Understanding Climate Risks Through an Intersectional Approach (iCRA)

Intersectionality considers how forms of discrimination—such as racism and ableism, for example—overlap and interact to advantage some people while disadvantaging others, thereby creating intersecting systems of inequity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies intersectionality as a fundamental question for just and equitable climate change adaptation. While there is increasing recognition that an intersectional approach is needed to reach the people most at risk from the impacts of climate change, it remains unclear how to apply intersectionality in practice.

Climate risk assessments (CRAs) create the foundation for adaptation by building understanding of impacts and vulnerabilities. Through case studies in Nepal and South Africa, the iCRA project will pilot an intersectional approach to CRA, analyzing how interconnected systems of inequity influence exposure and vulnerability to climate hazards and what this means for adaptation action. 

Central to the approach is collaboration with partners who provide services to and advocate for marginalized groups within the communities of focus. They will both contribute expertise and lead engagement with members of their constituencies. Through a knowledge co production process, the project will generate evidence-based guidance and recommendations to inform policy and practice.

In Nepal, the case study focuses on Mardhar, a rural community in Mithila municipality in the Terai region. The CRA will explore how flooding and drought affect people who experience the intersections of caste- and gender-based discrimination and ageism.

The case study in South Africa will be undertaken in Elsies River, a neighbourhood in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. Here, the CRA will unpack risks associated with drought and extreme heat for people experiencing intersecting racism, ableism, and discrimination against LGBTQI+ communities.

The iCRA project is implemented with support from the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) program. CLARE is a flagship research program on climate adaptation and resilience, funded mostly (about 90%) by UK Aid through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and co-funded by the International Development Research Centre, Canada. CLARE is bridging critical gaps between science and action by championing Southern leadership to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards.