Gender, Climate Change, and Conflict Dynamics in Egypt: Opportunities for Synergistic Action
Author(s): Marisa O. Ensor
Date: 2020
Topics: Basic Services, Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Conflict Prevention, Gender, Land, Livelihoods
Egypt’s rapid population growth and extreme water scarcity make the country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The country’s long Mediterranean coastline is already experiencing the consequences of sea level rise, including saltwater intrusion, soil salinization and deterioration of crop quality. In a country where 95 percent of freshwater resources are generated outside its territory, any change to water availability can have major consequences for food and energy security, as well as employment, housing, sanitation, education and health care, heightening risks of social tension and political instability.
This chapter presents an analysis of the interconnections between gender, climate change and conflict dynamics in Egypt. It draws on longitudinal research initiated in 2007 and conducted over multiple subsequent trips to the country. A feminist political ecological framework highlights the ways in which cultural norms and legal frameworks impact gender-differentiated access to natural resources and decision making in the context of political violence and climate change.