This report presents initial findings from a study that examined the feasibility of a storm resistant housing credit programme and livelihood training for female-headed households managed by the Da Nang City Women’s Union. The report has been produced by the Asian Cities Climate Change Network (ACCCN). Data was gathered using a survey of 400 households in 4 districts of Da Nang, individual and group interviews with households and community meetings to validate information. Over 80 per cent of participants expressed interest in participating in a credit-for-housing programme. The study also found a need for further training and awareness training among households surveyed on climate change and disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, the study confirmed that there is a need for loans or vocational training programmes for poor households currently in need of housing repair.

This paper evaluates the emerging green economy in South Africa, using ideas from the concept of sustainable rural livelihoods, which are intimately connected to ecological services in Africa and other developing countries. It finds that African communities and governments are prioritising green economy for job creation, poverty alleviation and reducing inequalities, while addressing global environmental concerns. What remains problematic, however, is how these objectives are to be achieved. The paper argues that one of the key challenges in South Africa is the gap between policy and implementation of sustainable development, the Millennium Development Goals and other globally driven initiatives. The paper emphasises that green economy policy needs to consider poverty reduction and women’s empowerment in order to promote rural sustainable development.

The objective of this consultancy is to explore climate change impacts on food supply and security as well as on hazards that threaten subsistence farmers in El Salvador. The GWU Capstone Team (team) was tasked with conducting a field study on the perception of a group of subsistence farmers on climate change and hazards, and perceived impacts on living conditions–-with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as women. Based on research and interactions in the field, the team identified potential actions that farmers could take to increase resilience to the challenges they face and overcome key barriers to enhancing food security. Finally, recommendations are provided for leverage points in which El Salvador Farmer to Farmer USAID program (FTF) implementing organizations in El Salvador (Winrock and Plan International) can help the targeted group of farmers to attain FTF goals, as well as considerations for future work.

This life story describes briefly a CARE Bangladesh initiative under its participatory community led development approach. This initiative is the evolving operating approach of CARE that critically analyses the underlying causes of poverty and vulnerabilities and thereby facilitates community based livelihood adaptation to climate change. Duck rearing was identified as one of the adaptive livelihood options for the people living in flood prone areas, especially for women. It is in this village of Katihara that three women participated in a CARE Bangladesh duck hatching and rearing intervention initiated by the SHOUHARDO project.

Tackling the issue of land and resource tenure is one of the prerequisites for mechanisms such as REDD+ to have positive impacts not only on reducing emissions from the forestry sector but also in reducing poverty and achieving food security. These new guidelines by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) outline principles and practices that governments can refer to when making laws and administering land, fisheries and forests rights. The guidelines cover a wide range of issues, including promoting equal rights for women in securing title to land, creating transparent record-keeping systems that are accessible to the rural poor, and recognising and protecting informal and traditional rights to land, forests and fisheries.

A guide to supporting the local actions of children and young people, with special emphasis on girls and young women. This guide was developed by ECI in cooperation with UNICEF, FAO and the Big 6 youth organizations (YMCA, YWCA, World Organization of Scouts Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and the Dike of Edinburgh’s Award (IAA). This guide is intended to support youth and adult facilitators who work with children to help them to design and implement their local projects to combat climate change

Baseline analyses of climate change effects and risks rarely incorporate a gender dimension. Consequently, mechanisms devoted to mitigation and adaptation efforts rarely integrate gender concerns into their design, implementation or related decision-making activities, including those related to funding. This oversight has important implications, particularly for poor women who require economic assistance in order to engage in adaptive and mitigative activities. For example, many women in developing countries are dependent on agriculture — particularly subsistence agriculture — and other activities in which livelihoods are inextricably tied to stable environmental conditions. Mild decreases in rainfall, rapid changes in average regional temperature or new pest vectors can have devastating effects on crop yields and the women that depend on them.