The UNDP report "The Climate Change, Gender and Displacement Nexus in the Arab States Region: Evidence from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen" examines how climate change, forced displacement and gender inequality interact in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen. Drawing on literature, expert interviews, focus group discussions and a review of six UNDP projects, the report shows that displaced women face overlapping risks related to livelihoods, water scarcity, gender-based violence, access to resources and exclusion from decision-making. It also provides recommendations for integrating gender and displacement more systematically into climate policies and programmes.
Key Insights
Around 38 million people are forcibly displaced across the Arab States region, while climate-related disasters and resource scarcity are creating additional displacement risks.
Displaced women are particularly vulnerable because many depend on climate-sensitive livelihoods such as agriculture and home-based food production.
Climate-related economic pressures are pushing more women into paid work while they continue to carry most unpaid care responsibilities, increasing their “double burden.”
Water scarcity and economic stress can increase household tensions and women’s exposure to gender-based violence, including domestic violence and early marriage.
Water scarcity also has specific impacts on women’s sexual and reproductive health, particularly access to safe hygiene and dignified menstruation in displacement settings.
Women account for a significant share of agricultural labour but own very little agricultural land, limiting their access to credit, investment and climate adaptation opportunities.
Displaced women face barriers in accessing markets, finance, climate information, technical skills and social networks, reducing their ability to adapt to climate change.
Climate change and displacement are challenging traditional gender roles as economic pressures increasingly require women to contribute to household income.
Displaced women remain underrepresented in climate and community decision-making, despite their important role in managing household food, water and energy resources.
Climate policies in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen increasingly recognize gender and displacement, but the combined climate-gender-displacement nexus remains insufficiently addressed in implementation.
The report recommends gender-responsive climate programming, stronger participation of displaced women, better gender- and displacement-disaggregated data, and greater coordination across humanitarian, development and peacebuilding efforts.
