Published April 25, 2010
by jmedalye
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Last week, IRIS attended the Climate Wise Women (CW2) to listen to the experiences of three women from the Global South who are already living with the impacts of climate change. After the failure of COP15 to reach a binding accord, a group of women from the Global South, began a worldwide speaking tour. Their objective is share their stories and to spur climate action at the grassroots level. This well put together public speaking tour offers an alternative narrative on how climate change affects women and families. Ulamila Kurai Wragg from the Cook Islands focused on how traditional knowledge, inheritance structures, and livelihoods are changing forever. The community has found that traditional crops can no longer flourish, fish have migrated away from the shores near home, and local water reserves are now saline. Ulamila's family has adapted by changing crops, by collecting rain water whenever possible, and by walking to fishing grounds on the other side of the Island. However, resource yields have fallen and the pressure to seek other livelihood options looms for her daughters. Ulamila’s message was that traditional ways of life and cultural practices have already changed due to climate change. Sharon Hanshaw from Biloxi, Mississippi told us a tragic story of personal loss and community displacement after Hurricane Katrina. Her message was that politicians have turned a blind eye to most vulnerable victims of the Hurricane, and in response women have gathered to place political pressure on the local government to rebuild what was lost. Finally, Constance Okollet from Uganda told a gripping tale about the impacts of the 2007 flooding and subsequent droughts on the agricultural community of Tororo. She recounted the stories of the deaths of children and elders to cholera and malaria during the floods, and then the further losses due to malnutrition as the drought came. Just as the community began to recover, another intense flood and drought followed in 2009. Her message was that the community has never seen such an intensity and frequency of both droughts and floods. She emphasized how her community fears only the worst for their future and survival. The presentation pointed to how local people are living with the impacts of climate change, and offered the space for understanding climate impacts and responses across gender and cultures.
Learn more at: http://www.climatewisewomen.org/
Posted in: Blogs | Turning Up the Heat
