Global Gender and Climate Aliance CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION Reducing the vulnerability to extreme events through prevention.

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Reducing the vulnerability to extreme events through prevention

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

• The climate community’s understanding of the role of adaptation in responding to climate change has shifted in recent years

• Originally viewed as a secondary and long-term option to be used as a last resort if mitigation efforts were unsuccessful, adaptation has emerged as an urgent priority, particularly for the poor and other vulnerable communities with the least capacity to cope with impacts

Background

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Stronger typhoons and hurricanes

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Severe floods.Severe floods/more heavy-excessive rains

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Coastal impacts

Exposure to coastal risk: Gambia

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

More devastating droughts in Africa and Asia

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Intense heat waves. More wildfires and forest fires

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Increase in the incidence of malaria, dengue and other vector-borne disease

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Scope of the CC crisis

Six human development tipping points

1. Reduced agricultural productivity

2. Heightened water scarcity

3. Increased exposure to extreme weather events

4. Collapse of ecosystems

5. Increased health risks

6. Increased risks & economic and social vulnerability of affected communities

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

DRR a first line of defence against CC

• Making gender-sensitive DRR a tool for climate change adaptation is a win-win option for a country to achieve resilience to disasters and climate change

• CC adaptation can immediately benefits from the existing disaster risk reduction tools and approaches:

- Hyogo Framework for Action- Flood management guidelines- Guidelines on national platforms for disaster risk reduction- Drought management framework- Risk and vulnerability assessments approaches- Educational and awareness raising method- Early warning Gender considerations have been included in some countries

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

1. Develop coherent national policies and approaches to address climate disaster risk, with strong political support

2. Scale up the use of DRR tools as a core in adaptation policy and strategies at the national and local levels

1. Ensure gender-sensitive risk reduction as core part post-2012 climate change strategy and an essential part of poverty reduction strategies

Few suggestions

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Women are Powerful Agents of

Change and their leadership is critical. Women have always

been leaders in community

revitalization and natural resource

management

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Despite these facts, women have not been afforded an equal opportunity to participate in

decision making related to adaptation and mitigation policies and initiatives at the

international and national level related to climate change

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Why Address Gender in Climate Change Adaptation policy?

– Differentiated impacts of climate change

• Women’s Primary role in managing the environment.

• Women’s right to equal representation.

• Gender mainstreaming improves efficiency in CC Policies & Programmes.

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

The case of the African Adaptation Programme

• Japanese multi million programme to 21 African countries

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Gender Tools and methodologiesGender Tools and methodologies

• Gender tools are not isolated entities. • They are not viewed as specific

products but as part of a process. • They are flexible, and build on, and

strengthen existing local knowledge, structures and institutions

• Enhance socio-economic benefits, gender equality/equity, and improve livelihoods.

• Sustainable continually promote learning and innovation

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

Adopting Gender Approach for Adopting Gender Approach for Holistic Sustainable DevelopmentHolistic Sustainable Development

• The Gender Approach is a working tool that should be integrated in the entire programming process, including:

• Gender Analysis • Disaggregate all data by gender. • Gender responsive indicators to measure results, benefits and

impact.• Build up and strengthen sustainable development strategies

and institutional frameworks.• Document and disseminate best practices to continually

promote learning and innovation.

Global Gender and Climate Aliance

The Climate Challenge• The impacts of climate change are evident and

gendered.• Post-Copenhagen agreement will drastically

change the development paradigm• The GGCA is bringing the human dimension to the

global CC policy, including gender equality and women’s empowerment.

• The current challenge is to support national governments to design and implement gender-responsive national Adaptation policies and programmes.