Title: Women-Led Collaborative Learning Spaces Strengthen Climate Resilience in Jodhpur

Jodhpur, a semi-arid city in Rajasthan, India, faces a growing ecological crisis, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and climate change. Historically known for its hydro-social ingenuity and vernacular architecture adapted to desert conditions, the city now sees its traditional resilience mechanisms eroding. A recent study reveals that immersive workshops held in collaborative learning spaces, drawing on the ancestral social practice of Hathai—informal gatherings where women discuss community affairs—could offer an innovative solution to enhance local climate resilience.

The study examined the effectiveness of these workshops as levers for decentralized climate governance. By integrating primary data collected from 25 women community leaders, researchers developed an agent-based simulation to model the spread of climate resilience within a synthetic network of 300 members. The results highlight a significant paradox: while climate knowledge is the main structural driver of resilience, it spreads more slowly than the intention to act and self-confidence. Indeed, the transmission of climate knowledge achieves only a 24.1% gain, whereas intention to act and confidence increase by 38.3%. This suggests that, in this cultural context, behaviors spread faster than pure information.

To understand the causal links between different cognitive and behavioral factors, researchers used interpretive structural modeling. This approach mapped out a clear hierarchy: climate knowledge, though fundamental, acts as a foundation, while confidence and concrete action play a central role in reducing social vulnerability. Traditional ecological knowledge, often held and transmitted by women, emerges as a crucial link in transforming abstract knowledge into tangible actions, thereby improving social vulnerability indices and strengthening individuals’ capacities for action, in line with Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach.

The study demonstrates that small intra-community groups led by women can serve as effective decentralized nodes for hyperlocal climate action. By scientifically validating traditional practices—such as seasonal food choices, adaptive clothing, or water management—these spaces make climate action culturally acceptable and socially legitimate. Women, as agents of change, use their influence within Hathai to disseminate resilient behaviors, thus bypassing the cognitive resistance often associated with top-down technical messages.

Simulations show that the decentralized structure of Hathai fosters faster adoption of resilient behaviors, thanks to trust and social imitation. Women leaders, trained in workshops like Manthan, become catalysts within their communities, turning latent knowledge into collective action. This dynamic is particularly effective in Jodhpur’s historic neighborhoods, where trust networks are strong and traditional practices remain deeply rooted.

The policy implications of this study are significant. Rather than relying solely on top-down educational campaigns, climate resilience strategies should prioritize strengthening collaborative learning spaces and integrating traditional knowledge into public policies. By institutionalizing these practices and investing in women-led community nodes, authorities could amplify the impact of local actions and reduce vulnerability to climate hazards.

This research paves the way for a reassessment of climate governance approaches, emphasizing the importance of solutions grounded in cultural and social realities. It suggests that in dense, culturally rich urban environments like Jodhpur, decentralized and participatory initiatives are not only viable but often more effective than centrally imposed mandates. By placing women at the heart of these processes, they gain autonomy and agency, contributing to more sustainable collective resilience.

Bibliographie

Source de l’étude

DOI : https://doi.org/10.53941/jhrr.2026.100007

Titre : From Individual Agency to Community Resilience: Modelling the Effectiveness of Women-Led Co-Learning Spaces on Climate Action in Jodhpur Using Agent-Based Simulation and Interpretive Structural Modelling

Revue : Journal of Hazards, Risk and Resilience

Éditeur : Scilight Press Pty Ltd

Auteurs : Sriparna Sil; Repaul Kanji; Jeevan Madapala