successful adaptation to climate change will require recognition of women as criting a gender analysis framework. This research documents some of the gender-differentiated climate change impacts and adaptation interventions in four agro-climatic zones across four States:

The Himalayan eco-system in Himachal Pradesh

• The flood plains of Eastern Uttar Pradesh
• The Sunderbans coastal area in West Bengal and
• The drought region of Andhra Pradesh

Specific gender-responsive policy and practice recommendations for the implementation of the four adaptation-focused Missions (on sustainable agriculture, water, forests and the Himalayan eco-system) under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) are given. Recommendations for the Mission on Strategic Knowledge are also included. The recommendations given are relevant for State-level Action Plans on Climate Change, now under preparation. The research outlines the roles of different actors including national and state-level government agencies, Panchayat Raj Institutions, the scientific community and civil society organizations.

We hope that this research report will help incorporate gender-just adaptation policies and programmes in the forthcoming 12th Five-year Plan through which the NAPCC and the State climate plans are to be resourced and implemented.