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