Impact Of Climate Change In Zambia: Women Confronting Loss And Damage In Zambia

INTRODUCTION

Based on the foundational premise that climate justice requires gender justice, this article provides evidence to demonstrate that it is crucial to use a southern-led climate justice approach and a gendered lens to build climate change resilience and advance our thinking and evidence on climate adaptation, loss and damage. Alongside the devastating toll on human lives especially women, the economic costs are skyrocketing. The costs of climate change losses and damages are estimated to be USD 400 billion a year by 2030, rising to USD 1-1.8 trillion a year by 2050 for low-income countries alone.

The key objectives are:

• - To create space for the voices and agendas of women leaders, women’s rights, and women-led organizations to inform global and country-specific climate policy and advocacy.
• - To explore the importance of taking a gender-transformative and systematic approach to responding to climate change, helping to advance progress on women’s rights.
• - To advance thinking on women-led adaptation and how loss and damage is materializing.

CONTEXT

Zambia is ranked the 42nd most vulnerable country to climate change and 143rd in terms of readiness [According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN). http://gain-new.crc.nd.edu/country/zambia]. With a population of 17.9 million, Zambia is considered to be a middle-income country with a per capita income of $1,120.60 (2021). However, with 60% of its population living below the international standard poverty line of $1.90 per day, there is a large amount of inequality in the country.

Like many other African Countries, Zambia is vulnerable to climate change-related hazards, particularly floods and droughts which are exacerbated by the current climate crisis, despite only contributing 0.19% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Zambia has committed to reduce its total emissions by 25%, and substantial international support is needed to enable the country further reduce its emissions by 47% [http://climatepromise.undp.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/zambia].

Detrimental effects of climate change can be felt in the short-term through natural hazards such as landslides, floods, and hurricanes; and in the long-term, through more gradual degradation of the environment. The adverse effects of these events are already felt in many areas, including agriculture and food security; biodiversity and ecosystems; water resources; human health; human settlements and migration patterns; and energy, transport, and industry. In many of these contexts, women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than men, primarily as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and their livelihood is more dependent on natural resources that are threatened by climate change. Furthermore, they face social, economic, and political barriers that limit their coping capacity. Women and men in rural areas in developing countries like Zambia are especially vulnerable when they are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood. Those charged with the responsibility to secure water, food, and fuel for cooking and heating face the greatest challenges. Secondly, when coupled with unequal access to resources and to decision-making processes, limited mobility places women in rural areas in a position where they are disproportionately affected by climate change. It is thus important to identify gender-sensitive strategies to respond to the environmental and humanitarian crises caused by climate change.

It is important to remember, however, that women are not only victims of climate change but also effective actors or agents of change in relation to both mitigation and adaptation. Women often have a strong body of knowledge and expertise that can be used in climate change mitigation, disaster reduction, and adaptation strategies. Furthermore, women’s responsibilities in households and communities, as stewards of natural and household resources, position them well to contribute to livelihood strategies adapted to changing environmental realities.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY

Zambia sits in the bottom 20% of countries in terms of risk preparation, and also among the countries with the highest poverty risk in 2030 (World Bank, 2013). Findings from the economy-wide modeling assessment suggest that climate variability has a pronounced negative effect on economic growth. It is estimated that, on average, climate variability reduces Zambia’s GDP growth rate by 0.4 percentage points per year, which costs the country US$4.3 billion over a 10-year period. These losses reach as high as US$7.1 billion under Zambia’s worst rainfall scenario. Zambia also undertook a study which showed that the country has lost US$5 billion of GDP between 1991-2011 due to negative economic impacts of climate-related disasters.

Drought, floods, and changing weather patterns threaten food security, livelihoods, and shelter.

Women’s experience of loss involves threats to food security and their agriculture means of livelihood. The destruction of crops has resulted in economic losses that women cannot easily recover from. These consequences of climate change have also led to poverty and malnutrition. The focus group discussions among young women around Lusaka urban and peri-urban areas identified the stomach in the body map to have been affected by climate change because of crop failure from droughts or destroyed crop fields from floodwaters. They also noted that floods have also caused the destruction of properties, including houses, resulting in the displacement of families from their homes.

Women are at greater risk of gender-based violence and displacement. Additionally, women have become increasingly vulnerable to gender-based violence, such as when they have to travel long distances in search of water and food. Due to poverty and difficulties in meeting their family needs, women are also at increased risk of domestic violence. Due to the devastating climate impacts on Zambia’s economic mainstay – agriculture, many women directly involved in agricultural practices are forced to migrate from drought and flood-prone areas to find other forms of income-generating activities in nearby towns.

Combined with poverty and resettlement, loss and damage have pushed girls out of school. Due to poverty, loss of income, and resettlement, children are forced to drop out of school. Young girls’ education is discontinued as they are given away for marriage or because of societal norms that value the education of boys over girls. Girls are also found to have fewer school days whenever there is flooding as they find it more difficult to reach their school when bridges or roads collapse.

Climate Change poses a risk to women’s reproductive health. Lastly, the unique reproductive needs of women make them more vulnerable to climate change impacts. For example, women need access to clean water during their menstrual cycles. Extreme fluctuations in weather patterns lead to stressed water and agricultural systems, which can manifest in food security. In times of food scarcity, the participants observed an increase in transactional sex. It was observed that this often came with extreme demands from men, such as not using contraceptives, in turn increasing women’s exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.

