Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Dr Sithabiso Gandure, The Wahenga Institute Multiparty Women’s...
-
Upload
samson-hicks -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
1
Transcript of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Dr Sithabiso Gandure, The Wahenga Institute Multiparty Women’s...
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
Dr Sithabiso Gandure, The Wahenga Institute
Multiparty Women’s Caucus Capacity Development WorkshopGender and Climate Change
Cape Town, 19 October 2011
Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation
• Disasters (Incidences and trends)– Global– South Africa
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate change (CC) and Gender – What are the linkages?
• Impacts of Disasters particularly from CC
• Interventions and responses– Adopting a Gender Approach to CC
and DRR– National Platforms for DRR
• Concluding remarks
Malawi drought February 2002 Malawi drought February 2002 500500 people killed people killed
India drought July 2002India drought July 2002
South Africa drought January South Africa drought January 20042004
Haiti earthquake January 2010Haiti earthquake January 2010
Natural Disasters: Global incidences & trendsNatural Disasters: Global incidences & trends
Japan tsunami March 2011Japan tsunami March 2011
300,000,000300,000,000 people affectedpeople affected
15, 000, 000 15, 000, 000 people affectedpeople affected
222,570222,570 people people killedkilled
28,050 people 28,050 people killedkilled
Worst drought inWorst drought in Somalia since Somalia since 1991/92 -1991/92 - 3.7 million 3.7 million
people in crisispeople in crisis
Trends of World Natural Disasters (1975-2009)Trends of World Natural Disasters (1975-2009)
EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, www.em-dat.net
Disaster occurrence, 5-year period (1975-2009Disaster occurrence, 5-year period (1975-2009))
EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, www.em-dat.net
Impacts of natural disasters by region (2009)Impacts of natural disasters by region (2009)
EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, www.em-dat.net
What is the outlook for South Africa?What is the outlook for South Africa?
South Africa can expect more natural disasters – 26 Sept 2011 (Long Term Mitigation Study (LTMS)
KZN Hard Hit by Floods (Jan 7 2011)
Limpopo families count losses after storm (Dec 18 2010)
The Government should not negotiate for South Africans but with them.......The voices of the poor, underdeveloped, women, youth must be heard (Minister Edna Molelwa, Water & Environmental Affairs)
Natural Disasters in South Africa (1992 to 2011)
Source: "EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Databasewww.em-dat.net - Université Catholique de Louvain - Brussels - Belgium"
What is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)?
‘Disaster risk reduction’ describes policies and practices to minimise (with a view to longer-term prevention) disaster losses. These involve interventions in:
Mitigation: reducing the frequency, scale, intensity and impact of hazards.
Preparedness: strengthening capacity of communities to respond to & recover from hazards, & of government, implementing partners to provide effective response.
Advocacy: favourably influencing the social, political, economic and environmental issues that contribute to the causes and magnitude of impact of hazards.
A disaster results when a hazard impacts on a vulnerable exposed and ill prepared community.
Weather related hazards are becoming more frequent due to climate change killing more people overtime and costing more.
According to IPCC reports, one of the anticipated effects of climate change is the increase in both frequency and intensity intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
A natural hazard does not in itself cause a disaster.......
The intensity and scale of a hazard and the vulnerability of individuals and communities determines the magnitude of impact
The degree of vulnerability is defined by: social variables such as gender, age, health status,
economic status, ethnicity etc. Existing socio-economic and political conditions mean
that disasters can lead to different outcomesResearch reveals that disasters reinforce, perpetuate and
increase gender inequality.
What determines level of impact and vulnerabilityWhat determines level of impact and vulnerability?
• Successful DRR must occur before a disaster strikes
• Need to shift focus away from response to disaster prevention and preparedness activities
• Disasters constrain national efforts to mitigating the impacts of CC due to• Limitations in Early Warning Systems,• Limitations in institutional capacities in
dealing with and mitigating disasters
• Hence, in general DRR tends to be more reactive
Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Gender
• DRR and CC adaptation are cross-cutting development issues
• Share the same goals: reduce vulnerability, increase resilience and achieve sustainable development
• Need to address root causes of vulnerability that include human, economic, social, environmental and physical factors in a gender sensitive way
The rationale for gender concerns
Gender equality is a generic principle across all developmental areas including CC and DRR.
