WeKnowitbutweIgnoreit
! Effectsofclimatechange—settingthestage
! Whoisvulnerabletoclimatechangeimpacts?
! Bigpicture—eminentcrisis
! Whatneedstobedone?
! HowCanJudgesrespondtoCC?
! Wayforward—questions
“VulnerablePeopleSufferFirstandWorst”
BanKi-Moon
! Short-term:erraticclimateandweatherextremes—naturalhazards.
! Long-term:alteredecosystemsandhabitats—lossofbiodiversity,degradationofecosystems,rainfallvariability,sealevelrise,oceanacidification.
! Riskstohumanhealthandsociety.ThreatendevelopmentgainsandhindertheimplementationofSDGs.
! Oneoftheworld’smostvulnerablecountriestoclimatechange.
! Hotterandmoreextremeclimaticevents.
! Increasedvariabilityofwateravailability.
! Reducedagriculturalproductivity.
! Increasedcoastalerosionandseawaterincursion.
! Righttolife! Righttohealth! Righttowaterandsanitation! Righttofood! Righttoadequatestandardofliving! Righttohousing! Righttoproperty! Righttoself-determination! Righttodevelopment(sustainable)! Righttonationality! Righttomobility
! CChasadifferentmeaningfordifferentpeople.! CCisunjust—thosewhohavecontributedleasttoCCcausesaresufferingmostfromitseffects.
! CCisunfair.! CCisathreattoglobalpeace,security,andprosperity.
! Whatisvulnerability?degreeofinabilitytoanticipate,copewith,resist,andrecoverfromtheimpactsofdisasters[WHO]
! Whatisclimatevulnerability?degreetowhichgeophysical,biologicalandsocio-economicsystemsaresusceptibleto,andunabletocopewith,adverseimpactsofclimatechange[IPCC]
Climatechangeisunderminingtheenjoymentofhumanrights,especiallyofthepeopleonthe
frontlineoftheclimatecrisiswhohavecontributedleasttothecausesofclimatechange:MaryRobinson
! Children
! Elderlyanddisabled
! Indigenouspeople
! Women
…indevelopingcountries
womenandchildrenare14timesmorelikelytodieorbeinjuredduringadisasterthanmen:
SoroptomistInternationaloftheAmericas
! Health:morevulnerabletoheatwaves,vector-borne,andwater-bornediseasesthanadults.
! NaturalDisasters:smallsizeandrelativeinabilitytocareforthemselves.
! Malnutrition:parched,crackedearthandcropfailuresunderminethesurvivalandnutritionofchildren
! Education
InequalityandPoverty:aviciouscycle—achildlivinginpovertyordeprivedofadequatewaterandsanitationbeforeacrisiswillbemoreaffectedbyaflood,droughtorstorm,less
likelytorecoverquicklyandatevengreaterriskinasubsequentcrisis:UNICEF
Nearly160millionchildrenliveinhighorextremelyhighdroughtseverityzones:UNICEF
Morethan88%oftheexistingglobalburdenofdiseaseduetoCCoccursinchildrenlessthanfive
yearsofage:WHO
! DiminishedAbilitytoAdapt
! DiminishedAbilitytoSeekAssistance
! DetrimentalPhysicalImpacts
! LossofAccesstoInfrastructureandResources
! HighPovertyRates
56%ofthosewhodiedduringJapan’s2011tsunami
wereaged65orover
Climatechangeishavingthelargestimpactontheworld’spoorestandmostvulnerablepeople.
Withinthisgroup,20%arepeoplewithdisabilities,whoarenearlyalwaysdoubly
disadvantaged:CBM
! IPsgeographicalregionsandecosystems:oftenliveinplacesthatareworsthit—povertyanddiscriminationexacerbatestheirvulnerability.
! Proximitytonature:closerelationshipswiththeirenvironmentsandgreatrelianceonrenewablenaturalresources—heightenedriskofCCimpacts.
! Climateinducedmigration:righttoselfdetermination.
! Biofuelsconnection:seenasasolution—leadingtohumanrightsviolation.
! Economicgrowth:CCimpactswillslowdowneconomicgrowththroughoutthe21stcentury,makingpovertyreductionmoredifficult—“furthererosionoffoodsecurity”and“creationofnewpovertytraps.”
