Seeking justice for underlying issues in climate change
PROJECT OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE
The planet is experiencing a climate crisis of catastrophic proportions. Disruptions in weather patterns have severely damaged the environment and with it the destruction of lives and livelihoods, especially of the poorest and most vulnerable. This dangerous climatic change is drive by the unprecedented increase in human generated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particular from the budding of fossil fuels for industry, commerce, transport and militarism. The latest centuries have been heralded for great strides in technology, production and human progress, these advances have precipitated global ecological disasters.
On one hand the privileged global elite continues to engage in reckless profit-driven production and grossly excessive consumption, while conversely on the other handle the mass of humanity is mired in underdevelopment and poverty with merely survival and subsistence production or even less.
Some of the most important impacts of global climate change continue to be felt among the populations, predominantly in developing countries, referred to as “subsistence” or “smallholder” producers. Their vulnerability to climate change comes both from being predominantly frontline communities located in the tropics, and from various socioeconomic, demographic, and policy dynamics that limit their capacity to adapt to climate change.
Fahamu, in partnership with IBON International, is currently implementing a Climate Justice Initiative, aimed at:
- Enhancing knowledge and capacities of constituents on key issues and debates on the science, economics and politics of climate change official negotiation processes
- Democratization of policy and decision making processes on climate change at national, regional and global levels and
- Reduce gap between community perspectives and high-level political discussions at national, regional and international levels.
PROJECT CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERS:
Five (5) frontline communities impacted by the adverse effects of climate change have been identified to participate in the Project. These include women peasant farmers from Migori, a coastal community that depends on marine ecosystems in Malindi, urban dwellers living in ‘informal’ settlements, in Mathare, Nairobi, indigenous forest people in Embobut (Sengwer) and a Fisherfolk community living in Mfangano Island on Lake Victoria to demand for an ambitious and equitable Post-2015 Climatic agenda.
In implementing the Climate Justice Project, Fahamu is working with:
- Ragana Faith Women Group (Migori)– Climate Justice in the context of small-scale female farmers
- Bunge la Wamama Mashinani (Mathare-Nairobi)– Climate Justice and communities in urban informal settlements
- Malindi Rights Forum (Marereni-Malindi)-Climate justice in the context of marine ecosystems
- Sengwer Supreme Council of Elders (Cherangani Hills) –Climate justice and indigenous forest dwelling communities
- Mfangano Island Paralegals Network (Suba-Homa Bay)– Climate justice and Fisherfolk communities
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
- Enhanced knowledge and capacities of constituents on key issues and debates on the science, economics and politics of cli-mate change and the official negotiations and processes.
- An on-going movement building process on climate justice amongst grassroots communities
- Community voices and lived realities informed by climate change shared across different actors
Expected Outputs
- Enhanced knowledge and capacities of constituents on key issues and debates on the science, economics and politics of cli-mate change and the official negotiations and processes.
- Critical analysis of Intended Nationally Developed Contributions (INDCs) from grassroots lens on the impact of these programs in building resilience and enabling adaptation to climate change.
- Democratization of policy and decision-making processes on climate change at national, regional and global levels.
- Enhanced social action by grassroots organisations in movement building and climate justice campaigning
- Reduced gap between communities’ perspectives and high-level political discussions and decision-making processes at national, regional or international levels.
- Increased momentum on critical conversations on climate governance among African activists
