growth, gender, poverty and environment issues in asia-pacific
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by IPC-IG's Leisa Perch at the Workshop for the Validation of Training Modules in Seoul on 8-10 May 2012. The presentation highlights the main issues related to social and environmental sustainability in Asia and the Pacific.TRANSCRIPT
Growth, Gender, Poverty and Environment Issues in Asia and
Pacific
Workshop for the Validation of Training ModulesSeoul, 8-10 May 2012
Presenter: Leisa Perch, Policy Specialist/Team Leader - Rural and Sustainable Development
International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)
UNDP/KIGEPE Gender-Responsive Economic Policy Management Initiative
INTRODUCTION TO IPC-IG IPC-IG is a partnership of the Government of Brazil and
UNDP based in Brasilia, Brazil. Focus of our research is international; specifically
focused on the South and on South-South Cooperation and Learning.
Themes for IPC’s applied policy research: Macro-Economic Policy, Rural and Sustainable Development, Social Protection, Development Innovations.
In Rural and Sustainable Development, the focus in on 3 key areas:• Inclusive Green Economy• Sustainable Rural Growth• Social and Political Innovations for Sustainable
Development*See more on our webpage: www.ipc-undp.org
INCLUSION - BEYOND PARTICIPATION
Quality of growth (i.e. higher proportion of Green GDP)
Quality of development Quality of finance Quality of programming Inclusion as a Public
good with multiple positive externalities such as security, sustainability, resilience-building
INCOME INEQUALITY – EMPLOYMENT
SPATIAL INEQUALITY OF GROWTH
Urban risk has increased
Sanitation, slums, housing, waste management amongst key issues
In 2008, the urban share of GDP for Asia and the Pacific was 83% and 87% respectively (UNESCAP in UNHabitat, 2011).
Slum Populations in Asia and Pacific, 2010 (projections. Sourced from UNHabitat, 2011
URBAN WATER AND SANITATION
Improved water and sanitation: linked to these is the interface between health, exposure to toxins, the informal waste collection sector, and recycling.
The losses caused by poor sanitation exceed Bangladesh’s national development budget for 2007–2008 by 33 percent. “The total amount of these losses is five times higher than the national health budget, and three times higher than the national education budget in 2007 (new WSP report 2011 – World Bank and others)
“Bangladesh lost US$ 29.6 per capita, which demonstrates the urgency of improving sanitation in the country” (Ibid, 2011)
“The traditional sectors of water and sanitation remain the most promising areas for a twin-track approach”
Gabriel Labbate, UN-REDDIn the Dhaka suburb of Demra, a man stands in putrid water to collect recyclable plastic (gendered tasks in waste collection)http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15552967
INSECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
According to data from ‘Odhikar’, from 1 January 2001 to 29 February 2012, 2338 woman have already been killed, 1025 women physically abused and 172 women committed suicide because of dowry violence in Bangladesh.
From 1 January 2001 to 29 February 2012, 8478 women have been raped, according to Odhikar.
http://www.odhikar.org/Womens_Day/2012/International%20Women%27s%20Day.pdf
GENDER, THE ECONOMY OF PICTS
Gender-based violence, women’s limited decision-
making and leadership opportunities (only 5-10% of high-ranking chiefly titles held by women)
In a typical year, natural disasters affect more than 40% of the population in some PICTs, often reversing hard-won development gains especially for women
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND GROWTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Source: Burke et. al, 2011: 24)
LONG TERM CLIMATE RISK – AND THE REGION
Table 2 – 2010 Risk Index
Harmeling, 2012
SOCIAL/HUMAN POTENTIAL AS ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
Women have expertise in adaptation – seed management, local knowledge.
Scale-up is needed in in order that greater economic benefits from their labor can be generated Mairi Beautyman
https://www.microplace.com/
• Despite suffering from socio-economic disadvantages, women are already responding to climate change.
• They are actively involved in agriculture, energy, and water supplies, forest use.
SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
Exposure to natural disaster
Nation
(Individual,
Household or
Community)
Social Susceptibility Social Resilience
Measure of social vulnerability
Construct of Social Vulnerability developed by Asha Kambon, 2005
MAJOR THREATS TO SUSTAINED GROWTH
Asia-Pacific – Pollution, Resource Inequality and Climate Change
Pacific SIDS – Climate Change, Food Security Caribbean SIDS – Likely to spend 20% of GDP
coping with climate change Latin America – Inequality (UNECLAC, 2010) Africa – health and environmental related
inequalities Europe and the CIS – Poor Infrastructure and Dire
Environmental Situation Arab States – Legacies of Dutch Disease, Declining
energy reserves and food insecurity
STRENGTHENING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
NEW SUSTAINABILITY NARRATIVE - WHERE AND HOW COULD THE PIECES FIT
Development Drivers: Resource Wealth, Resource Quality, Open Economies (PICTS), Climate Vulnerability and Change, Social Inequity
Inputs: Ecological Diversity, Strategic Public Policy, Partnerships, Finance and InvestmentEnablers: Adaptive Policymaking, Anticipatory Governance, Co-benefits Strategies, Innovation, Technology
Conditions for Sustainability: Decent Work, Systems Resilience, Adaptive Capacity, Economic & Environmental Governance
GENDER AND ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
“The prevailing lack of equal rights of women to land, irrigation water, and access to education renders them especially vulnerable in a future with anticipated increases in pressure on these resources. Women, therefore, may often have a lower adaptive capacity arising from prevailing social inequalities and are ascribed social and economic roles that lead to increased hardship (e.g., through reduced food security or shortage of water resources).” Development and Climate Change: A Strategic Framework for the World Bank Group 2009 from Mariama Williams, 2011
WOMEN’S CRITICAL ROLE NOT MAXIMIZED
Country Primary writer(s) MG
PG MP
PP DVG
MEG
PEG
DPp
Afghanistan Afghan government, UN, NGOs Y N Y Y Y Y N Y
Bangladesh Ministry of the Environment and Forest Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
Bhutan National Environment Commission Y N Y Y Y N N Y
Burundi Ministry for Land Management, Tourism and the Environment
Y Y Y Y N N N Y
Cambodia Ministry of the Environment N N Y Y Y N N NC
Kiribati Ministry of the Environment, Land and Agricultural Development
N N Y N Y N N N
Laos National Environment Committee N N Y N Y Y N NC
Maldives Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Water Y N Y N Y N N Y
Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Meteorology
Y Y N N N N N Y
Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology with contributions from others
Y Y Y N N N N Y
Tuvalu Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, Agriculture and Lands
Y N Y Y N N N Y
Vanuatu National Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities
Y N Y N N Y Y NC
Notes: MG (mentions gender); PG (prioritises gender); MP (mentions poverty); PP (prioritises poverty); DVG (defines vulnerable groups); MEG (mentions ethnic groups); PEG (prioritises ethnic groups); DPp (defines participation).
Y (Yes); N (No); NC (Not clear); Yns (Yes not specified).
Analysis of NAPAs – How inclusive is adaptation planning?
MODELS IN THE REGION
South Korea - 2010 Framework Act for Low Carbon Green Growth
Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy (happiness, self-sufficiency, social security
Bhutan’s Gross Domestic Happiness Cambodia’s National Sustainable Development
Strategy - policy coherence (socio-development strategy, poverty reduction and MDGs)
Maldives – Carbon Neutral Growth Strategy India - Low Carbon and Inclusive Growth Strategy
RURAL RISK: CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE Availability – drought or
flood – on production Quality of the land Deforestation and
Desertification Use of pesticides and
fertilizers to increase production
Quality and Quantity of crops – nutrition and income
Timing of planting and reaping
Source: Oxfam, 2011 (based on experience in Tajikistan)
GENDER, EMPLOYMENT AND ACCESS TO FOOD
Sourced from FAO, 2011: Presentation to Expert Group Meeting on The Challenges of Building Employment for Sustainable Recovery
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN A RESOURCE-DEPENDENT GREEN ECONOMY –
Social inequity is a source of pressure for and on resource intensive growth. Muting the effects requires:
- Changing the cycle - environmental quality has a direct impact on the employment generation capacity of resource-dependent sectors
- Enhancing pro-poor productivity - poverty has implications for the environment (coping mechanisms rely on free/accessible public goods)
- Accelerating productive inclusion – Prioritizing youth employment, access to finance and innovation; reduce underemployment and enhance women’s access to decent work
MODULE 13: AN OUTLINE
PROPOSED OUTLINE OF MODULE
Theoretical framework – Gender, Environment, Macroeconomics
Existing Reality Resource Inequality Income Inequality Environmental Inequality
Conceptual Framework for Change Existing Policies Case Studies of The Change Desired
OBJECTIVES OF THE MODULE Strengthen understanding of the intersections
between growth, gender, poverty and environment Enable participants to understand the impact of
environmental risk on gender equality actions and policies – direct and indirect consequences
Enable participants to evaluate programmes and policies and their potential positives and negative for gender equality in Asia and Pacific
Facilitate a greater understanding of the opportunities presented by an increasing focus on socio-environmental policy and inclusive green growth
Enable an understanding of the potential co-benefits from more inclusive social and environmental policy
ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CO-BENEFITS
Figure 3:Adjusted Co-Benefits Framework Based on GGPE Considerations
Source: (Perch, 2010).
POSSIBLE CASE STUDIES
NREGA – India – Gender, Environment and Income – Social Protection
Samoa NAPA – Making the Link between Gender and Climate Change
Gender and Energy Advances in Nepal – Enhancing Gender Benefits from Mitigation
DRR in Bangladesh – Increasing Social Resilience at the Community Level
Green Growth in Korea – Resource Efficiency at the Macro Level
Philippines – Decentralization Working for All
POLICY ADAPTATION OPTIONS
Inclusive and green finance: - Targeting decent green pro-poor employment - Incentivizing private sector investment in
sustainability (e.g. Reserve Bank of Fiji’s Agriculture and Renewable Energy Loans Ratio for commercial bank operations – 2% of deposits and liabilities must go to loans to renewable sector)
- Anticipating Sustainability Opportunities: bolster innovation and reduce the inconsistency of innovation ……Fiji and Samoa started in the 70s and 80s and now have a share of renewables at 54 and 43% respectively
POSSIBLE EXERCISES
Making a NAPA more inclusive How to make a green growth policy a driver
for greater equity Making social protection more adaptive to
climate change and disaster risk
KEY QUESTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS
How could this module most helpful? What general policy reforms should I consider?
What are the key issues which are not clear when gender, climate change and environment are discussed?
What kind of policy approaches would be most helpful?
How to reflect specific issues for post-conflict contexts
How useful would decentralized approaches be to your policy process?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
LEISA PERCH