An Intersectional Approach to Climate Risk Assessment

The paper proposes a six-step intersectional framework for climate risk assessments (CRAs) to move beyond general geographic or sectoral analysis. It emphasizes identifying 'intersecting systems of inequity'—such as racism, ableism, and patriarchy—to understand why specific groups face disproportionate or unique climate impacts. The framework is currently being tested through action research in Nepal and South Africa.

• Standard climate risk assessments (CRAs) often fail to account for social dynamics, typically focusing on sectors or geographic areas while overlooking the systemic drivers that exacerbate vulnerability for specific groups.
• An intersectional approach to CRA improves risk analysis by examining how overlapping systems of inequity, such as patriarchy, racism, and ableism, create structural barriers that increase climate vulnerability.
• The proposed intersectional CRA framework follows a six-step process: defining purpose and scope, identifying climate hazards, assessing exposure, assessing impacts, assessing vulnerability, and evaluating future risk.
• The framework distinguishes between three types of climate impacts: 'common impacts' affecting everyone similarly, 'disproportionate impacts' that affect everyone but hit marginalized groups harder, and 'specific impacts' that exclusively affect intersectionally marginalized groups.
• Vulnerability is analyzed as a combination of sensitivity (characteristics making one susceptible) and adaptive capacity (factors enabling adjustment), with a specific focus on how structural barriers created by systems of inequity drive these factors.
• The framework evaluates whether climate hazards and their compounding effects may increase future inequities, potentially widening the gap between those who can access resources (like quality housing) and those who cannot.
• The framework is being tested via the 'Understanding Climate Risks Through an Intersectional Approach (iCRA)' project in two specific locations: Mardhar in the Terai region of Nepal, focusing on caste, gender, and ageism; and Elsies River in Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on racism, ableism, and LGBTQIA+ discrimination.

APA

Dazé, A., Hunter, C., & Dekens, J. (2026). An Intersectional Approach to Climate Risk Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/intersectional-approach-climate-risk-assessment.pdf

Chicago

Dazé, Angie, Cameron Hunter, and Julie Dekens. An Intersectional Approach to Climate Risk Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/intersectional-approach-climate-risk-assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dazé |first1=Angie |last2=Hunter |first2=Cameron |last3=Dekens |first3=Julie |title=An Intersectional Approach to Climate Risk Assessment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/intersectional-approach-climate-risk-assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daz2026intersectional, author = {Dazé, Angie and Hunter, Cameron and Dekens, Julie}, title = {{An Intersectional Approach to Climate Risk Assessment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/intersectional-approach-climate-risk-assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }