Understanding Climate Vulnerabilities and Adaptation Strategies of Informal Women Handicraft Artisans in Ahmedabad

The Global South faces increasing challenges due to climate change. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2024, home-based handicraft artisan workers are a part of the 23.5 per cent of self-employed women workers in India. These women artisans face increased climate risks that intersect with social, spatial and economic challenges, impacting their overall well-being. Ahmedabad district, located in Gujarat in western India, home to Abodana Cooperative, is estimated to suffer through a fivefold increase in heat waves in the next five years. Therefore, the study investigates the intersection of gender, informal work and climate risk at Abodana Cooperative to understand the added vulnerabilities of extreme heat. The findings contribute to the much-needed empirical research that brings evidence from the grassroots for urban India. It reveals how the built environment, gendered barriers to mobility and improper urban infrastructure intensify the climate vulnerabilities for the Abodana Cooperative. It lays the groundwork for co-creating climate-resilient strategies catering to the requirements of the Abodana Cooperative and advocates for the inclusion of home-based workers, such as women artisans, in climate action frameworks.