A just and resilient future: Dr. Anika N. Haque’s research on climate change vulnerability in the global South
For the last two years, AXA IM has been investing for a fair and green transition by, amongst other things, funding innovative academic research, through the AXA IM Research Award, in partnership with the AXA Research Fund.
Dr. Anika N. Haque, an Assistant Professor in Human Geography and Environment, University of York, UK, has recently been awarded the 2023 AXA IM Research Award.
In this article, she sheds light on her research into urban climate change resilience in the Global South, with a focus on gendered vulnerability. She discusses the significance of her research and her motivations for focusing on this area in depth.
I am pleased to have received this year’s AXA IM Research Award, which will hopefully act as a catalyst for my transformative research. This recognition not only affirms my approach, but will also amplify the voices of vulnerable communities in the global South. The significance of this award lies in its potential to raise awareness, inform the decision and policy making process, encourage collaboration, and allocate resources towards addressing the climate change vulnerabilities in urban areas.
When my nomination was confirmed, I decided to apply for the award so that I could emphasise the critical need to bridge the gap between policy and practice. Evidence suggests that national climate adaptation policies do not encourage transformative societal change and may exacerbate social inequalities because of the top-down approaches they commonly take to produce such policies.
This is why I have decided to focus my research on climate change resilience of the urban poor in the global South, taking into account the challenges of rapid urbanisation, growing inequality and development, and, investigating the complex vulnerability and adaptation processes at the ground.
To address gender-specific resilience, we need to move beyond reductionist approaches that stereotype women and risk perpetuating vulnerabilities. My current research focuses on understanding the complex climate adaptation processes of women in low-income urban settlements to ensure their inclusion in adaptation policies and strategies. Findings indicate gendered adaptation barriers are interconnected and reinforcing, hindering just transitions to more resilient futures. My research will investigate how to overcome gendered adaptation lock-ins and integrate adaptation and development for a just and resilient future.
Looking ahead, I envision continued emphasis on systems thinking and a whole-system approach to identify the complexities of urban climate change resilience. I urge for further research on gendered vulnerabilities in low-income urban settlements, stressing the importance of integrating adaptation and development decisions for sustainable and resilient outcomes.
Written by Dr. Anika N. Haque
AXA IM Research Award
Meet Dr. Anika N. Haque, from the University of York (United-Kingdom), the winner of the 2023 AXA IM Research Award. Anika will receive €100,000 to fund her research on urban climate change resilience in the Global South, with a focus on gender vulnerability.
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