Young Women Leading Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience in Asia-Pacific
SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institution: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change | Ministry of Women and Child Development
An article titled “Young Women and Girls: Asia and the Pacific’s Changemakers for Nature-Based Solutions” highlights how young women and girls across Asia-Pacific are emerging as key drivers of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience and biodiversity protection.
Published on Development Asia—the Asian Development Bank’s official knowledge platform—the article highlights how young women and girls across Asia-Pacific are emerging as leaders in nature-based solutions
The piece argues that when young women are actively involved in the design and governance of NbS, such projects tend to deliver more sustainable, equitable, and community-centred outcomes. It draws examples from the ADB–Plan International “Girls’ Takeover 2024” initiative, where young innovators from India, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines led local NbS projects ranging from mangrove restoration and rainwater harvesting to digital tools for carbon tracking.
However, the article notes systemic barriers—limited land rights, finance, education, and decision-making power—that constrain women’s leadership in environmental innovation. It calls for gender-transformative climate finance, skill development, and inclusive policy frameworks to scale women-led NbS.
India’s national missions such as the Green India Mission, Compensatory Afforestation Fund, and MGNREGA eco-works can mainstream young women’s leadership in NbS. Integrating Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and DAY-NRLM women’s collectives into local NbS initiatives would expand both livelihood and ecological dividends.
What are Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)? → NbS are actions that use or restore natural ecosystems—such as forests, mangroves, wetlands, or soils—to address societal challenges like climate change, disaster risk, and food or water insecurity. They work by protecting biodiversity while providing human benefits, e.g. carbon sequestration, flood control, or livelihood generation.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India’s climate-action financing architecture better embed youth and gender inclusion in NbS design and monitoring?
Follow the full article here: Development Asia, ADB – “Young Women and Girls: Asia and the Pacific’s Changemakers for Nature-Based Solutions”