Paving the way towards gender responsiveness: An analysis of gender inclusion in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR)

Gender issues are a sensitive topic in all cultures; however, gender is a highly significant factor to take into account to assess people’s vulnerability against disasters. Gender differences are pivotal in understanding unequal access to natural resources and the impacts of empowerment towards sustainable outcomes. This thesis elucidates the nexus of gender, ecosystem management and disaster risk reduction, providing recommendations for gender-responsive actions to support the implementation of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) interventions. This study examines the current state of existing literature addressing the proposed nexus with a systematic literature review. The review is complemented by interviews with experts from the EcoDRR field, evaluating the perception of gender issues in practice and discussed through a comparison of pilot projects by UNEP in Afghanistan and Haiti. Results from the first two methods revealed six main components that are defined to conduct gender responsive actions in Eco-DRR. They determine people’s engagement for disaster risk strategies and serve as guiding tools for the application of activities to overcome gender biases. These components are exemplified with the suggested case studies to demonstrate the context-specific integration of gender considerations. Through the analysis of scientific research, expert interviews as well as case studies this thesis brings science, policy and implementation perspectives together and provides a holistic understanding of the linkages in the nexus of gender, ecosystems and disaster risk reduction.