ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AMONG WOMEN IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, climate change brings significant threats to health, especially towards women. This is due to women’s unique biological characteristics and their diverse social role within the community. This scoping review examines women’s adaptation strategies across individual, community, and organizational levels.

Method: This scoping review employed the Population, Exposure and Outcome (PEO) framework to review literature from Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, focusing on studies published from 2014 to 2024. A total of 19 out of 1079 articles were included. The included studies used qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods study design.

Results: At the individual level, women employed socioeconomic adaptations, primarily in agriculture and finance, using crop diversification, savings groups, and micro-credit to enhance resilience. Traditional knowledge also supported health adaptations. Integration of traditional knowledge, including medicinal plant use and indigenous weather prediction, fosters intergenerational knowledge exchange as well as resilience. Community-level strategies focused on social networks for resource sharing, disaster preparedness, and collective health initiatives. Organizational strategies emphasized economic empowerment through financial aid, training, and climate-smart agriculture, with women’s leadership and advocacy promoting gender-inclusive climate responses.

Conclusion: Women’s adaptation strategies are diverse, integrating economic, social, and traditional methods to mitigate climate impacts. This review highlights the need for gender-sensitive policies that address women’s unique adaptation needs. Acknowledging the methodological limitations, including the focus on low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the lack of long-term analysis.