286
Z. Andlib et al.
(Dankelman 2010). Women and men are vulnerable against the impact of extreme
weather events, and this is determined not only by biology but by differences in their
social roles and duties (Easterling 2000; Wisner et al. 2004; Sultana 2014). Women
are flanked by gender-differentiated circumstances, social-based hindrances, low
monetary status and a muted voice in shaping decisions in developing countries,
frequently having less assets to fall back on than men when faced with extreme
weather events. Ribeiro and Chaúque (2010) observed that Mozambique women
have no influence over natural resources. Moreover, they are excluded from decisionmaking in view of unequal participation in positions of authority—further aggravating their vulnerability. Along these lines, when adapting to climate change, women
usually have less adaptive strategies than men and therefore, both sexes experience
the impacts of climate change differently. However, seeing how both genders settle
on decisions makes it simpler to apply adaptation programmes that will work over
the long haul (Nabikolo et al. 2012). Studies indicate that women and men’s decisions differ along taking risks, choice of coping techniques, versatility, as well as
getting information. A study by Lunduka et al. (2019), indicated that educated maleheaded households were found to be risk-takers, more innovative when deciding on
using better adapted drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties in Zimbabwe. In other
reports, gender-differentiated circumstances, for example, poverty, were identified
as compounding the increasing effects of the impacts of climate change after some
time (Chersich et al. 2018). For instance, 70% of the 1.3 billion individuals living in
poverty are ladies and gender-related inequalities are unavoidable in the developing
world. In spite of the fact that women represent approximately 80% of the agricultural
sector in Africa and the Asia Pacific, they remain vulnerable and poor (Denton 2002;
ADB 2017). Gender inequalities and women’s intermittent socio-economic disadvantages continue to be disregarded and remain a basic test to adaptation efforts.
In particular, supporting women empowerment and drawing from their abilities and
experiences could make climate change responses increasingly effective at the household and national levels. As the world keeps on managing what a post-Kyoto climate
framework should look like, it is crucial that mitigation and adaptation efforts incorporate gender issues. This is an ideal opportunity to ensure that both women and
men’s roles are understood in order to reinforce the resilience of communities, and
put them at the centre of disaster risk reduction approaches. This will reduce risks to
women yet guarantee more pronounced efforts in addressing climate change. In the
rest of this section, we focus on highlighting the example from Southern Africa and
the Asia Pacific regions.
Agriculture is an important sector, contributing billions into the economies of
the Southern African and Pacific regions (IUCN 2010; Baudoin et al. 2017b, a).
However, the sector’s nature hinges on specific climatic conditions, which, with
increases in climate change impacts, could make it more difficult for the marginalized
communities in these regions to participate in their traditional agricultural activities
(FAO 2008). Climate change is recognized as inevitable and one of the most complex
challenges that humankind faces now and, in the future, with simulation models
predicting an increase in atmospheric temperatures, intense rain events as well as a
reduced number of rain days, leading to increased drought risk and hampered crop
Z. Andlib et al.
(Dankelman 2010). Women and men are vulnerable against the impact of extreme
weather events, and this is determined not only by biology but by differences in their
social roles and duties (Easterling 2000; Wisner et al. 2004; Sultana 2014). Women
are flanked by gender-differentiated circumstances, social-based hindrances, low
monetary status and a muted voice in shaping decisions in developing countries,
frequently having less assets to fall back on than men when faced with extreme
weather events. Ribeiro and Chaúque (2010) observed that Mozambique women
have no influence over natural resources. Moreover, they are excluded from decisionmaking in view of unequal participation in positions of authority—further aggravating their vulnerability. Along these lines, when adapting to climate change, women
usually have less adaptive strategies than men and therefore, both sexes experience
the impacts of climate change differently. However, seeing how both genders settle
on decisions makes it simpler to apply adaptation programmes that will work over
the long haul (Nabikolo et al. 2012). Studies indicate that women and men’s decisions differ along taking risks, choice of coping techniques, versatility, as well as
getting information. A study by Lunduka et al. (2019), indicated that educated maleheaded households were found to be risk-takers, more innovative when deciding on
using better adapted drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties in Zimbabwe. In other
reports, gender-differentiated circumstances, for example, poverty, were identified
as compounding the increasing effects of the impacts of climate change after some
time (Chersich et al. 2018). For instance, 70% of the 1.3 billion individuals living in
poverty are ladies and gender-related inequalities are unavoidable in the developing
world. In spite of the fact that women represent approximately 80% of the agricultural
sector in Africa and the Asia Pacific, they remain vulnerable and poor (Denton 2002;
ADB 2017). Gender inequalities and women’s intermittent socio-economic disadvantages continue to be disregarded and remain a basic test to adaptation efforts.
In particular, supporting women empowerment and drawing from their abilities and
experiences could make climate change responses increasingly effective at the household and national levels. As the world keeps on managing what a post-Kyoto climate
framework should look like, it is crucial that mitigation and adaptation efforts incorporate gender issues. This is an ideal opportunity to ensure that both women and
men’s roles are understood in order to reinforce the resilience of communities, and
put them at the centre of disaster risk reduction approaches. This will reduce risks to
women yet guarantee more pronounced efforts in addressing climate change. In the
rest of this section, we focus on highlighting the example from Southern Africa and
the Asia Pacific regions.
Agriculture is an important sector, contributing billions into the economies of
the Southern African and Pacific regions (IUCN 2010; Baudoin et al. 2017b, a).
However, the sector’s nature hinges on specific climatic conditions, which, with
increases in climate change impacts, could make it more difficult for the marginalized
communities in these regions to participate in their traditional agricultural activities
(FAO 2008). Climate change is recognized as inevitable and one of the most complex
challenges that humankind faces now and, in the future, with simulation models
predicting an increase in atmospheric temperatures, intense rain events as well as a
reduced number of rain days, leading to increased drought risk and hampered crop