Climate Change, GBV and Child Marriage: Exploring the nexus
April 27, 2018
The 1st of February 2018 witnessed the Field Day of the Culture ACTIONs Climate Change Risk Adaptation Planning and Resilience Training at Cranham Community Shade (Ward 31). The day was facilitated by the Southern Alliance For Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE) to engage the community in climate risk management were current and future climate risks and their socio –economic ramifications are explored in the effort of reducing community vulnerability through building community resilience. Climate change risk identification and analysis tools which include the Seasonal Calendar, Historical Timeline, Hazard Mapping, Vulnerability Matrix and Transit Walks were used on the day to understand the severity of the situation in (Ward 31).
(Ward 31) Cranham was identified to be an area with diverse resources which range from gold deposits, forests, game reserves, dams, arable land to mention just but a few .The training of the community in climate change adaptation, environmental conservation and resource capacity utilization went a long way in improving the economic livelihoods of the community.
The need for climate change risk adaptation was identified as the area is predominantly a farming community and has been directly affected by climate change through increase in dry spells, erratic rainfall patterns and heat waves which threaten many livelihoods. The Cranham community is not safe from damaging unsustainable environmental practices which include stream bank cultivation, land degradation from gold panning, deforestation, poaching, fish mongering to mention just but a few hence the need for more advocacy to encourage environmental conservation
The community also got the opportunity to understand the link between climate change and retrogressive social norms as it was identified that due to climate change livelihoods are going to be threatened thus increasing household poverty which exacerbates social challenges such as GBV, child marriages and the worsening gender inequalities
Councilor Mazikana welcomed the program to the ward 31 and reassured her support to see the successful implementation of the program as the programs objectives and goals to deal with retrogressive social norms stroke a chord with the problems that have been ravaging her ward and the district at large
The need to advocate for alternative sources of energy through knowledge dissemination is essential as the community is heavily involved in deforestation which is taking its toll on the environment due to incessant tree cutting caused by tobacco farmers and nearby town firewood traders. Through the incorporation of Government departments and agencies that are involved in environmental conservation efforts namely EMA and AGRITEX more can be done to achieve sustainable environments.