! Increasedinequality:wage-dependentpoorhouseholdsaffectedbyincreasedfoodprices,especiallyinregionswithhighfoodinsecurityandhighinequality.
Mindthegap:climatechange,minoritiesandindigenouspeoplesInsomecases,peoples’waysoflifeandeventheirveryexistencearebeingthreatenedbyclimate
change
! Landownershipanddisplacement
! Unequalaccesstoresourcesmakeswomenvulnerableto:
! Cropfailure
! Fuelshortage
! Waterscarcity
! Naturaldisasters
! Disease
Majorityofworld’spoorcoupledwithunequalaccesstoresources
Anaverageof77%ofthefatalitieswerewomen
someofwhomdrownedasaresultofnotbeingtaughthowtoswimafterTsunamiin
2004
300%increaseinnewdomesticviolencecasesaftertwotropicalcycloneshitTafeProvince
inVanuatuin2011
! Hunger,Diseases—UNPRECEDENTEDDEATHS
! MassMigration
! Violence
! NationalSecurityCrisis
! GraveInjustice
“Climatechangeisthebiggestthreattohumanrightsinthe21stcentury.”
! Improvebasicpublichealthmeasures
! Increasecapacityfordisasterpreparednessandresponse
! Alleviatepoverty
! Promoteinclusivegrowth
! Inclusiveplanninganddecisionmaking
! Awarenessraising
WomenAgentsofChange:WomenarenotonlyvulnerabletoCCbuttheyarealsoeffectiveactorsoragentsofchangeinrelationtobothmitigationand
adaptation:WomenWatch
! Proactiveresponsescanaccesstojustice! Judicialresponses:! Seeminglysimple:
! ChallengestoprojectsandEIAs—theyalladdup! Land—vulnerablepeoples’landrights! Water—waterjustice
! Ascomplexas:! Claimsforrefugeestatus! Humanrights:rightstonationality,righttolife,righttoanenvironmentcapableofsustaininghumanlife
Thehumancostofglobalwarminghasaname:climateinjustice:MaryRobinson
! IndigenousPeoples! AliSteelIndustryvGovernmentofKhyberPakhtunkhwa:AliSteelcannotharmlocalresidents’healthandlifejustbecauseEPAdoesnotcoverthetribalareas.Righttoacleanenvironmentisanintegralpartoftherighttolifeanddignityundertheconstitution-PHC
! Women! Ukejev.Ukeje,SupremeCourtofNigeria,2014:Igbo(ethnicgroup)lawandcustomdiscriminatedagainstdaughtersinheritingtheirfathers’estate,conflictedwithafewsectionsoftheirconstitution.Daughterwasentitledtoinherit.
! Ramantelev.MmusiandOthers,CourtofAppealofBotswana,2013:Customaryruledenyingwomentherighttoinheritthefamilyhomeviolatestheirconstitutionalrighttoequality.
! Water! SindhInstituteofUrologyandTransplantationv.NestleMilkpakLimited.Nocivilizedsocietyshouldpermitunfetteredexploitationofnaturalresources,especiallywater.Waterisanecessityoflife.Nestle’splannedbottledwaterplantprevented.
! AsgharLegharivtheFederationofPakistan.“Waterjustice,”asub-conceptofclimatejustice,meansindividualshaveahumanrighttocleanwaterforsurvivalandrecreationalpurposes.
! SWIM(SaveWatersofIndang,CaviteMovementInc.)vPTK2H20Corporation(CourtofAppealofthePhilippines,2015):Waterisanessentialelementoflifeandanenvironmentalresource.Respondent’sexcessivewaterextractioncoulddangerouslyimpacttheriparianecosystemandlocals’livelihoods.
! Howcanwe?
" IntegratetheneedsofmenandwomenintoCCpolicies?
" Moveawayawayfromlargelyscientific,market-basedCCresponsestoamorepeople-focused,gender-awareapproach?
" EnsurehumanrightsareatthecentreofCCresponses?
" Ensurewomenplayanequalroleindecision-makingaroundCC?
! Whatsuccessfulstrategiesarealreadyadoptedbymenandwomen?
“Fromlittlethingsbigthingsgrow”
PaulKelly