Working Group 2: Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Risks
Chair: Dr Irmeli Mustalahti (irmeli.mustalahti[at]helsinki.fi)
Coordinator: Ms. Lisa Marika Jokivirta (lisa.m.jokivirta[at]jyu.fi)
This working group convened over a two-day period to discuss themes of environmentally induced conflict, where climate change, livelihood and human security are directly linked. The first day was devoted to examining multi-faceted issues in climate change, including natural disasters, food security, diminishing natural resources and the gendered aspects of climate change. The second day was more specifically focused on the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN REDD) Initiative.
It was acknowledged that climate change is not simply an environmental issue – it is also a human one. It was emphasized that although REDD, for example, is surely about forests, it is ultimately about the communities living within them. A healthy dose of criticism is thus required with regards to the implementation of mechanisms such as REDD: to what extent does REDD promote community capacity-building so that the local people are able to monitor the results? What is the longer-term sustainability of REDD? Is it likely to lead to poverty alleviation, and are key considerations such as gender equity being addressed? In terms of land ownership, who actually owns the land? What kind of security or sustainability can be ensured if local community members are without rights to land ownership?
There was a general consensus that the theoretical and conceptual grounding of the link between climate change and human security needs to be deepened and diversified. A critical approach is required, one which takes into account the power structures embedded in human-nature and North-South relations. The need for gender mainstreaming in climate change research and policy was also emphasized. Participants called for more research and sex-disaggregated data to further explore the potentially differentiated role of women in adaptation and mitigation as well as to diversify the rather simplistic understanding of the climate change-gender link that currently exists.
- Proceedings by Lisa Marika Jokivirta