Programme Director, Deputy Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Minister of Energy
Members of the media
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is an honour for me to be part of this conference which is part of our country’s preparation for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) taking place in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011.
This meeting follows the consultation we had in Limpopo on the eve of National Women’s Day. These consultations are aimed at ensuring that women of our country become more involved in the global discourse on climate change in the build up to COP17. We have to consolidate partnership amongst women from various sectors – women in civil society, in rural areas, women in business and in the media – to strengthen the voice of women in these discussions.
Programme Director, the Department for Women, Children and People with Disabilities believes that we need to engage with each other and put together a concrete plan of action towards COP17. We have to show leadership and have a solid position for South Africa women and African women as we come closer to Durban.
The level of awareness about the climate change, COP17 and the alignment of our participation strategy remain relatively low amongst women and other major groups. The voice of women on this subject is still missing in the entire spectrum of the evolution of climate change engagement. I am confident that this initiative is a major step in the right direction in strengthening participation of women in the climate change engagement.
There is a clear need for government to build public support for climate policies that will contribute towards the achievement of our national objectives of creating decent work, overcoming the challenges in education and health, land redistribution and rural development and in eradicating poverty.
Climate includes patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. Climate change affects more than just a change in the weather. It refers to seasonal changes over a long period of time. These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them.
Because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where and how people, plants and animals live, such as food production, availability and use of water and health risks.
For example, a change in the usual timing of rains or temperatures can affect when plants bloom and set fruit, when insects hatch or when streams are their fullest. This can affect historically synchronised pollination of crops, food for migrating birds, spawning of fish, water supplies for drinking and irrigation, forest health, and more.
Longer-term trends now indicate a changing climate. By 2007, scientists from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that warming oceans and melting glaciers due to global warming and climate change could cause sea levels to rise 7 to 23 inches by the year 2100.
Worldwide, densely populated coastal communities and infrastructure that supports them would be affected by natural disasters such as frequent floods and severe drought. We are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly if global temperatures rise by more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 which is the major concern of the world at large.
If left un-mitigated, climate change has the potential to undo or undermine many of the positive advances made in meeting South Africa’s own development targets and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The following key impacts of climate change threaten the sustainability of the gains that have been achieved in terms of MDG attainment, including:
1. A drop in agricultural yields in some countries, with the consequent effects on agricultural output, food security and nutrition
2. An increase in the number of people at risk from water stress
3. An increase in the exposure to malaria
4. An increase in the surface area of arid and semi arid land
5. And rising sea levels that could severely affect coastal fisheries and lead to increased severe flooding
Climate Change adaptation must deal with the unavoidable impacts of climate change; through mechanisms to manage risks, adjust economic activity and development plans, and reduce vulnerability particularly for women, children and people with disabilities.
South Africa and the African continent should hold the firm view that developed countries should accept greater responsibility for assisting developing countries to adapt to climate change. Policies to mitigate climate change should also directly contribute to poverty eradication.
As a responsible global citizen, South Africa is committed to contribute to a world where the impact of greenhouse gasses does not lead us to a situation where we find it difficult to sustain the world for future generations. A significant body of evidence points to the threats that the African continent faces due to climate change.
Several efforts are underway already to support adaptation research and mitigation actions, but capacity remains limited as the challenges mount. The aim is to target communities and vulnerable groups to build sustainable capacity to deal with global climate change projects over the long term.
Our gathering here today is to ensure that the participation of women and their position at the upcoming COP17 is strengthened. African Women`s voices in international climate change and global environmental discussions must be heard and recognised.
There are linkages between poverty and climate change that put women more at risk than men. Women are generally more vulnerable than men to poverty with unemployment rate amongst African women in our country estimated at 50%.
Women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their status as often the poorest in their communities combined with their socially ascribed roles and responsibilities, limited access to resources and a direct dependence on natural resources.
South African women are not immune to these climate change threats. In rural communities women are largely dependent on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihoods. Climate change will mean that the supply of natural resources will be threatened. Agriculture may become less viable. With 41% of women living in the former Bantustan, farming activities take place on the edge of survival. Even minor changes to rainfall patterns (especially coupled with increased severity of droughts and floods) threaten food security.
Women’s traditional roles as the primary users and managers of natural resources, primary caregivers, and labourers engaged in unpaid labour mean they are dependent on resources that are put most at risk by climate change. Furthermore, women lack access to resources and information vital to overcome the challenges posed by climate change.
Women living in informal settlements, specifically in urban centres of our country are particularly vulnerable to frequent extreme events like flooding. Frequent incident of flooding of the informal settlements in the Cape Flats is one example of this impact.
As we prepare for the COP17 Conference, we need to make sure that we attend the conference with a position. Our position should emphasise that Gender is a significant factor in the construction of social vulnerability in relation to risk of natural disasters. We need to continuously mainstream gender perspective into research by academic sector or research institutes on the impact of climate change, natural disasters and related environmental vulnerability.
In conclusion Programme Director; I would like to congratulate the organisers of this partnership for the profound initiative taken to form a platform for women in the media to engage and consult on climate change.
This is an opportunity to interrogate how best we can strengthen the existing systems, and create a platform for women to fully participate in all climate change discussions, including influencing the development of strategies for mitigation and adaptation. Let us consolidate our position and make sure that the voices of women are heard at COP17 in Durban.
Thank you for your attention.
