Climate change has a huge impact on many aspects of Indonesia’s economy, society and environment. The Cirebon area in West Java province is particularly affected by sea level rise, coastal flooding and long-term drought, making its population vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Vulnerability to climate change depends on an individual’s adaptive capacity – and gender inequality can affect this capacity. This briefing assesses the gender dimensions of climate change vulnerability in Cirebon coastal area and explores how gender sensitivity can be mainstreamed into local climate adaptation policies. Other factors which affect adaptive capacity, such as education, livelihoods, culture and the role of government, should also be taken into account when mainstreaming gender effectively into urban climate resilience plans and initiatives.
Policy pointers:
- gender is an important analytical lens which highlights the different ways in which women and men manage risks and access opportunities, and the implications of this differential access for reducing vulnerability to climate change
- gender mainstreaming in climate change adaptation is complex, and it must be considered alongside education, economic conditions, cultural norms, and the role of government, to be effectively implemented
- Indonesian national and local government institutions have started to consider gender mainstreaming in formulating and in implementing climate change adaptation policy and programs – but a key institution with legal authority in decision-making should oversee the process to avoid duplication