E/2002/27 E/CN.6/2002/13 Annex II Summary submitted by the moderator of the panel discussion on environmental management and mitigation of natural disasters: a gender perspective (Kyung-wha Kang) (agenda item 3 (c) (ii)) 1. At its sixth meeting, on 6 March 2002, the Commission held a panel discussion, followed by a dialogue, on the theme “Environmental management and mitigation of natural disasters: a gender perspective”, one of the thematic issues before the Commission. The panellists were Sálvano Briceño (Venezuela), Director of the United Nations interagency secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction; J. Marie Yolene V. Surena (Haiti), Director, Civil Protection Directorate, Ministry of the Interior; Elaine Enarson (United States of America), scholar and founding member of the Gender and Disaster Network; and Idiatou Camara (Guinea), National Director of the Environment. The panel was moderated by Kyung-wha Kang (Republic of Korea). 2. Participants stated that in recent years natural hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, drought, floods, storms and tropical cyclones, wildland fires and volcanic eruptions, had caused major loss of human lives and livelihoods, destruction of economic and social infrastructure and environmental damage. Both small- and medium-scale disasters had increased substantially, with climate change, environmental mismanagement and degradation, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, unplanned urbanization and population growth considered to be among the major causes of increased risk and vulnerability to natural disasters. 3. It was noted that the impact and consequences of natural disasters could be devastating unless appropriate measures are taken. More than 100,000 lives were lost in 1999, and by 2050 approximately $US 300 billion will be required annually in order to address the problems associated with natural disasters. Rural areas are especially affected due to fragile economies and survival strategies based on agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Furthermore, people living in rural areas frequently experience loss of livestock and land, which has an impact on their livelihoods, causing increased rural-to-urban migration. Participants stressed that losses resulting from natural disasters have slowed and even reversed the development of some regions, especially in the least developed 58 countries. The ratio of economic loss in relation to gross national product is far higher in the developing than in developed countries. Moreover, in developing countries the emphasis on disaster response has often diverted attention and funds that would normally be targeted for development activities. 4. Participants emphasized that, although natural hazards could not be prevented, their impact and consequences could be mitigated by addressing and combating, from a gender perspective, their root causes, including social, political, economic and cultural vulnerabilities. Stressing the need to look at disasters “through women’s eyes”, participants noted that the gendered division of labour, sexual and reproductive health, women’s longevity, household and economic structures and gender inequalities put women at greater risk than men in situations of disasters. Women’s vulnerabilities are accentuated during and after a natural disaster, with discriminatory behaviour, including violence against women, becoming more visible in the period following a natural disaster. The vulnerability of female-headed households was also highlighted. 5. Although women’s social, economic and political position in many societies make them more vulnerable to natural hazards, participants stressed that women should be perceived not merely as helpless victims but also as important agents for change. Women play crucial roles at critical junctures, from risk assessment and hazard mitigation to emergency preparedness, disaster response and post-disaster reconstruction. After disasters, they are often key players in the rebuilding of communities, the promotion of safety and ensuring normality in everyday life. Women’s capacity to reduce and manage risk should be strengthened as one of the first steps in building more disaster-resilient communities. Women should also be empowered so that they can be involved in all phases of disasters, from preparedness and early warning through mitigation and recovery. 6. A human rights approach framed the debate, with participants suggesting that in the aftermath of a