Pacific Climate Change & Migration Project NEWSLETTER
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Pacific Climate Change & Migration Project NEWSLETTER August 2016 Population Displacements from Climate Change“an emerging issue,” says UN Sustainable Development Report The “Global Sustainable Development Report 2016” states that population displacements due to climate change are an emerging issue for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as existing migration patterns are changing as a response to adverse climate events. The first progress report on the new global Sustainable Development Agenda has stated that there is “robust evidence” that climate change and climate variability “worsen existing poverty, exacerbate inequalities, trigger new vulnerabilities and act as a threat multiplier for poor countries.” The Global Sustainable Development Report 2016 states that population displacements due to climate change are an emerging issue for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as existing migration patterns are changing as a response to adverse climate events. However, international laws to protect migrating populations across international borders due to environmental factors are limited. Officially launched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the ministerial meeting of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on 20 July, the report says that another emerging issue for SIDS is the impact of continued ocean acidification and associated coral bleaching which could cause harvest failure of marine resources and significantly impact on fisheries. Loss of coral reefs will affect SIDS economically, socially and environmen- tally as reefs have a significant impact on fish production and fisheries, marine biodiversity, coastal protection and tourism. The latest data in the report shows that about 800 million people around the world live in extreme poverty and hunger, 5.9 million children die before they reach the age of five, 59 million of primary school age are out of school, 2.4 billion people still lack improved sanitation facilities and one in two children under the age of five lack birth certificates. Gender, Migration and Climate Change Gender is an often discussed but neglected perspective of In Pacific Island states the impacts of climate change climate change. Migration is one adaptation strategy to are already visible and local women are potentially more climate change, and since women and men experience vulnerable compared to men. The United Nations migration differently, a gendered perspective offers University – Institute for Environment and Human Security important guidance for the formulation of policies. It is obvious that (UNU-EHS) conducted participatory sessions with Pacific gender plays a role in the development of migration policies and islanders in Kiribati, Tuvalu and Nauru, to supplement its its importance was even recognized in the 2015 Paris Agreement. household survey in the Pacific with further details on the percep- tion of climate change and migration among women and men. Pacific climate change impacts and the Migration of women and men as an vulnerability of women adaptation strategy The United Nations Economic and Social In the context of climate change, migrants. Focusing only on men as Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) the PCCM project suggests labour migrants leaves half of a society’s Pacific Climate Change and Migration (PCCM) migration as a way to diversify house- resources unused or underused, project, joined forces with the UNU-EHS, the Unit- hold income. The International La- thereby limiting the possibilities for ed Nations Development Program (UNDP), the bour Organization (ILO) notes, “with economic and social progress. International Labour Organization (ILO) and the the increasing adverse impacts of Gender inequality also limits house- University of the South Pacific (USP) to conduct climate change” it becomes more hold’s abilities to build sufficient re- household surveys on the impact of climate change and more difficult to offer sufficient silience to the impacts of climate on migration in Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. This article work opportunities for women and change. In 2008, Hon. Amberoti discusses how this research contributes, amongst men on their respective islands. Nikora, then Minister for Internal & others, to the development of gendered migration Therefore, migration offers an adap- Social Affairs from Kiribati acknowl- policies in the context of Pacific climate change. tation measure that allows another edged that there has been a lack source of income under different of attention to the gender and cli- The PCCM household surveys show that in the past environmental conditions. Mirjana mate change nexus and stressed decade, most households on Kiribati, Tuvalu and Morokvasic’s view of migration as “the importance of the inclusion Nauru experienced impacts of climate change like a “household’s strategy for survival” of gender in developing mitigation incremental sea levels rise, saltwater intrusion and confirms migration as one way to activities” as well as in adaptation drought. UNU-EHS gathered in-depth information on create more resilient households. measures. The latter point is fur- key risks and problems as well as on potential solutions As the Head of the European Union ther supported by Ruth Lane and in participatory “Livelihood Risk Ranking Sessions”. Delegation for the Pacific, Ambas- Rebecca McNaught in their study sador Andrew Jacobs, explains, the ‘Building Gendered Approach- In a study on the linkages between gender and IPCC stresses “it is clear that there is es to Adaptation in the Pacific’. climate change in the Pacific, UNDP found in 2013 the potential for human movement that the “degree to which people are affected as a response to climate change”. However, increased awareness of by climate change impacts is partly a function of gender equality and women’s em- their […] gender”. The underlying reason provided Pacific islanders use adaptation powerment has not yet translated amongst others, by the Women’s Environment & strategies to reduce their vulner- into sufficient labour migration op- Development Organization (WEDO) and the ability to the impacts of climate tions for women. This is especially United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is that change. In the UNU-EHS Livelihood true for employment overseas be- women are seen to be more vulnerable com- Risk Ranking women suggested cause at present, men dominate pared to men. This applies particularly to women moving inland as reaction to floods temporary migration like seasonal living in coastal communities like the Pacific Is- and coastal erosion or high tides, workers programs. In this regard, the land states, where agricultural land is sparse whereas men proposed building International Organisation for Migra- and natural resources like water are limited. sea walls. And while both sexes tion (IOM) calls for further research emphasized a need for improve- on the understudied connection ments in water management and between migration, gender and called for governmental assistance, the environment. A starting point women suggested moving to for gender research on the topic is places with lower salinity intrusion. the Institute of Development Stud- Men mentioned overcrowded ies’ 2005 BRIDGE report on gender homes due to immigration to inter- and migration, followed in 2011 by nal key destinations, amongst other the BRIDGE report on gender and issues. Male participants pointed climate change. One point of on- out that this might lead to security going discussion regards social and implications, which were important cultural factors present in some SIDS. to them. Thus, differences between Bandita Sijapati for example suggests women’s and men’s responses are in her 2015 IOM article ‘Women’s La- visible. Participating women men- bour Migration from Asia and the Pa- tioned migration with a positive con- cific: Opportunities and Challenges’ notation while men focused on other that patriarchal cultures can be an measures and pointed out potential obstacle to female outmigration. challenges arising from migration. While these concerns exist, Patricia R. Pessar and Sarah J. Mahler argued in the 2013 article ‘Transnational Mi- It is important to analyse the differ- gration: Bringing Gender in’ that ences between female and male A woman and child row a kayak through a flooded women who were able to migrate, village in Funafuti, Tuvalu. might then actually be able to gain (Photo: Getty Images). more from migration in terms of empowerment compared to men. 2 The inclusion of gender in the 2015 Paris Agreement and national policies The 2015 Paris Agreement shapes international future change is currently on-going. The analysis of gendered migration climate change policies and is especially relevant for SIDS patterns in the context of climate change offers the in the Pacific, as outlined by the International Panel on possibility to account for differences in drafting of mi- Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014. Gender is included in the gration policies. Thereby, positive impacts are spread perambulatory and operative part of the 2015 Paris in the origin country among migrants, their families and Agreement that was adopted at the 21st Conference friends, as well as in the destination country’s society. of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The inclusion of gen- According to Nana Oishi, states and policies play an impor- der in the Paris Agreement’s operative paragraphs signals pro- tant role in influencing female migration by facilitating