Solution Forum 5: Energy and Climate Change: Health, Youth and Women

Poverty, health and gender play a central underlying role in climate vulnerability. Women and girls account for about two-thirds of the world’s poor and, according to FAO’s State of Food and Agriculture, 2010-11, represent about 43 percent of the farmers in developing countries, where they continue to have less access to productive resources and opportunities than their male counterparts.  This means that women will face particular challenges as climate change impacts agricultural output in many rural areas.  Furthermore, studies suggest that in societies that are highly gender unequal, women suffer greater impacts of natural disasters than men. During a crisis, gender-based inequalities are usually enhanced: as a result of the precariousness of the socioeconomic status of women, their economic recovery after a disaster often takes longer than men’s. Understanding the importance of population-related vulnerability, particularly for the health of women and youth, is not enough. How countries understand and address adaptation and disaster response is a particularly important area for South-South cooperation.

 

This Solution Exchange Forum aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on health and present development solutions relevant to public health, women and youth, both in the lead up to and the aftermath of climate hazards.  The Forum will provide results-based presentations and scalable solutions that ensure health, well-being and livelihoods of vulnerable and impacted populations, as these represent integral parts of any sustainable development strategy.  It will focus on skills, education and new technology to improve public health and planning.

 

This forum highlights emerging tools for the mapping, visualization and territorial planning to address climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity at sub national and local levels. It will also present cooperation on the strengthening of health systems, healthcare management and epidemiological data surveillance systems in crisis settings. Presenters will showcase new technologies and capacities that can be utilized through South-South cooperation and can influence profound changes in people’s lives.