Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change - Where is Family Planning?

While the world is increasingly affected by global warming, the impact of climate change tends to be highest in poor countries that are already facing severe development challenges, including high fertility and insufficient access to FP/RH. Poor and vulnerable populations are those living in places exposed to climate risks, heavily dependent on climate for survival, and who have fewer resources to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that people living in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will likely suffer the most.

How can FP/RH contribute to increasing resilience to climate change and to adaptation strategies? It is critical that the FP/RH community: 1) understand the link between population and climate adaptation; 2) is aware of national and international initiatives to address climate change adaptation; and 3) works to ensure that access to FP/RH is part of adaptation strategies.

We highlight research the authors are conducting in Amhara and Oromiya, Ethiopia to link resilience and adaptation to climate change with fertility and access to FP/RH. The study includes women, men, community leaders and policymakers. We also discusses global strategies to fund national adaptation plans (NAPA) and the almost complete lack of attention given to FP/RH. The presentation will use the NAPA from Ethiopia to illustrate that health is hardly included and that FP/RH is absent, despite acknowledgement that population growth in the country remains a challenge – and DHS findings that women have more children than they want and unmet need in rural Ethiopia runs as high as 36%.