[MacPherson EE, Sadalaki J, Njoloma M, Nyongopa V, Nkhwazi. Transactional Sex and HIV: understanding the gendered structural drivers of HIV in fishing communities in Southern Malawi]

THE NEED FOR GENDER-SENSITIVE RESPONSES TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has serious ramifications in four dimensions of food security: food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and food systems stability. Women farmers currently account for 45-80 per cent of all food production in developing countries depending on the region. About two-thirds of the female labor force in developing countries, and more than 90 percent in many African countries, are engaged in agricultural work. In the context of climate change, traditional food sources become more unpredictable and scarcer. Women face loss of income as well as harvests—often their sole sources of food and income. Related increases in food prices make food more inaccessible to poor people, to women and girls whose health has been found to decline more than male health in times of food shortages. Furthermore, women are often excluded from decision-making, access to and the use of land and resources critical to their livelihoods. For these reasons, it is important that the rights of rural women are ensured in relation to food security, non-discriminatory access to resources, and equitable participation in decision-making processes.

Women Led solutions to Climate Change

Women’s leadership and participation in Climate Change response

In relation to women’s participation in environmental efforts, women have been involved in dialogues and supported with funding to carry out climate change programs through the Zambia Alliance of Women. Women were also provided with capacity-building training on conservation farming and energy-saving cooking stoves through the Agents of Change Foundation and the Non-Governmental Gender Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC).

These initiatives have resulted in greater participation of women in decision-making. Women reported feeling more confident to participate in meetings and committees as well as spearhead projects in their communities. Additionally, more women are empowered to engage in a variety of economic activities and have developed new skills to build alternative sources of income.

Further, the Women’s Legal Aid Clinic has assisted women in the recognition of their right to own land through offering primary and secondary legal aid. This includes legal information on the ownership of land, legal advice, and litigation of cases involving the abuse of women’s right to own land.

“Women are now free and confident enough to participate in decision making without intimidation. It’s unfair for men to resolve issues pertaining to women; it’s important that women solve their problems,” a woman leader and environmental activist shared in an interview.

Increased support for women-led initiatives

The participants said they benefited from receiving small-scale local assistance such as women saving collectives, chicken and pig rearing initiatives, and fish farming support, which they believe could be further expanded. Women have shifted towards the use of drought-resilient crops such as pumpkins to address the food security challenge and have also spearheaded the pursuit of livelihood alternatives to crop production, such as beekeeping. However, the geographical distance is a possible barrier experienced by women in accessing such assistance.

“The formation of cooperative and ward development committees is another way of overcoming those inequalities. With the implementation of the Constituency Development Funds, most women have the chance to benefit from the funds and better their lives through entrepreneurial businesses. For example, empowerment in agriculture and beekeeping and training of camp extension officers have proved to be effective in offering capacity to the community on how to lobby for government funds,” said a Climate Justice Campaign Officer working at CSPR.

Barriers to Women Leadership

Traditional and patriarchal challenges continue to limit women’s access to wealth ownership and political participation.

There are several barriers to women's participation in responding to the impacts of climate change in their communities. Firstly, their right to property is infringed upon. Zambia’s Constitution recognizes property rights and protects all individuals against the deprivation of property. Unfortunately, however, traditional laws and customs prevent women from owning property such as land as everything they acquire is listed as their husband’s property and is given to men as the first preference [Custom, Law, and Women’s Land Rights in Zambia – Focus on Land in Africa]. Secondly, there is a lack of leadership opportunities for women. Women are not well-represented in the government and other decision-making positions. Participants spoke of how patriarchal structures and gender norms have led to women’s issues being seen as issues to be resolved by men.

Women are left behind in climate change discussions and decision-making spaces. Women reported being excluded from political participation at community meetings because of their many other responsibilities, such as household and childcare responsibilities. Further, women find it harder to access relevant information about climate change and its effects due to their lack of access to education as girls. Illiteracy among women is high in Zambia as a result of the patriarchal preference to educate boys over girls. This is a barrier in understanding climate change and the best ways to adapt to its effects.

“Women do not have access to information and this makes them excluded from decision making. Also because of the role that women play, they don’t have the time to attend community meetings or even listen to the radio where there are programs to do with Climate change,” a Programmes Officer for Zambia Climate Network shared in an interview.

Women Lack Access to Climate Finance

Financing such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), a financing instrument designed to facilitate the delivery of public developmental goods and services directly to local communities, exists with the aim of allowing people to apply for funds for community projects. In practice, however, women experience problems accessing the facility. Barriers cited included a lack of information on the process by which to access funding, a large amount of bureaucratic paperwork required literacy skills, and the need for a high transaction bank account to apply for funding. These barriers make it particularly difficult for women to access funding to start a project.

Recommendations for Policy Makers

• - Commit specific funding for further research into the impact of climate change losses and damages on women and girls.
• - Involve women in climate change financing decisions to ensure outputs reflect women’s specific concerns and experiences.
• - Increase access to funding for women to carry out climate change responses, for example by providing low-interest loans to women farmers and creating a deliberate mechanism that encourages women to apply for funds.
• - Remove bottlenecks in accessing funds and ensure appropriate channels of distribution.
• - Provide training in writing proposals for funding opportunities and income-generating projects.
• - Increase information sharing, training, and capacity building to support women’s leadership.
• - Strengthen links between local policy makers and women’s collectives and national government.
• - Increase the number of women in leadership positions and incentivize women to apply for leadership roles.

Conclusion

The article shows how in the face of devastating consequences of loss and damage, women are taking actions to address climate impacts and rebuild stronger.