WeKnowitbutweIgnoreit

!  Effectsofclimatechange—settingthestage

! Whoisvulnerabletoclimatechangeimpacts?

! Bigpicture—eminentcrisis

! Whatneedstobedone?

! HowCanJudgesrespondtoCC?

! Wayforward—questions

“VulnerablePeopleSufferFirstandWorst”

BanKi-Moon

!  Short-term:erraticclimateandweatherextremes—naturalhazards.

!  Long-term:alteredecosystemsandhabitats—lossofbiodiversity,degradationofecosystems,rainfallvariability,sealevelrise,oceanacidification.

!  Riskstohumanhealthandsociety.ThreatendevelopmentgainsandhindertheimplementationofSDGs.

! Oneoftheworld’smostvulnerablecountriestoclimatechange.

! Hotterandmoreextremeclimaticevents.

!  Increasedvariabilityofwateravailability.

! Reducedagriculturalproductivity.

!  Increasedcoastalerosionandseawaterincursion.

! Righttolife! Righttohealth! Righttowaterandsanitation! Righttofood! Righttoadequatestandardofliving! Righttohousing! Righttoproperty! Righttoself-determination! Righttodevelopment(sustainable)! Righttonationality! Righttomobility

!  CChasadifferentmeaningfordifferentpeople.!  CCisunjust—thosewhohavecontributedleasttoCCcausesaresufferingmostfromitseffects.

!  CCisunfair.!  CCisathreattoglobalpeace,security,andprosperity.

! Whatisvulnerability?degreeofinabilitytoanticipate,copewith,resist,andrecoverfromtheimpactsofdisasters[WHO]

! Whatisclimatevulnerability?degreetowhichgeophysical,biologicalandsocio-economicsystemsaresusceptibleto,andunabletocopewith,adverseimpactsofclimatechange[IPCC]

Climatechangeisunderminingtheenjoymentofhumanrights,especiallyofthepeopleonthe

frontlineoftheclimatecrisiswhohavecontributedleasttothecausesofclimatechange:MaryRobinson

! Children

!  Elderlyanddisabled

!  Indigenouspeople

! Women

…indevelopingcountries

womenandchildrenare14timesmorelikelytodieorbeinjuredduringadisasterthanmen:

SoroptomistInternationaloftheAmericas

! Health:morevulnerabletoheatwaves,vector-borne,andwater-bornediseasesthanadults.

!  NaturalDisasters:smallsizeandrelativeinabilitytocareforthemselves.

! Malnutrition:parched,crackedearthandcropfailuresunderminethesurvivalandnutritionofchildren

!  Education

InequalityandPoverty:aviciouscycle—achildlivinginpovertyordeprivedofadequatewaterandsanitationbeforeacrisiswillbemoreaffectedbyaflood,droughtorstorm,less

likelytorecoverquicklyandatevengreaterriskinasubsequentcrisis:UNICEF

Nearly160millionchildrenliveinhighorextremelyhighdroughtseverityzones:UNICEF

Morethan88%oftheexistingglobalburdenofdiseaseduetoCCoccursinchildrenlessthanfive

yearsofage:WHO

!  DiminishedAbilitytoAdapt

!  DiminishedAbilitytoSeekAssistance

!  DetrimentalPhysicalImpacts

!  LossofAccesstoInfrastructureandResources

! HighPovertyRates

56%ofthosewhodiedduringJapan’s2011tsunami

wereaged65orover

Climatechangeishavingthelargestimpactontheworld’spoorestandmostvulnerablepeople.

Withinthisgroup,20%arepeoplewithdisabilities,whoarenearlyalwaysdoubly

disadvantaged:CBM

!  IPsgeographicalregionsandecosystems:oftenliveinplacesthatareworsthit—povertyanddiscriminationexacerbatestheirvulnerability.

!  Proximitytonature:closerelationshipswiththeirenvironmentsandgreatrelianceonrenewablenaturalresources—heightenedriskofCCimpacts.

!  Climateinducedmigration:righttoselfdetermination.

!  Biofuelsconnection:seenasasolution—leadingtohumanrightsviolation.

!  Economicgrowth:CCimpactswillslowdowneconomicgrowththroughoutthe21stcentury,makingpovertyreductionmoredifficult—“furthererosionoffoodsecurity”and“creationofnewpovertytraps.”

