Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

3How are indigenous womenadapting to climate change?Just as indigenous women are one of the most vulnerable to climatechange, they are also the most ready and are acting to cope with its impacts.• Use of specialized knowledge. During floods, women take theinitiative of looking for relocationsites for their affected families andcommunity members. Women alsoincreasingly share practices of usingalternative energy-related technologiessuch as solar, biogas, andimproved cooking stoves. They alsouse less labor-intensive technologies,multiple cropping and intercroppingpractices, changing cultivation toeasily marketable crop varieties orflood and drought resistant crops,and investing in alternative irrigationfacilities. 11• Organizing and training. Indigenouswomen are putting up selfhelporganizations and establishingnetworks and partnerships withother indigenous women’s groups.In addition, they actively participatein trainings to enrich their skills inAfter the devastating effect ofHurricane Mitch in Nicaragua,indigenous women’sorganizations were able tomobilize their networks andpartners for emergency reliefand rehabilitation directly tothe women and their familieswho need them most.Source: MADRE. “Women Respond toClimate Change.”In the Terai area of Nepal,before floods come, womentake their assets andlivelihoods in higher places,sometimes, even theirlivestock. Those who haveenough resources increasethe plinth level of their housesor homestead to protect theirbelongings from damage. Theyalso build community shelters.Women farmers also switch tocultivating crops that can beharvested before flood season.Others grow rice varieties thatsurvive above water whenthe floods come. Even theseedbed preparations andseed selection are altered 12 toensure crop survival.food and livestock production, thus enhancing their livelihood. At theirown initiatives, they seek professional support in order to increase theirknowledge and skills in combating climate change.• Reforestation. Women are also inthe forefront of reforestation initiatives.Every May 15, each person ina Batwa community in Africa plant100 trees and it is the women whonurture these. 13 In the Bangladeshivillage of Kaijuri, although thewomen have the rights to the treessince they are the planters, they donot cut trees that are not intendedfor firewood. 14PART VII: Indigenous Women and Climate Change 113