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