Abstract
Climate change presents a globally urgent and deeply unequal challenge, where risks and vulnerabilities are shaped not only by environmental and economic factors but also by intersecting social identities such as gender, ethnicity, age, disability, and migration status. Traditional climate risk management (CRM) and adaptation strategies often overlook these intersecting inequalities, limiting their ability to address the root causes of vulnerability or deliver just outcomes. In this frame, this paper presents research from the ASCEND project, which examines climate justice through intersectional lenses, integrating vulnerability, resilience, and socio-ecological transformation concepts. It explores how intersectionality can be meaningfully integrated into adaptation planning to support more equitable and transformative climate resilience strategies.
We present findings from a qualitative literature review and intersectional analysis of 35 international case studies, with particular attention to how states, cities, and communities have incorporated gender, minority, youth, and migrant perspectives into climate change adaptation initiatives. Sixteen of the cases are grounded in theory, while 19 combine theoretical and practical elements. Despite increasing recognition of intersectionality in environmental discourse, the analysis reveals limited evidence of its systematic integration into climate change adaptation plans. Institutional and political structures often lack the resources, capacity, or commitment needed to support robust intersectional approaches.
The study shows that vulnerability is shaped by dynamic interactions between individual, social, and environmental factors. For example, gender and caste intersect to shape climate change adaptation in Nepal, while digital exclusion and social isolation create specific vulnerabilities for older adults in Northern Europe. The Vienna Heat Action Plan emphasis on strengthening neighborhood networks and offers a valuable example of community-scale strategies that address diverse needs and foster shared responsibility. Across the cases, the meaningful inclusion of marginalized voices, attention to lived experience, and integration of local knowledge emerged as critical enablers of just adaptation planning.
From this analysis, we derive eight key lessons that can inform future work in other regions and communities. These lessons highlight both conceptual insights and practical strategies for integrating intersectionality into adaptation planning. They offer a foundation for cross-fertilization of approaches and experiences across contexts, supporting the design of more inclusive and just CRM and adaptation strategies.
The findings underscore the importance of intersectionality as both a theoretical lens and a practical tool for identifying and addressing structural inequalities in climate change adaptation. Operationalizing intersectional approaches requires participatory frameworks, targeted resources, and institutional accountability. Future work should prioritize the development of tools, guidelines, and metrics to embed equity and justice in climate risk governance.
In conclusion, this paper highlights the urgent need to center justice in climate change adaptation and CRM strategies—not only as a normative goal but as a practical imperative. Strengthening community networks, learning from marginalized groups’ experiences, and building institutional capacity for intersectional analysis are key steps toward achieving just and transformative climate adaptation.