The rationale for gender equality has at least three dimensions: First, it is a rights issue and the principle is enshrined in
international and regional protocols and national policies. Second, it is an economic & environmental issue in that gender
inequality undermines development potential. Third, it is a social issue in that women perform a vital and
unique role in household and community structures which is under-recognized and under-valued.
The rationale for gender concernsEffectively mainstreaming gender in DRR and CC like in other
sectors faces significant challenges because it requires shifting cultural norms, of an absence of entitlement legislation and a reluctance to enforce it
where it does exist or monitor implementationof the prevailing gender balance within national executives and
legislatives.
The net result, is that international, regional & national policies have not been translated into tangible public actions.
Examples of Gendered Impacts of CC related natural Examples of Gendered Impacts of CC related natural disastersdisasters
Bangladesh cyclone & flood of 1991,
Among women aged 20-44, the death rate was 71 per 1000, compared to 15 per 1000 for men
Warning information transmitted between men in public spaces, but rarely to the family
Women were not allowed to leave the houses without a male relative
Women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men during disasters
IUCN/WEDO, 2007 report
Examples of Gendered Impacts of CC related Examples of Gendered Impacts of CC related natural disastersnatural disasters
Research by Davies et al, 2005
Gender inequalities exacerbated in the aftermath of disasters. Increase in workload may force many girls to drop out of school
Women and girls are more likely to become victims of domestic and sexual violence after a disaster particularly when families have been displaced and are living in overcrowded emergency or transitional housing where they lack privacy
Why the gender differences?An analysis of 141 countries showed that gender differences in
deaths from natural disasters are directly linked to women’s economic and social rights.
When women’s rights are not protected, more women than men will die from disasters.
The study also found the opposite to be true: in societies where women and men enjoy equal rights, disasters kill the same number of women and men
(London School of Economics)
DRR as a mitigation strategy against DRR as a mitigation strategy against climate changeclimate change
• Making gender-sensitive DRR a tool for climate change adaptation in-order to enhance resilience to disasters and climate change
• The existing methods and tools of disaster risk reduction are useful for adaptation to climate change
– Risk and vulnerability assessments approaches (community involvement )
– Early warning– Hyogo Framework for Action– Guidelines on national platforms for disaster risk
reduction Community involvement in risk assessment
Tackling DRR
The cornerstone of DRR: The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, adopted by 168 Governments in January 2005: ensures that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority.
SADC Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Plan (2006-2010)
South Africa Disaster Management Act 57,2002 –Set the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC)
Role of National DRR platforms Role of National DRR platforms
A national platform for DRR is a mechanism to address disaster risk reduction issues through a coordinated, participatory and interactive process.
It comprises representatives from major line ministries, UN Agencies, civil society organisations including NGOs, the private sector and academic institutions
South Africa has the National Disaster Management Advisory Forum (NDMAF) that meets every quarter, chaired by the head of NDMC
Adopting a Gender Sensitive Approach to CC and DDRAdopting a Gender Sensitive Approach to CC and DDR
• The Gender Approach should be integrated in the entire programming process.
• Disaggregate all data by gender to allow for gender sensitive strategies.
• Gender Analysis • Preparation & prevention: both men and women should be involved in
various aspects such as emergency plans, capacity training etc• Response: psycho-social counseling & support to men and women should
be provided per specific needs• Recovery: interventions should address the needs of both men and women
Concluding remarksConcluding remarksGender equality in DRR & CC
does not mean addressing women’s issues – it means addressing concerns of both men and women
However, gender inequality is a root cause of women’s vulnerability to disasters & CC.
Gender shapes vulnerability to as well as capacity to cope with disasters.
Women are active and are in the fore front in terms of adaption to CC although often regarded as helpless victims.