This case studies outlines Mahila Housing Trust’s scalable model of woman-led education programme on climate change and health-related risks in urban settlements. Their model uses communication methods to introduce the concept of climate change and build climate resilience among vulnerable communities in India.

The mission of Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) is to build a sustainable and scalable model of women-led climate change action to push climate solutions cutting across all levels of planning governance and offering affordable products to communities. It collaborates extensively with government bodies (e.g., India’s National Disaster Management Authority), local communities, and other organizations. Its work has been globally recognized through various awards, e.g., the UN Global Climate Action Award, the UN Sasakawa Award, and the Ashden Award.

The community leadership development model of MHT is based on a three-step process. First, MHT organizes all families in a community into a membership group called a Community-Based Organization (CBO). MHT also manages sensitisation campaigns and hosts area meetings with CBO members to identify the needs and aspirations of the community. CBO members are then encouraged to recognize women leaders among themselves as members of the Community Action Group (CAG). The CAG and its women leaders act as the executive committee of the CBO members and lead action on their behalf. The CAG members are then finally trained to interface with government bodies actively.

Women in urban slums learning about Climate change by Playing Snakes and Ladders

Lack of knowledge about the causes and impacts of climate change is the first barrier to building climate resilience in slum communities. MHT has developed a methodology using simplified communication methods (e.g., games, demonstrations, videos) to introduce the concept of climate change and build climate resilience. For example, through a Snakes and Ladders game played during training sessions and community-level meetings in slum settlements, women understand the evidence behind unbearable summers and monsoons. This also helps women develop a future-oriented mindset and plan investments to secure themselves and their communities from climate change impacts.

MHT partners with local leaders to influence building policies, such as the cool roof program. It targets vulnerable settlements with poor-quality homes that trap heat and become dangerously hot. Cool roofs help keep the indoor temperatures lower by 2°C to 5°C and offer a cost-effective solution, helping prevent heat-related deaths and illnesses. Innovative credit mechanisms like climate loans have been devised to use climate-resilient technologies like cool roof solutions. 

In collaboration with local authorities, MHT helps develop heat action plans (HAPs), enabling cities to better organize local heat actions that protect public health. The HAPs prioritize an enhanced focus on the needs of vulnerable groups identified through the vulnerability assessment by MHT. Jodhpur, an Indian city in Rajasthan, launched its first-ever HAP in 2023 to strengthen local preparedness and resilience to intensifying severe heat hazards. The Jodhpur plan was developed based on local data and community input and enables the city to better organize local heat actions that protect public health.