Speaker, I am glad that this debate had been granted as this was one of the recommendations during a dialogue with the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs and the parliament of the UK via video link-up on 7 October. As you heard my colleague say earlier, climate change is one of the biggest challenges ever to confront humanity, both currently and in the coming years.
The effect of global climate change is becoming more evident with frequent occurrences of drought, flooding, melting glaciers and a rise in the incidences of malaria being a few of the phenomena attributed to climate change. Some of the most serious effects of climate change are taking place in countries least prepared to counter them; and many African countries are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Women in the developing world will suffer the most from the effects of climate change. Why do I say that? Women in rural areas have the major responsibility for household water supply and energy for cooking and heating.
Drought means less water. She may not have the skill to dig wells as the men are in the urban areas. She has to go further to look for water and she needs more time to do this, this increases her workload. Because of deforestation, she may have to walk further to look for firewood. Again, human energy is used, there are more demands on her time and also sometimes her safety is at risk.
Secondly, women are the main producers of the world's staple crops, producing between 60% and 80% of the food. In most developing countries in extreme climate change, production could drop by 20% to 50%. One example is that insect outbreaks mean either the crop is spoilt or the woman has to spend more time on pest control and less on production.
Climate change can affect human health in a variety of ways, including the spread of vector- and water-borne diseases and reduced drinking water. Women in rural areas have less access to medical services than men who work outside the home and their workload may also increase if they have to care for the sick at home and still be productive in the field.
In the 2004 tsunami, 70% to 80% of the deaths were women and in the 1991 cyclone disaster of Bangladesh, 90% were women. The disparity in disaster mortality rates link directly to social and economic factors. In many societies, boys and men are more likely to hear warning signals in the public spaces where they work; they may receive preferential treatment in rescue efforts and have priority access to food aid. In Sri Lanka, more boys learn to swim and climb trees, which helped them survive the 2004 tsunami.
A defining moment in the global battle against climate change will be reached in December 2009, when negotiators from around the world will convene in Copenhagen to develop a post-2012 climate framework. There is intense pressure on all negotiators to reconcile the international protocol on climate change that will replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. Our delegates should aim to involve women and gender experts when they prepare their contributions and also ensure women's participation at these meetings.
The 15th Conference of the Parties, COP15, must adopt the principles of gender equity and equality at all stages of research, analysis, design and implementation of both mitigation and adaptation strategies. The COP15 should develop a gender strategy which encompasses women representatives as official focal points and invest in gender specific climate change research.
Women represent an immense source of knowledge and they can be effective agents of change in relation to both mitigation and adaptation. Women in rural areas will tell you which herbs and animals are in abundance or scarce and by using this knowledge patterns and trends of climate change can be determined.
Furthermore, national and local governments should develop strategies to improve and guarantee women's access to and control over natural resources and create opportunities for education and training in climate change. Parliamentary leadership on climate change in terms of legislation and oversight is now more critical than ever before.
As a member of the Pan-African Parliament, PAP, I moved a motion to establish a PAP interest group on climate change and I am delighted that the motion was unanimously approved. [Applause.]
The UK is the first parliament to have a dedicated committee on climate change and to come up with climate change specific legislation. The committee is an independent body and advises government on budget and reviews 2025 targets. I am certain South Africa can follow suit as we have both the capacity and the expertise to do so.
In conclusion, I would like to wish Parliament's delegation to COP15 well in their deliberations. [Applause.]