OUTCOMES OF THE AFRICA DEVELOPMENT
FORUM VII ON CLIMATE CHANGE WITH A
FOCUS ON GENDER AND YOUTH-: THE WAY
FORWARD
SANDRA ZAWEDDE June 28. 2011

Why a Pre-Africa Development Forum (ADF) on
Climate Change and Vulnerability ?
Can we address vulnerability if we don’t understand the issues?
• Increased pressure from Africa’s fast growing, youthful & urbanized population
• Increased disparities, decreased health, increased migration, affected livelihoods, food insecurity, & access to education etc
• Climate change impacts economic and social development

• 2/3 of world’s youth lack sanitation- WHO, 2006.
• App. 20 to 50% youth in African lack access to improved sanitation facilities.
• In Ethiopia and Kenya respectively, children< 5 were 36 and 50 percent more likely to be malnourished
• In Niger children <= 2 were 72% more likely to be stunted if born during a drought (UNDP, 2007-
HDR).

• Food insecurity, decreased livelihoods. women own less than 10% of agricultural land
• Increased migration
• Dropout rates of school age girls
• Increased early marriages
• Increased sexual violence in emergency camps

Now that ADF is over: Way forward on the general ADF Outcomes
• Inputs in relevant international previous processes like Cancun and Rio+20
• Africa’s common negotiating position in other fora e.g. COP 17
• Basis for the preparation of an Action Plan on Climate Change

What steps are being taken / could be taken to reduce the vulnerability of women and youth?

• Support to the ClimDev-Africa Programme
• Allocate climate change funds through the Africa
Green Fund.
• Mainstream climate change concerns into NDPs led by the, COMEF.
• Gender and child-centered, ecosystem-based approach in climate change adaptation and mitigation
• Joint secretariat to strengthen Africa’s participation in International negotiations and enhance capacity

Some Progress and Actions taken thus far
• Continental climate-change programmes and initiatives endorsed by AU Summit:
– ClimDev-Africa Programme
– Great Green Wall of the Sahel and Sahara
– African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable
Development (AMESD) Programme;
• The Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) to support effective implementation of Clim-Dev
Africa Programme.
• The Africa Green Fund

Look out for the major achievements and gaps and challenges in ensuring adequate attention to gender perspectives in these climate change efforts

• Economic challenges
• Financing climate change
• Governance and leadership:
• Participation: Representation is inadequate

What are the critical issues for youth and women in financing or addressing financing of climate change at national and local levels?

What steps are being taken / could be taken to increase the participation of youth and women in decision-making on climate change at different levels ?
What good practice examples can be provided?

• Implement existing commitments
• Mainstream Climate change into HSD
• Strengthen population dynamics and programming in climate change responses
• Research and Capacity Building, South to south- UNECA/ACGS research to-date

What steps are being taken / could be taken to mainstream gender perspectives?
What good practice examples can be provided?

Look at opportunities presented
• Innovation e.g. Agriculture- fertilizers, genetic engineering, dri-water, hydroponics.
• Green economy- green jobs
• Opportunity to reform education systems
• Solving Africa’s energy problems
• International cooperation
• Policy Integration- as a way of efficient resource mobilization and utilization.

Context is crucial and critical thinking is necessary.