IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i3p3212-3227.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating the Sustainability of Local Women's Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Durban, South Africa: A Feminist Political Ecology and Intersectionality Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Fidelis Udo
  • Johannes Bhanye
  • Balkissa Daouda Diallo
  • Maheshvari Naidu

Abstract

This paper employs a feminist political ecology and an intersectionality framework to examine the multiple dimensions of local women's vulnerability and adaptation to climate change impacts in selected locations in Durban, KwaZulu‐Natal Province, South Africa. We focus particularly on assessing the sustainability of the gendered adaptive strategies employed by these women. Utilising a qualitative methodology, the study is based on semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with local Black women, highlighting the local context of the women's adaptation to flood impacts. The findings revealed that adaptation strategies are informed by women's situated knowledge, cultural practices, and agency, illustrating the complex, context‐specific nature of responses to climate challenges. We argue that a bottom‐up approach, which prioritises the effectiveness and sustainability of women's adaptation strategies, is crucial for fostering longer‐term, more equitable, and sustainable solutions to climate impacts. By advocating this approach, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of gendered adaptation practices that align with global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality (SDG 5), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), promoting climate action (SDG 13), and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).

Suggested Citation

  • Fidelis Udo & Johannes Bhanye & Balkissa Daouda Diallo & Maheshvari Naidu, 2025. "Evaluating the Sustainability of Local Women's Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Durban, South Africa: A Feminist Political Ecology and Intersectionality Perspective," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 3212-3227, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:3212-3227
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3284
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3284
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3284?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Valeria Naciti & Fabrizio Cesaroni & Luisa Pulejo, 2022. "Corporate governance and sustainability: a review of the existing literature," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(1), pages 55-74, March.
    2. Sheona Shackleton & Gina Ziervogel & Susannah Sallu & Thomas Gill & Petra Tschakert, 2015. "Why is socially‐just climate change adaptation in sub‐Saharan Africa so challenging? A review of barriers identified from empirical cases," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(3), pages 321-344, May.
    3. Aymen Sajjad & Wahab Shahbaz, 2020. "Mindfulness and Social Sustainability: An Integrative Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 73-94, July.
    4. A. Rashidfarokhi & L. Yrjänä & M. Wallenius & S. Toivonen & A. Ekroos & K. Viitanen, 2018. "Social sustainability tool for assessing land use planning processes," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 1269-1296, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julie Bayle-Cordier & Loïc Berger & Rayan Elatmani & Massimo Tavoni, 2023. "Breath, Love, Walk? The Impact of Mindfulness Interventions on Climate Policy Support and Environmental Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-29, July.
    2. Wasswa Asaph Senoga, 2023. "The Effect of Accountability, Transparency, And Integrity of Church Leaders on Fraud Prevention in The Management of Church Funds," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(1), pages 1388-1409, January.
    3. Schipper, E.L.F. & Tanner, T. & Dube, O.P. & Adams, K.M. & Huq, S., 2020. "The debate: Is global development adapting to climate change?," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    4. Elena Ionașcu & Marilena Mironiuc & Ion Anghel & Maria Carmen Huian, 2020. "The Involvement of Real Estate Companies in Sustainable Development—An Analysis from the SDGs Reporting Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Daniel Zdolšek & Sabina Taškar Beloglavec, 2023. "Sustainability Reporting Ecosystem: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Overhaul during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, April.
    6. R. Rajesh, 2023. "Grey Markov Models for Predicting the Social Sustainability Performances of Firms," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 297-351, August.
    7. Yrjänä, Laura & Rashidfarokhi, Anahita & Toivonen, Saija & Viitanen, Kauko, 2018. "Looking at retail planning policy through a sustainability lens: Evidence from policy discourse in Finland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 190-198.
    8. Francesca Collevecchio & Gianluca Gionfriddo, 2023. "Adopting a social purpose in for-profit firms: the role of the board of directors," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 1467-1499, September.
    9. Ivo Hristov & Andrea Appolloni & Antonio Chirico, 2022. "The adoption of the key performance indicators to integrate sustainability in the business strategy: A novel five‐dimensional framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3216-3230, November.
    10. Stephany Isabel Vallarta-Serrano & Edgar Santoyo-Castelazo & Edgar Santoyo & Esther O. García-Mandujano & Holkan Vázquez-Sánchez, 2023. "Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework of Industry 4.0 from an Energy Systems Thinking Perspective: Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-30, July.
    11. Makame Omar Makame & Sheona E Shackleton & Walter Leal Filho, 2023. "Coping with and adapting to climate and non-climate stressors within the small-scale farming, fishing and seaweed growing sectors, Zanzibar," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(3), pages 3377-3399, April.
    12. Isabella M. Lami & Beatrice Mecca, 2020. "Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Kumari, Alka & Singh, Manvendra Pratap, 2023. "A journey of social sustainability in organization during MDG & SDG period: A bibliometric analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Panditharathne Nishantha Kumara Wijesekara Panditharathne & Zhixia Chen, 2021. "An Integrative Review on the Research Progress of Mindfulness and Its Implications at the Workplace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-27, December.
    15. Yanina Rashkova & Ludovica Moi & Francesca Cabiddu, 2024. "Addressing the Societal Challenges in Organizations: The Conceptualization of Mindfulness Capability for Social Justice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(2), pages 249-268, January.
    16. Buse Acik Etike & Muyesser Ebru Erdonmez Dincer, 2024. "Determining the Interaction of Social Sustainability with the Physical Environment: A Case Study of Adana, Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-26, June.
    17. Francesca Collevecchio & Valerio Temperini & Virginia Barba-Sanchez & Angel Meseguer-Martinez, 2025. "Sustainable Governance: Board Sustainability Experience and the Interplay with Board Age for Firm Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 197(2), pages 371-389, March.
    18. Justyna Przywojska, 2021. "Polish Local Government’s Perspective on Revitalisation: A Framework for Future Socially Sustainable Solutions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Nthambi, Mary & Markova-Nenova, Nonka & Wätzold, Frank, 2021. "Quantifying Loss of Benefits from Poor Governance of Climate Change Adaptation Projects: A Discrete Choice Experiment with Farmers in Kenya," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    20. Schürmann, Alina & Kleemann, Janina & Fürst, Christine & Teucher, Mike, 2020. "Assessing the relationship between land tenure issues and land cover changes around the Arabuko Sokoke Forest in Kenya," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:3212-3227. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.