Reflection: When Floods Expose Our Deepest Inequalities

Our second CHReaD Conversations webinar on May 28th, “Flooded Futures: Climate, Health and Gender Intersections,” crystallized a harsh reality: climate disasters don’t just destroy infrastructure, they strip away the most fundamental aspects of human dignity, particularly for women and girls.

Tasnia Ahmed’s testimony from Bangladesh was both inspiring and sobering. Her account of “floating clinics” delivering SRHR services during flood seasons represents the kind of adaptive innovation Africa desperately needs. Yet her stark observations about rising gender-based violence and forced marriages during climate emergencies remind us that survival often comes at the cost of women’s autonomy and rights.

Benard Maswach’s data from Kenya’s recent floods (300,000 people affected, informal settlements devastated) provided sobering context for our regional reality. His insight that SRHR services remain peripheral to emergency response frameworks exposes a critical blind spot in our disaster preparedness. When health facilities flood, contraceptives become inaccessible, antenatal care disappears, and women’s health needs become invisible casualties of climate chaos.

The convergence of these perspectives illuminated something profound: climate adaptation without gender justice isn’t adaptation at all. It’s merely survival for some while others are left behind. The questions from participants reflected this understanding, pushing beyond symptom management toward systemic solutions.

Our proposed actions represent more than wishful thinking. The CHReaD-ACHCGA policy brief on SRHR and climate resilience could influence NDC reviews, embedding gender and health considerations into climate policy from the start. The knowledge exchange with Bangladesh partners offers concrete learning opportunities, while our advocacy integration ensures these insights reach decision-makers who can act.

Young people, particularly girls, bear the brunt of these intersecting crises yet remain marginalized in climate policy discussions. Their voices aren’t just valuable, they’re essential for solutions that work.

As we advance this agenda, we must remember that floods expose inequalities but don’t create them. Our work on climate resilience must simultaneously address the underlying gender and health injustices that make some communities more vulnerable than others.

Download the full report or contact the Communications and Advocacy Officer on samuel.makau@amref.org