A Gender-Responsive Toolkit for Climate Adaptation in Pastoralist Communities: The Climate Adaptation Toolkit for Pastoralist Communities (CAT-PC)

Abstract

The Climate Adaptation Toolkit for Pastoralist Communities (CAT-PC) is a mobile application under development aimed at enhancing pastoralist communities in Kenya and the Horn of Africa better respond to climate change, with a special emphasis on the unique difficulties faced by women. Through integrating Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM), the toolkit facilitates the creation of gender-responsive and community-driven climate adaptation strategies. The CAT-PC addresses critical challenges such as limited access to land rights, resource management, and the exclusion of women from decision-making processes that are often compounded by climate change. Through community-led data collection, GIS mapping, and intersectional analysis, the toolkit ensures adaptation plans are culturally relevant, inclusive, and sustainable. An upcoming pilot implementation in Kajiado will provide insights into the toolkit’s potential scalability and relevance for other pastoralist regions. This paper emphasises the integration of local knowledge, social equity, and resilience-building in pastoralist communities. The findings contribute to broader climate adaptation discourses by demonstrating tailored interventions that effectively address the vulnerabilities of marginalised groups, particularly women.