By Mekonnen Teshome:
Following the major decision of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to establish a fund to compensate vulnerable nations for ‘loss and damage’ from climate-induced disasters on 20 November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, experts are urging for rural women and children to be the center of the
Global climate action
Experts working on climate resilience or adaptation say that African rural women and children are more susceptible to adverse climate impacts than men because they are heavily affected by poverty and traditional inequalities.
African Policy Study Expert, Mr. Endale Haile, says there are many studies that show why African children and women should be prioritized in global climate change resilience and adaptation efforts. Expert Endale Haile says that gender inequality in rural Africa is due to many factors.
It is common for customary traditions to be prevalent, making women more vulnerable than men in climate change-induced food shortages and related risks.
“There are many studies that substantiate the fact that women and children are more susceptible and have less adaptive capacity to climate change due to lack wealth ownership, household-level decision power, opportunities for community-level participation ,wealth inheritance, household burdens and health. However, evidences show that women make higher contributions to household-level adaptation to recurrent drought and weather variability.”
A gender studies post-graduate fellow at Addis Ababa University and a women affairs expert with Addis Ababa City Administration Selamawitbirku on her part climate changes adaptation programs should follow a gender approach. This should consider the differences between men and women, as well as their vulnerabilities, adaptive potentials, and limitations to ensure that they are successful.
Participants of this year’s Conference of Parties (COP27) during the Gender Thematic Day also reaffirmed that women continue to bear a disproportionate burden of the adverse impacts created by climate change. At the occasion, the African Women’s Climate Adaptive Priorities (AWCAP)
initiative stems from a key insight that in the wake of disasters, women and children are ~80% of those needing assistance, while poor women in rural areas are 14 times more likely to die during a natural disaster.
In his statement to COP27, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister, stressed the need to provide finance for Africans and African Rural Women in order to help them adapt to climate change.
“Africa is the most vulnerable to climate change, while accounting for less than 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 17% of total global population. Nonetheless, Africa receives less than 5% of the world’s climate fund, which is mainly in debt. Combating climate change requires a collaborative effort and adequate funding.”
The Prime Minister warned that climate change could lead to more than 100,000,000 people becoming poor by 2030 if not enough adaptation measures are taken. Ethiopia is at the bottom of carbon emissions, but it is extremely vulnerable to climate change.
“While we are proud of our achievements and are meeting our nationally determined targets, there is still work to be done to protect our people and the environment. Ethiopia is, indeed, in the eye of the storm,” he added.
The Premier said that increased funding must reflect the magnitude of Africa’s challenge, and he added, that countries must honor their climate pledges, provide the necessary financing, and address the outstanding issues of loss and damage and the carbon trading mechanism in ways that allow for faster results.
He also explained that eight out ten Ethiopians live outside of urban areas and rely solely on subsistence farming. Those who have made little contribution to climate change suffer most.
President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, speaking at the COP27 highlighted that Africa today loses between $7 billion and $15 billion a year to climate change. “And if things don’t change, it will be $50 billion a year by 2030. Africa doesn’t have access to the financing it needs to adapt to climate change and meet nationally determined contributions. By 2030 Africa will need between $1.3 to $1.6 trillion.”
African climate adaptation experts advise for a continental Strategy that defines the main priorities, interventions and actions required to build resilient capacities for adaptation, reduce the vulnerability of affected communities, and manage the risks related to climate change and climate-induced extreme events, as well as to unlock the benefits of the mitigation potential of the continent.
Source: newbusinessethiopia
