Gender, class, race, age, physical ability and educational level determine access to water and financial and societal resources, potentially adverting climate-induced water hazards, reducing vulnerability and facilitating adaptation. However, insufficient attention has been given to the role of improving equity in access to water . Not all water adaptation strategies are accessible to the poorest, who may turn to maladaptive strategies if their access to water is negatively affected . Consequently, there have been calls for mainstreaming equity considerations into adaptation  . It has been shown that people living in poverty, racial minorities and those ageing are more vulnerable to climate-induced water hazards and that their adaptive capacity is limited . Among these categories, gender is the one that has been most analysed in the context of water and climate change.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report