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

Tags: climate change, COP15, gender, UNFCCC

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