Chapter 15
Understanding Gender Dimensions
of Disaster Impacts on Agriculture
in the Global South
Zubaria Andlib, Givemore Munashe Makonya, and Kumbirai Ivyne Mateva
Abstract Climate change is recognized as inevitable and one of the most complex
challenges that humankind faces now and, in the future. Simulation models have
predicted increased atmospheric temperatures, an increase in intense rain events as
well as a reduced number of rain days, leading to increased drought risk and hampered
crop production. Indeed, the effects of drought and heat stress associated with climate
change are expected to be more severe in the tropics and sub-tropics where temperatures are already quite high. Poor and marginalized segments of society are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. They tend to have limited
resources, the capacity to adapt, and hence their livelihoods tend to be highly dependent on natural resources which are sensitive to climatic variability. Just as different
countries and groups in society have varying degrees of susceptibility to the adverse
impacts of climate change, men and women also have different coping and adaptive
capacities that lend themselves to different vulnerabilities and responses. Therefore, gender equality is a fundamental part of increased resilience to disasters for
improved livelihoods. This review chapter is centred on cases of marginalized third
world countries in Southern Africa and the Asia Pacific with the specific objective
of understanding the nexus between gender, climate change adaptation and disaster
risk reduction with a specific focus on agriculture. With this review, we intend to
provide insight into gender dimensions for recovery in developing countries that is
often overlooked by national and international policymakers, as well as bridging the
gap between the policymakers, researchers and farmers.
Z. Andlib (B)
Science and Technology, Department of Economics, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Islamabad
44000, Pakistan
e-mail: economist243@gmail.com
G. M. Makonya
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701,
South Africa
K. I. Mateva
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Jalan Broga,
43500 Semenyih, Malaysia
Crops for the Future, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Djalante et al. (eds.), Integrated Research on Disaster Risks, Disaster Risk Reduction,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55563-4_15
279
Understanding Gender Dimensions
of Disaster Impacts on Agriculture
in the Global South
Zubaria Andlib, Givemore Munashe Makonya, and Kumbirai Ivyne Mateva
Abstract Climate change is recognized as inevitable and one of the most complex
challenges that humankind faces now and, in the future. Simulation models have
predicted increased atmospheric temperatures, an increase in intense rain events as
well as a reduced number of rain days, leading to increased drought risk and hampered
crop production. Indeed, the effects of drought and heat stress associated with climate
change are expected to be more severe in the tropics and sub-tropics where temperatures are already quite high. Poor and marginalized segments of society are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. They tend to have limited
resources, the capacity to adapt, and hence their livelihoods tend to be highly dependent on natural resources which are sensitive to climatic variability. Just as different
countries and groups in society have varying degrees of susceptibility to the adverse
impacts of climate change, men and women also have different coping and adaptive
capacities that lend themselves to different vulnerabilities and responses. Therefore, gender equality is a fundamental part of increased resilience to disasters for
improved livelihoods. This review chapter is centred on cases of marginalized third
world countries in Southern Africa and the Asia Pacific with the specific objective
of understanding the nexus between gender, climate change adaptation and disaster
risk reduction with a specific focus on agriculture. With this review, we intend to
provide insight into gender dimensions for recovery in developing countries that is
often overlooked by national and international policymakers, as well as bridging the
gap between the policymakers, researchers and farmers.
Z. Andlib (B)
Science and Technology, Department of Economics, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Islamabad
44000, Pakistan
e-mail: economist243@gmail.com
G. M. Makonya
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701,
South Africa
K. I. Mateva
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Jalan Broga,
43500 Semenyih, Malaysia
Crops for the Future, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Djalante et al. (eds.), Integrated Research on Disaster Risks, Disaster Risk Reduction,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55563-4_15
279