To get the point of view of the NWP team on gender sensitive practices, tools and systems for climate and disaster risk reduction assessments, I have been trying to get hold of Ms. Xianfu Lu (the NWP liaison person from the UNFCCC secretariat). After trying a bit on the suggested phone number, I wrote to her on June 8^th 2009. Now waiting!!!!!!!!!

I’m also pursuing the case with Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, representing the government of Trinidad and Tobago and the focal point for NWP in the current meeting i.e., SBSTA-30 (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice ).  Mr. Kumarsingh has shown interest to come to the women’s caucus to learn more on the importance of gender sensitive practices, tools and systems for climate and disaster risk reduction assessments.

A draft conclusion for the NWP for the SBSTA-30 (what conclusions have been reached in this meeting) is now available. I would keep you posted reagrding this.

Maira

June 9^th 2009,

Bonn

With the help of the Nairobi Work Program (NWP), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is working with 133 stakeholders including the UN, IGOs, NGOs, CBOs and research institutes on adaptation issues.

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN ISDR) is one important partner of NWP. In March 2009, the UNISDR and NWP teams arranged a technical workshop on integrating practices, tools and systems for climate risk assessment and management and disaster risk reduction strategies into national policies and programmes in Cuba.

In one of the UNFCCC side events in Bonn, the NWP team presented the findings of the workshop in Cuba. The workshop which brought together around 100 experts representing developed and developing countries, along with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, was described as a ‘successful platform’ to share practices and lessons-learned at  international, regional, national and subnational levels, and to identify gaps and needs and how to overcome barriers in order to facilitate successful integration. The final report will be shared in the coming days. The preliminary report is available in  the UNFCCC website (http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/application/pdf/preliminary_workshop_report.pdf).

Surprisingly, this preliminarily report or the background documents on the workshop, say nothing on gendered vulnerabilites exacerbated by disasters or climate change. I’m surprised to read that neither the facilitators nor the participants, who were representing 100 developed and developing countries, brought up the importance of gender implications in disaster/CC risk assessments. Maybe this is something which has been missed-out!!!! I strongly feel that we are supposed to be at the stage where we should have learned and internalised the gendered impacts of disasters in light of social, cultural and economic processes of the society, and that bringing both women’s and men’s points of view in the table is extremely important.

I would try to get the perspective of the NWP liaison person, Ms. Xianfu Lu on this. If someone from UNISDR is reading this, your response might help clarify things and explore this issue further.

Would keep the Network posted.

Maira

June 5^th 2009

Ongoing climate change talks at Bonn, Germany. Photo from UNFCCC

On behalf of the Gender and Disaster Network (GDN), I’m attending the current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate meeting with GenderCC (http://www.gendercc.net) in Bonn, Germany. This meeting represents one of the most crucial meetings before the Conference of Parties (COPs) – 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009, where new commitments for mitigation and more promising strategies for adaptation will be made.

It seems that finally the efforts of civil society groups at the international and local levels have paid off. Within the Negotiating Text for Long-term Cooperative Action (LCA)( http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2009/awglca6/eng/08.pdf) of the UNFCCC, a fair amount of attention has been devoted to disaster risk reduction under adaptation. It talks about mainstreaming adaptation into development, disaster risk reduction and poverty alleviation strategies, tools and policies. Interestingly adaptation will be supporting country-driven projects and programs assessing, managing, and reducing the risks of climate induced disasters. In this whole process, the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) will be used as a guiding principle.

This time the text also explicitly talks about vulnerable populations especially women and children, elderly and indigenous people while touching on the importance of a gendered perspective. This vulnerable group of people will be provided support in order to address their adaptation concerns and enhance their resilience.

It’s interesting to see that sometimes, international commitments or agreements say all the right things but the essence is missing from its tools and methodologies and at the implementation stage.

In this ongoing meeting, focus is also on the post 2012 Nairobi Work Program (NWP). NWP, which is one of the main tools to support the adaptation process, is an instrument through which the UNFCCC implement its mandate to ‘help all countries improve their understanding and assessment of the impacts of climate change and to make informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and measures’. The NWPis structured around two themes1) impact and vulnerability; and; 2)adaptation planning, measures and actionsIt is a five year program which ends in 2010.(http://unfccc.int/adaptation/sbsta_agenda_item_adaptation/items/3633.php).

In Bonn, I’m trying to follow the discussions around adaptation, with particular focus on the NWP. One of the things that interest me is to follow how the NWP (both till 2010 and if it go in the next phase) would be addressing the new commitments around addressing gender sensitivities of vulnerable groups. This is something I would be learning, talking and lobbying for with the help of GenderCC.

So far it is good news for me …………… would keep you posted about the others.

Maira

Bonn,  June 4, 2009