Climate Change in the Himalayas: The Gender Perspective
e-discussion 5 to 25 October 2009
Vulnerability to climate change depends not only on natural factors, but also on economic, social, and cultural factors which impact on people’s status, behaviour, relationships, and power. In the countries of the Himalayan region, poverty, caste, ethnicity, and gender are among the factors that may hinder or increase people’s resilience to climate change.
Men and women are affected differently by change because they have different roles in society. Although both women and men are vulnerable to climate change, their experience of change is different, as is their capacity to cope and adapt. Gender inequality – with women having limited access to resources and information and being excluded from decision making – is among the factors that limit women’s capacity to cope with the changing environment. Women in the mountains have an additional burden; the steep and fragile mountain slopes pose more challenges to daily life and are themselves more susceptible to climate change than the plains areas.
Despite these differences, the gender perspective is rarely integrated in policies or strategies related to climate change at either international or national levels, and the mountain perspective is not considered.
Aim of the Discussion
The e-discussion organized by ICIMOD and the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) aims to generate knowledge on the gendered impacts of climate change in the Himalayan region, and the different capacities for adaptation of women and men, by exploring
- the different vulnerabilities of women and men to climate change impacts,
- the factors affecting women’s and men’s capacity to adapt,
- and the conditions that would facilitate gender mainstreaming in adaptation strategies.
The discussion will focus on experiences in the mountain areas of the countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. At present little is known in concrete terms about differences in climate change adaptation from a gender perspective in the region. Therefore, we invite you to share your experiences in this area with us by providing specific examples.
Themes
A) Different vulnerabilities of women and men to climate change impacts in the Himalayas
- Is there any evidence that the perception of change and risks differs between women and men?
- How are Himalayan women and men affected differently by climate change? Please give examples and figures to enrich the discussion.
- Why are women and men affected differently by climate change impacts?
B) Differential capacities and differential roles in adaptation to climate change impacts
- What are specific women’s and men’s assets – knowledge, skills, and capacities – for contributing to climate change adaptation strategies?
- Which factors may hinder women’s and men’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts in the Himalayas?
- Do cultural norms and values influence women’s and men’s capacities to adapt? Can you give concrete examples?
C) Supporting mountain people’s adaptation to climate change with a gender perspective
What measures would support mountain people’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts?
How are the national climate change policies and strategies of the Himalayan countries addressing the different adaptation needs of women and men living in the mountains?
What else must governmental institutions do to efficiently support climate change adaptation of mountain women and men?
