Fifty years ago, Stockholm hosted the first UN conference ever on the “human environment” – what it will take to keep an environment in which humans can prosper. It inspired a generation of people and institutions committed to improving the environment that surrounds us and sustains us.
This year UNEP turned 50 and the world returned to Stockholm to contemplate the future of our human environment. INERELA+ Acting Executive Director participated in the Stockholm +50 side event “Together for a healthy, resilient, and green recovery” was organised by IFMSA, Karolinska Institute, UNDP, UNFCCC, UN OCHCR and WHO at the margin Stockholm +50 international meeting (June 2-3, Stockholm, Sweden). The event brought together various UN agencies, NGOs and academic institutions working on the intersection between the human right to health, environment and sustainable development to discuss and elevate the 6 Prescriptions of the Who Manifesto for a healthy recovery from COVID- 19.
- Protect and preserve the source of human health: Nature.
- Invest in essential services, from water and sanitation to clean energy in healthcare facilities.
- Ensure a quick healthy energy transition.
- Promote healthy, sustainable food systems.
- Build healthy, liveable cities.
- Stop using taxpayers’ money to fund pollution.
The six prescriptions of the Manifesto are accompanied by over 70 actionable, or practical steps, for implementing the Manifesto and creating a healthier, fairer and greener world while investing to maintain and resuscitate the economy hit by the effects of COVID-19.
Recognizing the importance of environmental determinants for both physical and mental health, a new WHO policy brief on mental health and climate change was launched on the occasion of the side event, highlighting the importance and opportunities for action to protect mental health from the impacts of climate change
A hybrid event was also hosted by Church of Sweden, Stockholm diocese, with speakers and participants participating online from around the world. Exploring the theme “Climate Action and Water for Life towards Creation Justice!” the event reflected on the current scenario of the climate emergency and global water crisis which are interconnected and impact each other as well as the sustainability of the earth.
HIGHLIGHTS
Rev. Henrik Grape, World Council of Churches senior advisor on Care for Creation, Sustainability and Climate Justice emphasised on the justice element of climate change. He spoke on behalf of the vulnerable communities who have a negligible carbon footprint. He further went on to speak for the rights of nature and that of the indigenous people, who have shown us the way to protect nature in a sustainable way. He ended his input by underlining the Season of Creation and the role played by WCC, the Roman Catholic Church, and others.
Meera Karunananthan of Carlton University, Canada and the Blue Planet Project that promotes Blue Communities, highlighted the nexus of water with climate change. She criticized the increased trend of privatization of water around the world, and highlighted the resistance offered by the water justice movement reclaiming their right to water. She informed participants that over 200 cities and municipalities around the world have “municipalized” their water services. She lauded faith-based organisations for their role in this process in many instances.
Rev. Rachel Mash, environmental coordinator of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa spoke about water justice in the context of her church. She highlighted the “zero day” encounter of Cape Town in South Africa a few years ago and how that was a wakeup call to the city and to the whole world to manage water responsibly.
Juliane Stork and Joan Okitoi-Heisig, co-leads of PaRD workstream on Water, Environment and Climate Action (WeCare), introduced the work of the WeCare. They outlined the recent project of a mapping exercise by PaRD WeCare of faith-based organisations and their engagement in ecological issues. The mapping provided data of 200 faith-based organisations from around the world.
INERELA+ Acting Executive Director – Munya Mandipaza alluded that climate change is threatening our planet’s sustainability with devastating social, cultural, economic, health and human rights impacts. It is widely recognized as a phenomenon which affects women and girls disproportionately, especially the most marginalized, and it is also a serious aggravator of violence against women and girls. In the aftermath of climate-induced disasters, women and girls face a heightened risk of the whole spectrum of gender-based violence including rape, sexual assault and harassment, intimate partner violence, child marriage, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Adaptation and mitigation are essential elements of the INERELA+ risk reduction strategy. The conviction that these two approaches reinforce each other is the heart of the strategy. The INERELA+ action on climate change supports inclusive social development, which takes into account gender inequality issues. She considered climate change not only as a major threat, but also as an opportunity.
At the conclusion of the webinar, participants read the Interfaith Statement that was to be submitted to the Stockholm+50.
No climate justice without gender equality!
“INERELA+ action on climate change supports inclusive social development, which considers gender inequality issues.”