Linking science andLinking science andLinking science and Linking science and policy for genderpolicy for gender--based based p y gp y gadaptation adaptation

Aditi KapoorAlte nati e F t esAlternative Futures

December 17, 2013TERI IGESTERI-IGES, New Delhi

Gender is ClimateGender is Climate--iti !iti !sensitive! sensitive!

85% of Indian farmers are small and marginal and ʻincreasingly womenʼ Feminization and casualisation of female workforce in agriculture: Majority (87.3%) of female workers are from rural areas - twice that

of male workers.of male workers. Females outnumber men among marginal workers in cultivators,

agricultural laoburers and household industries. Horticulture, livestock, fisheries - women main workers Rural poverty getting concentrated in agricultural labour (& artisans) About 18% of the farm families in India are headed by women About 18% of the farm families in India, are headed by women Women gather firewood, crop waste, cattle dung to power up 92% of

rural domestic energy till today; they gather 85% of their cooking fuel from forests, village commons and crop fields.

14 times more women than men die in disasters; shorter life spans.Sources: X1th Plan NSSO Census 2011 UNDPSources: X1th Plan, NSSO, Census 2011, UNDP

The BusinessThe Business--asas--usual usual ApproachApproach

Climate scientists: ‘Climate change is gender neutral. It affects all of us equally!’ panelist at NATCOM meeting.

Climate policy makers: ‘Gender and climate change are two distinct areas for policy making.’ women’s ministry/department have no role in India’s climate policy (NAPCC/SAPCCs)

NGOs: ‘Work with’ women farmers but are not guided by g ygender equality or gender empowerment. Usually refer to them as ‘housewives’ because they don’t own productive assets.

Self: Women too often consider labouring on kitchen gardens and with their livestock and poultry as ‘non-productive household work ’ On farms they see themselvesproductive household work. On farms they see themselves as ‘assistants’ of their spouses.

Gender in Climate Science Gender in Climate Science ResearchResearch

“Adaptive capacity and vulnerability to climate change impacts are different for men and

ith d l t d l bilitwomen, with gender-related vulnerability particularly apparent in resource-dependent societies and in the impacts of extreme pweather-related events.”

“E i i l h h h th t“Empirical research has shown that entitlements to elements of adaptive capacity are socially differentiated along the lines of y gage, ethnicity, class, religion and gender.”

IPCC (2007), Chapter 17.

Gender in Climate PolicyGender in Climate PolicyGender in Climate PolicyGender in Climate Policy“ gender equality and the effective participation of women and…gender equality and the effective participation of women and

indigenous peoples are important for effective action on all aspects of climate change.”

UNFCCC Shared Vision for LCA

“There would be increasing scarcity of water, reduction in yields of forest biomass and increased risks to human healthyields of forest biomass, and increased risks to human health with children, women and the elderly in a household becoming the most vulnerable. With the possibility of decline i il bilit f f d i th th t f l t iti lin availability of foodgrains, the threat of malnutrition may also increase. All these would add to deprivations that women already encounter and so in each of the adaptation programmes, special attention should be paid to the aspects of gender.”

NAPCC (pg 13)

.

Need for evidenceNeed for evidence--based policy based policy p yp yresearchresearch

AF Research OutlineAF Research OutlineResearch Focus Pilot Research: Understand the links between climate science,

adaptation-oriented policy and gender in 4 Statesadaptation oriented policy and gender in 4 States. Policy Change: Policy analysis to influence four of the SAPCCs to

incorporate gender concerns Public Provisioning : Examine adaptation oriented State level Public Provisioning : Examine adaptation-oriented State-level budgets using the gender budgeting tool.

Climate Science Knowledge: Scientifically document, with gender analysis, few adaptive farming practices in 3 agro-climatic zonesanalysis, few adaptive farming practices in 3 agro climatic zones across 3 States. Comparative analysis between 25 conventional and 25 adaptive practices farmers in each zone.

Research location• The flood plains of Eastern Uttar Pradesh & Bihar• The Sunderbans coastal area in West Bengal and

Th d ht i f A dh P d h• The drought-prone region of Andhra Pradesh• Himalayan eco-system in Himachal Pradesh – limited pilot study.

AF Research OutcomesAF Research OutcomesAF Research OutcomesAF Research Outcomes Ministry of Environment & Forests ask ALL State Ministry of Environment & Forests ask ALL State

governments to incorporate gender concerns in their Climate Plans.

Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh incorporate gender concerns in their latest SAPCC versions; Uttar Pradesh in the process of doing so.Uttar Pradesh in the process of doing so.

Process ʻownedʼ by State governments through official hosting of policy roundtables on ʻGender

d ʼand SAPCC.̓ UNDP/government start process to mainstream

gender in the implementation of SAPCCsgender in the implementation of SAPCCs. Recognition of the importance of using gender

budgeting within climate-linked departments.budgeting within climate linked departments.

AF Research FieldAF Research Field--based based OutputsOutputspp

Local weather variations are very wide even in 5 neighbouring villages. (locally installed rain gauges & Stevenson screens). Local agro-met data necessary; helps

f t k d i i th i f i t k hwomen farmers take decisions on their farming tasks - when to sow,/irrigate crops.

Soil testing/weather variations measured show that variation i l li d b t it i t i ld d f iis very localised but its impact on crop yield and farming practices is very significant. Policy on soil testing to be linked with met data; helps farmers decide on which crops to be sownsown.

More understanding about pest and disease incidence. Eg. temperature variation of 2 deg in a particular week, just before sowing the pest incidence is almost double Also ifbefore sowing, the pest incidence is almost double. Also if humidity is higher. Need for pest control science; Increases women farmers labour and time burden.

Farmers are contributing to the knowledge generation Farmers are contributing to the knowledge generation process, understanding farming resilient models for changing weather parameters. Empowering women farmers as knowledge leaders; Extension workers.g ;

AF Research Budget AF Research Budget StudyStudyStudyStudy

Gender budgeting not related to gender-based labour force in a sector.

Highest outlays on programmes related to poverty alleviation, food subsidy and livelihoods subsidy; miniscule on risk mitigation, disaster management and agriculture and allied activities.Withi i k iti ti d di t t Within risk mitigation and disaster management, no gender-responsive budgeting.Gender budgeting not based on actual spends but Gender-budgeting not based on actual spends but ʻcalculatedʼ as per mandate given, even by junior IT staffers!

No move to calculate ʻadaptationʼ budgets. Negligible knowledge about gender budgeting Negligible knowledge about gender budgeting

among senior-most officers.

What do women know about climate What do women know about climate science?science?

And where are women scientists?And where are women scientists?And where are women scientists?And where are women scientists?

Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific EvidenceWomenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific EvidenceW t B lW t B lWest BengalWest Bengal

Storms are increasing in frequency Rising frequency of SevereStorms are increasing in frequency and intensity

Earlier women could collect wild fish species, small crabs, mussels

Rising frequency of Severe Cyclonic Storms Over Bay of Bengal

Retreat of shoreline, beach etc from the sea to tide them over the crisis period. After AILA these are hardly available. Herbs and leafy vegetables can no longer

,erosion and consequent siltation in the estuarine channels cause threat to the human habitat tourismy g g

grow in saline fields & pond sides “After giving time and hard labour,

the yield of paddy is very low due t ti i f ll ” Aji Bibi

human habitat, tourism, agriculture and fishing

Decline of Aman Paddy yield with increasing Post Monsoonto erratic rainfall,” Ajina Bibi,

village Chakpitambur, S. 24 Parganas

with increasing Post Monsoon Rainfall in Coastal W. Bengal (S. 24 Paraganas)Source: Sugata Hazra, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata

Women put in many more hours (upto 10) & labour into paddy fields

Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific EvidenceEvidencede cede ce

Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh Less winter rains affecting Poor precipitation in Less winter rains affecting

wheat production Less water in kul reducing

water availability

Poor precipitation in winters

Rapid retreating of glaciers reducing water availabilitywater availability

Untimely rains and hail storms in new areas

g y Erratic rainfall and delay in

monsoon Declining volume of

Delayed snowfall so snowfall for less period & gets less cooler temperatures so

l f d d f ll

ec g o u e osnowfall over last 10-15 years, now limited to high altitudesI i i L tmelts faster and does not fill

the kul through the year like it used to

Invasive species Lantana (Lantana camara) due to higher temperaturesChanged pest spectrum of

Multiplication of invasive weed species Lantana due to higher temperatures

Changed pest spectrum of crops

Source: NBPGR (RS, Shimla), GBPIHED

New, undiagnosed crop pests

Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific EvidenceEvidencede cede ce

Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh Untimely rainfall: more Erratic weather patternsy

rainfall in shorter time period

Water logging

Erratic weather patterns Due to heavy rainfall in

this low-lying area water logging has become a

Water logging Variation in temperature;

end-Feb hot eastern winds

gg gperpetual problem in last 10-15 years

In February – March 2007-08 th i 2010 thcome early and the growing

wheat grain, needing cooler temperatures, becomes

08, then in 2010, the temperature shot up suddenly resulting in shrinking of wheat grainsp ,

smaller; yield also decreases More and diverse pests

Impact on livestock

shrinking of wheat grains Increase in all sorts of

crop diseases (air borne, seed borne and soil borne)

Impact on livestock reproduction. Cow or buffalo earlier reproduced within 2

ithi 3 4

)Source: N.D. University; UPCAR

years, now within 3-4 years

Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific Womenʼs Anecdotal Speak and Scientific EvidenceEvidencede cede ce

Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh Disturbed distribution and

f f f ll Rainfall variability; changesfrequency of rainfall; more early withdrawal of monsoonHotte mme me o

Rainfall variability; changes in rainfall patterns; untimely rainfallChanges in temperature Hotter summers; warmer or

very cold winters: “Summers are scorching. Working with soil has

Changes in temperature, increase in frequency of extreme events like cold wave heat waves floodsWorking with soil has

become very difficult. Our hands get burnt & we can’t roll our ragi-rice morsels at h !”

wave, heat waves, floods, droughts, cyclones

4 droughts in the last home!”

More drought years: earlier once every five years, now thrice every five years

decade out of which two were severe; 4-5 droughts in last 10 yearsthrice every five years

Pest infestationsy

More sucking pests & growing minor pests

S CRIDA ANGRAUSource: CRIDA, ANGRAU

Enabling GenderEnabling Gender--based Adaptation based Adaptation gg ppthrough Science and Policythrough Science and Policy

Some RecommendationsSome RecommendationsAdaptive Interventions

Gender-based impact Scientific and policy interventions

O i l M f d it f b th C it i ti (CRIDA)Organic or low input agriculture

More food security for bothMore labour and time invested by women; Less information/knowledge/ i t d b

Community vermicomposting (CRIDA)Organic manure/tank silt from Panchayat to womenWeather-related information (mobile h ) tinputs accessed by women;

Less participation in decision-making bodies

phones) to womenMore women climate scientistsRain gauges with women

Traditional crop varieties

More food security for bothGives women fodder/ fuelwood (not HYV);

Farm-to-lab transfer of adaptive knowledge and technologyWomen and men farmer trainersfuelwood (not HYV);

enables seed exchange; Women can reclaim traditional knowledge.

Women and men farmer trainersMore women agriculture scientistsAppropriate seeds/animal species from PRIs/block

Integrated farming

Food security for bothWomen gain by food variety/nutritionWomen invest more labour,

Joint pattasSeeds/manure for ʻnutritionʼ or kitchen gardensRain water-harvesting ,

time g

Simple technological help

More RecommendationsMore RecommendationsAdaptive Gender-based impact Scientific and policy interventionsInterventionsAgriculture Benefit men and Panchayat to give tools to tools – SHG runs village resource

womenEmpowers women

womenʼs groups policy (SGSY/MKSP)

centre

Millets Benefits family food security

Panchayat to give seeds/inputs/trainingsecurity

Womenʼs traditional knowledge valuedand utilised.

seeds/inputs/trainingWomen as trainers

and utilised.Seed banks/grain b k /

Resilience for bothEmpowers women

Mandatory in every panchayatthrough ATMA/MKSP/RKVYth h f ʼbanks/

fodder banks

through women farmersʼ group

Gender Policy FrameworkGender Policy Frameworkyy Create Assets for Women – land titles, livestock

ownership lease on forest land biogas water tanksownership, lease on forest land, biogas, water tanks, knowledge workers, etc.

Ensure independent financial inclusion to promote p plivelihoods and income generation for women.

Increase the proportion of women scientists and invest in labour reduction/drudgery reductioninvest in labour reduction/drudgery reduction technologies.

Ensure womenʼs fair representation in mainstreamEnsure women s fair representation in mainstream decision-making institutions and governance platforms to help them shape laws, policies & programmes that affect their lives.affect their lives.

Dedicate fair proportion of financial resources for women, mandating gender budgeting and ensuring i t timpact assessment.

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