At a side-event of the 32nd session of the UNFCCC Convention subsidiary bodies, representatives of research, advocacy, and non-governmental organisations met to discuss the needs and gaps in gender and climate change research. The day-long workshop that took place on 7 June 2010 focused on practitioner needs and experiences, as well as potential research questions in three breakout groups on adaptation and resilience to climate change; mitigation and low carbon development; and disaster, conflicts and migration.



Real-time, gender differentiated field data was identified early on as one of the main gaps in gender and climate change research. In particular, the disaster, conflicts and migration group addressed the difficulty in discussing vulnerable groups without a detailed contextual understanding of the vulnerability. Much more data is necessary that describes precisely under what circumstances a group is vulnerable, to which elements they are more or less susceptible, to which members or sub-groups should be paid particular attention, and what the group’s strengths and advantages may be. In addition to increased field research, however, a call was also made to consolidate the available research. Participants from different backgrounds realized that there may be a lot more relevant data available from studies focused on climate change, migration, or adaptation, but that because gender is not often explicitly addressed, data may become lost instead of forming a foundation for more in-depth research questions.



A further gap in the research was identified in early warning (including climate change impacts) and early recovery (including post-disaster relief). Gender questions, in fact, need to be asked right from the beginning of the climate change and security debate. If they are not, the needs and interests of vulnerable groups remain fully outside of the policy discourse. What is needed – all three breakout groups agreed – is beneficiary-focused research. And that starts with a more detailed understanding of the stakeholders involved on the ground. (Irina Comardicea)



For more information about gender in the context of climate change negotiations please see http://www.gendercc.net/policy/conferences/road-to-cancun.html

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, June 2010