Gender, Development, and Climate Change Edited by Rachel Masika
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Gender, Development, and Climate Change Edited by Rachel Masika Oxfam Focus on Gender The books in Oxfam's Focus on Gender series were originally published as single issues of the journal Gender and Development, which is published by Oxfam three times a year. It is the only British journal to focus specifically on gender and development issues internationally, to explore the links between gender and development initiatives, and to make the links between theoretical and practical work in this field. For information about subscription rates, please apply to Taylor and Francis Ltd., Customer Services Department, Rankine Road, Basingstoke, Hants RG24 8PR UK; Fax: + 44 (0) 1256 330245. In North America, please apply to Taylor and Francis Inc., Customer Services Department, 325 Chestnut Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA; Fax +1 800 821 8312. In Australia, please apply to Carfax Publishing Company, P.O. Box 352, Cammeray, NSW 2062, Australia; Fax: +61 (0) 2 9958 2376; E-mail: [email protected]; http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the Publisher. The views expressed in this book are those of the individual contributors, and not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Front cover: These Sudanese women depend on a hand-dug well, which by March will yield little water. The nearest reliable source lies seven kilometres away. One of the effects of climate change in arid areas will be to increase the workload entailed in collecting resources like water and firewood. Photo: Toby Adamson, Oxfam © Oxfam GB 2002 Published by Oxfam GB, 274 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DZ, UK http: / / www.oxfam.org.uk / publications Typeset in Palatino by Oxfam; printed by Information Press, Eynsham Oxfam is a registered charity No. 202918 Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International ISBN 0 85598 4791 This book converted to digital file in 2010 Contents Editorial 2 Rachel Masika Climate change vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation: why does gender matter? 10 Fatma Denton Climate change: learning from gender analysis and women's experiences of organising for sustainable development 21 Irene Dankelman Protocols, treaties, and action: the 'climate change process' viewed through gender spectacles 30 Margaret M. Skutsch Kyoto Protocol negotiations: reflections on the role of women 40 Delia Villagrasa Gender and climate hazards in Bangladesh 45 Terry Cannon Uncertain predictions, invisible impacts, and the need to mainstream gender in climate change adaptations 51 Valerie Nelson, Kate Meadows, Terry Cannon, John Morton, and Adrienne Martin Gendering responses to El Nino in rural Peru 60 Rosa Rivero Reyes The Noel Kempff project in Bolivia: gender, power, and decision-making in climate mitigation 70 Emily Boyd Reducing risk and vulnerability to climate change in India: the capabilities approach 78 Marlene Roy and Henry David Venema Promoting the role of women in sustainable energy development in Africa: networking and capacity-building 84 Tieho Makhabane Transforming power relationships: building capacity for ecological security 92 Mary Jo Larson Resources 102 Compiled by Ruth Evans Publications 102 Electronic resources 107 Journals 110 Organisations 110 Videos 112 Editorial Rachel Masika he global climate is subject to yields and increasing food insecurity in increasing change, and this has much of the developing world; become more evident over recent • increased frequency and intensity of T 1 years. In particular, the atmospheric extreme weather events leading to concentrations of greenhouse gases have loss of life, injury, mass population increased, augmenting global warming. dislocations, and economic devastation These concentrations of carbon dioxide, in poor countries; methane, and nitrous oxide are higher now • a decline in human health as people's than at any time during the last thousand resistance to disease is weakened by years, and the weight of scientific evidence heat stress, water shortages, and suggests that observed changes in the malnutrition. Increases in infectious earth's climate are at least in part due to diseases and waterborne illnesses, and human activities (IPCC 2001a). higher levels of pollution leading to a The latest climate projection models of rise in respiratory illnesses, will be the United Nations Inter-governmental widespread (IPCC 2001b; Martens 1998). Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a high- No one will be immune from the overall level, independent, scientific advisory impacts of climate change, but it will have a body, suggest that if no action is taken now disproportionate effect on the lives of poor to reduce greenhouse gases, air surface people in developing countries, where temperatures could rise to levels that will poverty increases people's vulnerability to significantly alter ecosystems. The IPCC its harmful effects. Poor people in and other forecasters predict that such overcrowded temporary settlements global warming could result in the erected on unsuitable land will be at risk of following changes: flooding and land slides. Those eking out • a rise in sea levels exposing many an existence from subsistence farming will communities to severe flooding from have no savings or assets to insure them storm surges; against external shocks. Lack of sanitation • a decline in water availability with and limited access to clean water, poor diet, billions of people facing water shortages and inadequate healthcare provision will in the Middle East and the Indian undermine resistance to disease. A lack of subcontinent; social status and the remoteness of some • disruptive seasonal rainfall patterns settlements means that some people will which will bring about droughts and not receive adequate warnings of floods, dramatically reducing crop impending disasters, and relief efforts will Editorial be less likely to reach them. Lack of communities are affected by and respond to education, and official neglect, means that environmental problems in different ways. poor and marginalised people will have Gender issues have not been considered little alternative but to remain in, or return in wider climate change discourses and to, disaster-prone areas, with diminished initiatives. The international response to the assets. implications of climate change has largely Adverse changes in climate^are likely to focused on mitigation initiatives (the exacerbate the problems that developing reduction of greenhouse gases), and has countries are already facing, particularly directed less attention to adaptation since 94 per cent of the world's major strategies (assistance with adapting to the natural disasters between 1990 and 1998 adverse impacts of climate change on occurred in developing countries (Oxfam food, livelihood, and human security). 2000, 1). It is important to acknowledge, Predominant approaches and policy however, that some climate changes may responses have focused on scientific and have beneficial impacts. As Terry Cannon technological measures to tackle climate points out in his article in this collection, change problems. They have displayed increased floods - a projected consequence scant regard for the social implications of of climate change - have the potential to climate change outcomes and the threats improve rather than destroy livelihoods. these pose for poor men and women, or for Inundation and silt can improve soil the ways in which people's political and fertility, thus boosting crop yields. Flooding economic environments influence their can also create ponds, improving conditions ability to respond to the challenges of for fish breeding. Cooler, temperate climate change. While scientific approaches climates, particularly in the Northern remain crucial, this collection of articles hemisphere, might also benefit from argues that political and socio-economic warmer temperatures. issues must be taken into consideration, The opportunities and challenges that particularly since the climate change men and women will face in responding to agenda is set by the rich and powerful, and climate change are uncertain and unclear, can exclude the interests of the poor and as are the precise shape, form, scope, time- less powerful within their variously scales, and impacts of projected climate constrained contexts. variability in different environmental The authors in this collection explore the settings. Given this degree of uncertainty, connections between gender, poverty, and many may be tempted to ask of gender climate variability, and debate whether, analysts and planners, why should we why, and how gender and poverty issues worry about this? There are difficulties in matter within the 'climate change policy assessing the gender-differentiated risks process'. Many discuss the vulnerability to and outcomes of ecological changes, the harmful risks of climate change that particularly when the debate takes place gender and poverty bestow, and demonstrate within a highly-charged political environ- why these areas need to be considered and ment where the validity of scientific integrated into climate change interventions hypotheses is questioned, and the threats (policy debates, international agreements, are not fully understood. However, an and national and local programmes). Some understanding of potential gender- explore why these issues have been largely differentiated impacts can be gleaned from neglected in research and analysis to