How do gender approaches improve climate compatible development? Lessons from India

The document emphasizes that gender perspectives are often missing from climate change policies and that most existing research focuses on rural areas. It argues that urban settings in India require a distinct gender-sensitive approach due to complex social dimensions and specific vulnerabilities, such as weaker social cohesion and higher risks of flooding and food insecurity. To address this, the brief suggests adapting project activities and participatory methods, such as using Participatory Urban Appraisals, to better suit urban contexts and the availability of different genders.

• Gender perspectives are frequently omitted from the design and planning of climate change policies, and research on the intersection of gender and climate change has been predominantly limited to rural environments.
• Climate vulnerabilities in urban India differ from rural areas due to complex social dimensions of caste, gender, and class. Specific urban challenges include increased food insecurity, a higher probability of waterlogging and flooding caused by poor services and infrastructure, and diminished social cohesion, which increases the reliance of women and marginalised groups on external assistance.
• To effectively address gender differences in urban settings, project activities should be modified, such as scheduling meetings based on the availability of men and women and utilizing community volunteers. The ACCCRN project demonstrated that rural participatory methods can be adapted for cities through the use of Participatory Urban Appraisals conducted via smaller meetings.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2016). How do gender approaches improve climate compatible development? Lessons from India. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-gender-approaches-improve-climate-compatible-development-lessons-india

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. How do gender approaches improve climate compatible development? Lessons from India. 2016. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-gender-approaches-improve-climate-compatible-development-lessons-india.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=How do gender approaches improve climate compatible development? Lessons from India |date=2 June 2016 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-gender-approaches-improve-climate-compatible-development-lessons-india |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2016how, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{How do gender approaches improve climate compatible development? Lessons from India}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-gender-approaches-improve-climate-compatible-development-lessons-india}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }