Long Summary
What is this summary about?
This summary examines how various policies address the unique vulnerabilities of women in developing countries to climate change and evaluates their effectiveness in building gender-equitable climate resilience.
What evidence is this summary based on?
The summary is based on one systematic review:
Wongnaa, C.A., Seyram, A.A., & Babu, S. (2024). A systematic review of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and policy development in West Africa. Regional Sustainability, 5(2), 100137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100137
Main findings
Policies at both national and international levels aim to tackle the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, especially those in agriculture. Climate-smart agriculture initiatives, such as agroforestry and conservation farming, are promoted to enhance resilience. Gender-responsive measures, including financial investments and access to resources, aim to empower women. However, structural barriers, such as limited land ownership rights and inadequate dissemination of climate information, hinder their effectiveness.
While these initiatives acknowledge gender-specific vulnerabilities, their implementation often falls short due to financial constraints, weak institutional support, and systemic inequalities. In particular, women’s limited participation in decision-making processes undermines the equitable distribution of adaptation benefits.
To specifically answer the question posed, policies and programs address the unique vulnerabilities of women by incorporating gender mainstreaming approaches in climate adaptation strategies. These approaches include targeted capacity-building programs, the establishment of women-focused financial initiatives such as microfinance and insurance schemes, and the integration of gender considerations into climate adaptation efforts at regional and national levels. However, despite these efforts, effectiveness remains constrained by persistent challenges such as cultural norms that limit women’s access to resources, fragmented implementation of gender-responsive strategies, and the lack of reliable gender-disaggregated data to inform policy improvements. As a result, achieving gender-equitable climate resilience requires more robust enforcement, increased funding, and stronger advocacy efforts to ensure the full inclusion of women in climate adaptation planning and implementation.
1. Key finding
Overall
Climate change poses significant threats to food security in West Africa, with pronounced impacts on the crop, livestock, and fishery sectors. Adaptation strategies such as climate-smart agriculture (CSA), ecosystem restoration, and gender-inclusive policies are crucial for building resilience.
Women and girls-related
The review identifies the importance of incorporating gender perspectives in adaptation programs to address vulnerabilities faced by women, particularly in agriculture and fisheries.
2. Short summary
This systematic review examines the gendered impacts of climate change on agriculture in West Africa, with a focus on the crop, livestock, and fishery sectors. Women, who play a significant role in agricultural production and resource management, are disproportionately affected by climate variability. This includes challenges such as reduced crop yields, increased labor burdens, and limited access to adaptation resources in the face of declining fish stocks and livestock losses. The review highlights adaptation strategies such as climate-smart agriculture (e.g., conservation agriculture and agroforestry), ecosystem restoration, and the inclusion of gender-responsive policies to address these disparities.
Barriers to adaptation, including limited financial resources, insecure land tenure systems, and inadequate dissemination of climate information, disproportionately hinder women’s resilience. The review emphasizes that effective policies must integrate scientific innovations with indigenous knowledge while addressing the specific needs of women and other marginalized groups to ensure equitable and context-sensitive solutions.
There is an urgent need for targeted financial investments and gender-inclusive policies to mitigate climate risks. Strengthening women’s access to resources, promoting sustainable resource management, and developing early warning systems are critical to safeguarding food security and improving livelihoods in the region.
3. Long summary
3.1 PICOS
Population: Communities dependent on agriculture (crop, livestock, and fishery sectors) in West Africa.
Intervention: Climate change adaptation strategies and policy initiatives, such as CSA and ecosystem restoration.
Outcome: Improved agricultural resilience, food security, and livelihood sustainability.
Study design: Systematic review
3.2 Risk of bias – Not assessed
3.3 Publication bias – Not assessed
3.4 Findings
Crop sector
Climate variability has resulted in declining crop productivity across the region due to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and an increase in the prevalence of pests and diseases. Rainfed agriculture, which dominates the region, is particularly at risk because it depends entirely on weather patterns that are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Land degradation caused by soil erosion and nutrient depletion further exacerbates the challenges faced by farmers. Proposed adaptation strategies include agroforestry systems, which integrate trees with crops to improve soil fertility and water retention, and soil carbon sequestration techniques that enhance soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Livestock sector
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events have negatively affected livestock production, with notable declines in feed availability and water resources. Poor livestock health has led to reductions in meat and milk production, which are critical for food security and income generation. Climate change has also expanded the range of vector-borne diseases affecting animals. Suggested interventions include developing and promoting climate-resilient livestock breeds that can withstand higher temperatures and diseases, alongside improved water management systems to address water scarcity.
Fishery sector
The fishery sector has been severely impacted by coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and salinization of inland water bodies, which have led to a reduction in fish stocks. Changes in water temperature and acidity are altering fish breeding patterns and migration, further affecting catches. These challenges threaten livelihoods, particularly in coastal communities heavily dependent on fishing. Recommended adaptation strategies include mangrove restoration to protect coastal ecosystems and sustainable aquaculture practices that diversify fish production while minimizing environmental impacts.
3.5 Sensitivity analysis – Not assessed
4. AMSTAR 2 assessment of the review
| 1. | Did the the review state clearly the components of PICOS (or appropriate equivalent)? | Yes | |
| 2. | Did the report of the review contain an explicit statement that the review methods were established prior to the conduct of the review and did the report justify any significant deviations from the protocol? (i.e. was there a protocol) | No | |
| 3. | Did the review authors use a comprehensive literature search strategy? | Yes | |
| 4. | Did the review authors perform study selection in duplicate? | No | |
| 5. | Did the review authors perform data extraction in duplicate? | No | |
| 6. | Did the review authors provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions? | No | |
| 7. | Did the review authors describe the included studies in adequate detail? (Yes if table of included studies, partially if other descriptive overview) | Partially | |
| 8. | Did the review authors use a satisfactory technique for assessing the risk of bias (RoB) in individual studies that were included in the review? | N.A | |
| 9. | Did the review authors report on the sources of funding for the studies included in the review? | No | |
| 10. | If meta-analysis was performed did the review authors use appropriate methods for statistical combination of results? | N.A | |
| 11. | Did the review authors provide a satisfactory explanation for, and discussion of, any heterogeneity observed in the results of the review? | N.A | |
| 12. | If they performed quantitative synthesis did the review authors carry out an adequate investigation of publication bias (small study bias) and discuss its likely impact on the results of the review? | N.A | |
| 13. | Did the review authors report any potential sources of conflict of interest, including any funding they received for conducting the review? | No | |
| Overall (lowest rating on any critical item) | Medium |
5. Count of references to the following words
| Sex | 0 |
| Gender | 0 |
| Women | 1 |
| Intra-household | 0 |
