Gender-responsive geospatial data for climate adaptation prioritisation and planning: Workshop report

Climate adaptation planning increasingly depends on the ability to identify not only where hazards are
intensifying, but also where people’s capacity to respond is constrained by unequal access to resources,
services, and decision-making power. Gender and other intersecting social factors shape exposure,
vulnerability, and adaptive capacity across landscapes, influencing who can act on climate information,
adopt risk-reducing practices, and benefit from adaptation investments. In this context, geospatial gender
data—which links gender-relevant indicators (such as livelihoods, service access, mobility constraints, or
empowerment proxies) to specific places—can play a practical role in improving prioritisation and
targeting. By showing where climate risk overlaps with gender inequality and service gaps, spatial analysis
can help planners identify where additional enabling measures are needed (for example, tailored delivery
channels, extension support, finance, or safeguards) so adaptation investments are both effective and
equitable. To explore how these opportunities are being used in practice—and what is preventing wider
uptake—a stakeholder convening was held on January 30, 2026, bringing together CGIAR, the Global
Center on Adaptation, and partners to discuss current experiences using geospatial and gender data
across the project cycle, as well as the key challenges and barriers they face in accessing, interpreting,
and applying these data for real-world adaptation planning.