English: Cyber dialogue summary for 5 December 2011, Gender and climate change

Cyber dialogue summary

CLIMATE CHANGE

Date: 5 December 2011

Theme: Caring for your environment

Facilitator: Shuvai Busuman Nyoni (GL Gender Justice and Governance Manager)

Question1: How are communities adapting to changes in climate where they live? Have there been any examples you can think of that struck you in Durban?

• Mayors signed the Adaptation Charter on Sunday 4 December – including the Mayor of Joburg À“ it shows that we are really beginning to take action in responding to climate change at the community level; women being at the forefront.
• We are coping with climate change although we never know when or how changes in climate and weather patterns will affect us.
• Climate change is being severely felt in Namibia’s nothern regions.
• People in my community do not know much about climate change.
• People are doing something like recycling plastic, paper, etc. to make a living which means they are doing something.
• At the CCR expo I saw an industrial role play that really struck me about women from different African countries who just realised that climate change is hitting them the most and there was a demonstration on the issue of water scarcity in Africa.
• The Tanzanian delegation at COP 17 are hopeful about accessing the adaptation fund.

Question2: Do you think people realise that there are changes in weather patterns even if they know little about climate change?

• People need to understand about climate change and they need to be taught about it.
• Yes they realise there is change but they just cannot make linkages to their day to day lives.
• Yes people realise it, especially farmers who are dealing with shifting seasons and weather patterns.
• People should learn from each other and try and tackle the problem as one.