!  Increasedinequality:wage-dependentpoorhouseholdsaffectedbyincreasedfoodprices,especiallyinregionswithhighfoodinsecurityandhighinequality.

Mindthegap:climatechange,minoritiesandindigenouspeoplesInsomecases,peoples’waysoflifeandeventheirveryexistencearebeingthreatenedbyclimate

change

!  Landownershipanddisplacement

!  Unequalaccesstoresourcesmakeswomenvulnerableto:

!  Cropfailure

!  Fuelshortage

!  Waterscarcity

!  Naturaldisasters

!  Disease

Majorityofworld’spoorcoupledwithunequalaccesstoresources

Anaverageof77%ofthefatalitieswerewomen

someofwhomdrownedasaresultofnotbeingtaughthowtoswimafterTsunamiin

2004

300%increaseinnewdomesticviolencecasesaftertwotropicalcycloneshitTafeProvince

inVanuatuin2011

! Hunger,Diseases—UNPRECEDENTEDDEATHS

! MassMigration

!  Violence

!  NationalSecurityCrisis

!  GraveInjustice

“Climatechangeisthebiggestthreattohumanrightsinthe21stcentury.”

!  Improvebasicpublichealthmeasures

!  Increasecapacityfordisasterpreparednessandresponse

!  Alleviatepoverty

!  Promoteinclusivegrowth

!  Inclusiveplanninganddecisionmaking

!  Awarenessraising

WomenAgentsofChange:WomenarenotonlyvulnerabletoCCbuttheyarealsoeffectiveactorsoragentsofchangeinrelationtobothmitigationand

adaptation:WomenWatch

!  Proactiveresponsescanaccesstojustice!  Judicialresponses:!  Seeminglysimple:

!  ChallengestoprojectsandEIAs—theyalladdup!  Land—vulnerablepeoples’landrights!  Water—waterjustice

!  Ascomplexas:!  Claimsforrefugeestatus!  Humanrights:rightstonationality,righttolife,righttoanenvironmentcapableofsustaininghumanlife

Thehumancostofglobalwarminghasaname:climateinjustice:MaryRobinson

!  IndigenousPeoples!  AliSteelIndustryvGovernmentofKhyberPakhtunkhwa:AliSteelcannotharmlocalresidents’healthandlifejustbecauseEPAdoesnotcoverthetribalareas.Righttoacleanenvironmentisanintegralpartoftherighttolifeanddignityundertheconstitution-PHC

!  Women!  Ukejev.Ukeje,SupremeCourtofNigeria,2014:Igbo(ethnicgroup)lawandcustomdiscriminatedagainstdaughtersinheritingtheirfathers’estate,conflictedwithafewsectionsoftheirconstitution.Daughterwasentitledtoinherit.

!  Ramantelev.MmusiandOthers,CourtofAppealofBotswana,2013:Customaryruledenyingwomentherighttoinheritthefamilyhomeviolatestheirconstitutionalrighttoequality.

!  Water!  SindhInstituteofUrologyandTransplantationv.NestleMilkpakLimited.Nocivilizedsocietyshouldpermitunfetteredexploitationofnaturalresources,especiallywater.Waterisanecessityoflife.Nestle’splannedbottledwaterplantprevented.

!  AsgharLegharivtheFederationofPakistan.“Waterjustice,”asub-conceptofclimatejustice,meansindividualshaveahumanrighttocleanwaterforsurvivalandrecreationalpurposes.

!  SWIM(SaveWatersofIndang,CaviteMovementInc.)vPTK2H20Corporation(CourtofAppealofthePhilippines,2015):Waterisanessentialelementoflifeandanenvironmentalresource.Respondent’sexcessivewaterextractioncoulddangerouslyimpacttheriparianecosystemandlocals’livelihoods.

! Howcanwe?

" IntegratetheneedsofmenandwomenintoCCpolicies?

" Moveawayawayfromlargelyscientific,market-basedCCresponsestoamorepeople-focused,gender-awareapproach?

" EnsurehumanrightsareatthecentreofCCresponses?

" Ensurewomenplayanequalroleindecision-makingaroundCC?

! Whatsuccessfulstrategiesarealreadyadoptedbymenandwomen?

“Fromlittlethingsbigthingsgrow”

PaulKelly