Advancing Gender-Responsive and Socially Inclusive Practices in Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation
By sharing promising practices and lessons learned, these case studies seek to inform and inspire adaptation practitioners and planners to help ensure that gender-responsive and socially inclusive practices are integrated throughout the lifetime of a project.
Key Findings
-
Including diverse voices (women, youth, Elders, and so on) in project activities and providing safe, inclusive spaces for sharing can help enhance operations and improve the effectiveness of nature-based solutions for adaptation projects.
-
For nature-based solutions programming to be effective, it is important to build trust with community members and establish local partnerships and relationships with trusted liaisons and facilitators—particularly those from equity-deserving groups.
-
Investing in citizen science and community-led, gender-responsive, and socially inclusive monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes is key to better understand the varied impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss on local communities.
While there is an increased push for nature-based solutions (NbS) projects around the globe, a gap in evidence exists on projects that promote gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) outcomes. Designing NbS for adaptation projects to be responsive to differences in intersecting identity factors, such as gender, age, sexuality, socio-economic status, Indigeneity, and ability, is important. Considering these factors can help build the adaptive capacity of equity-deserving groups to climate change, enable these groups to participate in adaptation planning and decision making, and strengthen the resilience of their local ecosystems.
To address this gap in evidence, these two case studies have been developed as a supplement to the Nature for Climate Adaptation Initiative report, Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation. They provide practical examples of integrating GESI considerations at various stages of implementing NbS for adaptation.
The first case study showcases a gender-responsive and socially inclusive approach to climate resilience planning for small-scale cooperatives in Zanzibar. The case study demonstrates how understanding the gendered context of operations and governance structures, assessing climate risks using a GESI lens, and identifying and selecting options with inclusivity in mind can enhance the efficacy and sustainability of NbS for adaptation.
The second case study provides a practical example of socially inclusive implementation and monitoring, evaluation, and learning as part of an Indigenous Guardians program that seeks to incorporate Traditional Knowledge and practices into land and wildlife management to better adapt to a changing climate in Canada.
Each case study includes an overview of the local context and climate risks, how the project considered the need for climate change adaptation and integrated gender-responsive and socially inclusive practices, and lessons learned. The case studies were developed through interviews with project implementers and by reviewing relevant reports and documents.
The report is part of a compendium of resources developed by the Nature for Climate Adaptation Initiative (NCAI), which is supported by Global Affairs Canada.
You might also be interested in
For Nature-Based Solutions to Be Effective, We Need to Work with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
Nature-based solutions have been praised as a promising approach to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. But some Indigenous Peoples and local communities are questioning the legitimacy of the concept and what it symbolizes. It is time to listen to what they have to say.
How to Make Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation Work for Everyone
Effective nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation start with integrated climate risk assessments. These take-aways will help practitioners plan for inclusive and sustainable NbS.
Inclusive Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation
Discover how climate change and biodiversity loss impact people differently and how inclusive nature-based solutions for adaptation can help.
A Story of Gender, Equity, and Justice in Climate Change Adaptation
This comic illustrates and explains the key messages on gender, equity, and justice from the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.