Gender & Sexuality Studies 2026

Abstract

Across India, urban flooding has emerged as a recurring and complex challenge driven by climate variability, rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, and governance constraints. While investments in drainage and infrastructure are essential, flood impacts continue to be shaped by social, economic, and institutional factors that influence who is most affected, how risks are experienced, and whose needs are prioritised. This oral presentation draws on field-based implementation experience from large-scale urban flood resilience initiatives in India to demonstrate how gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) can be embedded within urban flood management systems at a national scale.

The presentation highlights practical approaches that bridge field realities with policy and institutional processes. These include integrating inclusive risk perspectives into urban planning and preparedness mechanisms, strengthening community-level response and recovery systems, improving the accessibility and dignity of relief and recovery services, and generating evidence through baseline assessments and user satisfaction surveys that capture gender- and vulnerability-disaggregated experiences. Field insights are translated into operational guidelines, institutional practices, and policy feedback loops that support adaptive decision-making.

By linking community experiences with urban governance and disaster management systems, the approach illustrates how inclusive flood management enhances effectiveness, accountability, and long-term resilience. The presentation offers transferable lessons for practitioners, urban local bodies, and policymakers working to align India’s urban climate adaptation and disaster risk governance frameworks with inclusive and people-centred practice.

Biography

Esther Rani is a Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist with over 16 years of experience working across India on disaster risk management, urban resilience, and inclusive development. She currently serves as the Gender Specialist for IPE Global, funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB)–supported urban flood management initiative, supporting Greater Chennai Corporation for the integration of gender equality and social inclusion into urban planning, implementation, and institutional systems.

Her work combines extensive field engagement in flood-prone urban and peri-urban contexts with close collaboration with government institutions and development partners. Esther’s experience includes strengthening inclusive preparedness and response mechanisms, improving the accessibility and effectiveness of relief and recovery services, supporting livelihood restoration, and leading evidence-generation processes such as baseline studies and user satisfaction surveys to inform policy and programme design.

Previously, she has worked with UNICEF and World Vision India on national and state-level programmes in disaster risk reduction, nutrition, child protection, education, and social protection. Esther holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and an MBA in Human Resource Management and is certified in disaster risk reduction and psychosocial care in emergencies