Presented by Anju Sharma (Director of Oxford Climate Policy, United Kingdom), Jacob Waslander (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, and Green Climate Fund Board member), Annelieke Douma (Both ENDS), and Neni Rochaeni (Grants Manager of Samdhana Institute, Indonesia & Philippines) and moderated by Cindy Coltman, Both ENDS, at the 4th International Climate Change Adaptation Conference: “Adaptation Futures 2016” was held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 10-13 May 2016.

Adaptation Futures is the biennial conference of the Global Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA). In 2016 the European Commission and the Government of the Netherlands co-host the fourth edition. Adaptation Futures 2016 is where scholars, practitioners, policymakers and business people from all around the world go to connect, learn and inspire. It highlights adaptation practices and solutions for people, governments and businesses. The programme addresses all sectors and all parts of the world.

Concrete suggestions were given, based on cases from India, the Philippines and Indonesia, to ensure financing reaches and empowers women to contribute to adaptation efforts. The history of adaptation finance is a long and tortured one, noted Anju Sharma in her presentation titled “A concrete proposal for devolution of climate finance to the local level in India”. The countries of the south meant to receive the money used to have little say in how it was distributed, but over the years this has gradually changed.

Sometimes problems with allocating funds are not related to governance, but about unrealistic planning. And if a plan does qualify for funding, it is critical that it not be compromised by corruption, a big problem in a lot of developing countries. Sharma suggested using existing social audit structures to help tackle corruption.

Jacob Waslander, Head of the Climate and Energy Division at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that donor countries and agencies should rule out any risks. “It is critical that there be no place for fraud, corruption or the misuse of funds for nefarious purposes such as terrorist activities.” The big challenge is to deliver the money where it needs to be AND create progress and development.

Waslander acknowledges that women are the real agents of change, therefore gender is very important in allocating funds.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) aims to help countries adopt transformational pathways to low carbon, climate resilient development. The Fund is committed to a gender-sensitive approach to ensure climate finance rather than reinforcing gender inequalities, thus potentially setting an inspirational example to other financing mechanisms.

Annelieke Douma raised the importance of focusing on women in climate change. The reasons given were:

(a) Women have different roles and priorities: women are responsible for water, food, fuel and health care; they are more vulnerable to climate change impacts, (climate change policies hit women harder and can aggravate existing gender inequalities)

(b) women provide solutions: they own important knowledge on sustainable use of natural resources and develop innovative adaptation and mitigation initiatives, and they are at the forefront in protecting their environment.

Neni Rochaeni in her presentation titled “Empowering women to take a lead in adaptation through small grants” showed examples of Samdhana's support in building climate resilient communities on small islands in both the Philippines and Indonesia. In the Philippines, resiliency work is transforming disaster recovery (in Palawan islands post-Haiyan tropical storm) into disaster preparation and long-term adaptation through ancestral domains; development and protection of very vulnerable small island ecosystems and integration of adaptation of marine-livelihood base. Samdhana also facilitated the Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments of Tagbanua indigenous communities.

This covers: gender-disaggregated mapping of livelihood resources, vulnerable sector mapping (women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens), risk and hazard mapping and assessments, plus seasonal calendars and evaluation of distribution and care work. The process ensures that these activities do not cause more burdens for women.

In Indonesia, the work includes coastal-tree planting, coral reef rehabilitation through coral re-planting, and empowering women through community organisation and capacity building in diversifying marine-based livelihoods.

Recommendations on empowering women to take a lead in adaptation are:

Discoveries and recommendations on the Small Grants facilities and Accreditation process: