Focus on Water-related ecosystems.

 

Ecosystems provide essential goods, services and functions related to the availability, quality and management of freshwater resources. Climate change, unsustainable land-use change and pollution are significantly affecting aquatic and water-dependent ecosystems, leading to losses of ecological goods, services and biodiversity. Ecosystem degradation that disproportionally affects women’s health and livelihoods can deepen gender and societal inequalities Across cultures and communities, women have been involved in safeguarding and managing ecosystems for centuries – developing and transmitting local and traditional knowledge from generation to generation.

 Ensuring women have equal access to ecosystem services and are involved in ecosystem management can help reduce gender inequalities, contributing to more equal and resilient communities.

Aquatic ecosystems – such as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and coastal estuaries – provide vital services ranging from water supply, storage and natural purification through to flood control, recreation and waterway transport. They also provide habitats for aquatic and terrestrial species and sustain a rich biodiversity of fauna and flora of significant ecological, cultural and economic values. These ecosystems are interconnected through the flow of water across landscapes, from rainfall and runoff to infiltration and discharge, forming part of a dynamic system that links surface water, groundwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Thepreservation of environmental flows is essential for ensuring the health of aquatic ecosystems, which directly influences the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater.Degradation of aquatic ecosystems can cause loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, contributing to water scarcity and quality deterioration. It may also decrease the resilience of ecosystems and communities to climate change. About 40% of the world’s plant and animal species depend on wetlands, including 30% of all known fish species. An estimated 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since the 1970s, and those that remain are vanishing three times faster than forests. Drivers of wetland loss include climate change, widespread drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overexploitation of resources (e.g. overfishing) and invasive species. The main drivers of aquatic ecosystem degradationand biodiversity loss include climate change, land-use change and pollution. Analyzing these complex linkages through the lens of gender equality can aid better understanding of their specific and often disproportionate impacts on women and men and highlight the various roles men and women play in water and ecosystem management, while contributing to gender equality.Groundwater resources sustain a variety of ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, springs and estuaries, as well as numerous plant and animal species. The ecosystem services they provide include water storage and supply, flood and drought buffering, pollutant filtration, habitat provision, biodiversity support and cultural value. Over-extraction lowers water tables, causing ecosystems like wetlands and springs to dry up and affecting river flows. Many land-based ecosystems also depend on groundwater and could be threatened by groundwater abstraction. For example, approximately 60% of groundwater-dependent ecosystems coexist with pastoral lands. Pollution, from sources like agriculture and industry, contaminates groundwater, which then harms aquatic biota and degrades the quality of connected surface water bodies. 

Many people, particularly those in rural communities and Indigenous Peoples, directly depend on vital ecosystem services such as provision of food, water, fuelwood, medicinal plants and other natural resources. As such, the effects of ecosystem degradation on water resources can exacerbate gender-based inequalities. For example, declines in available water due to degraded freshwater ecosystems can increase the time and efforts of women and girls, who often bear primary responsibility for collecting water when it is not available on premises. Ecosystem degradation can affect people’s health and nutrition, for example by reducing access to medicinal plants or native food sources. This can also have significant gender implications, especially where women and girls bear a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities and are primarily responsible for food preparation. A decline in available ecosystem services can also hinder people’s opportunities for income generating activities – especially for those engaged in agriculture – thus reducing household income. Increased exposure to water-related disasters and health hazards (including those caused by water pollution) is another important consequence of ecosystem degradation, often disproportionately affecting women and girls in underprivileged social and economic roles. At the community level, social and political power dynamics can play a significant role in determining resources use and access, and their economic benefits, especially where access to common lands or resources is restricted based on gender-based discrimination rooted in socio-cultural norms. For example, in West Bengal, women in low social strata may be particularly disadvantaged due to societal and cultural beliefs when ecosystem degradation affects the availability of such resources. Gaps in data and research inhibit a comprehensive analysis of the gender-differentiated impacts of water resources and ecosystem degradation. Literature primarily focuses on gendered impacts of inadequate access to drinking water, sanitationand hygiene and the effects of women’s participation in water allocation and management decisions. Research often overlooks the impacts of broader ecosystem degradation issues on women, and on gender differences in use, valuing and management of ecosystem services. Such data and analysis are crucial for better understanding of the gender-differentiated ecosystem uses and ecosystem degradation impacts, providing key information for the prioritization of ecosystem management and conservation programmes that support women’s empowerment and reduce inequalities

Approaches that understand and address gender gaps in water and ecosystem management can contribute to reducing societal inequalities between women and men, while at the same time enhancing climate change adaptation and improving ecosystem health and resilience. Therefore, it is essential to mainstream gender equality into ecosystem management at all levels – from policies and management practices to water research and education. 

In 2018, contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) adopted Resolution XIII.18 on gender and wetlands. This wasthe first resolution to explicitly recognize the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the implementation of the Convention (Ramsar Convention, 2018). Water resources and ecosystem management, when designed and implemented by considering social dimensions and gender-based differences, can bring multiple co-benefits that may collectively contribute to gender equality.

Practical applications of nature-based solutions related to water resources management – such as reforestation, rainwater harvesting and rehabilitation of wetlands – have, for example, successfully revitalized local springs, enhancing water access and ecological resilience while providing economic opportunities. Additional co-benefits from nature-based solutions can include reduced public health risks and enhanced economic development and sustainable livelihoods. These potentially contribute to reducing social inequalities affecting women and disadvantaged groups, especially in rural areas and communities. Payment for ecosystem services schemes may provide financial mechanisms for the restoration and protection of ecosystem services within watersheds. These could benefit downstream users by ensuring the provision and sustainability of essential ecosystem services such as water availability and quality, while offering economic incentives to upstream stakeholders. Conducting diagnostic gender analyses before design and implementation is essential to understand exactly who receives the benefits from these schemes and how the distribution of these payments is decided. 6.3.2 Human-rights-based approaches Ecosystem services are essential for fulfilling several human rights, such as those related to water, food, health and a clean environment, and the right of Indigenous Peoples to natural resources. Human rights-based approaches to water and ecosystem management may therefore contribute to improving people’s access to water and natural resources, land and ecosystem services, resulting in improved health and livelihood opportunities, including for people in a situation of vulnerability. In addition, gender-differentiated impact analysis and assessments can provide crucial information for financing water-related ecosystem management and technical incentives for communities.

The inclusion of traditional, Indigenous and local knowledge in water and ecosystem management is vital for local leadership and community-basedwater and ecosystem restoration and management approaches. Indigenous Peoples hold valuable knowledge for the sustainable stewardship ofnature, including traditional water and ecosystem use and managementpractices.

A comprehensive gender equality approach to address the challenges related to water and ecosystem degradation is essential for ensuring equitable and sustainable solutions. This may be achieved by: gender mainstreaming in water and ecosystemmanagement; overcoming research and information gaps through gender-differentiated impact assessments and sex-disaggregated data; and promoting the empowerment of women through their equal and meaningful participation in water and ecosystem management and decision-making. Adopting gendered approaches can foster more inclusive, resilient and innovative strategies to manage water-related ecosystems, by addressing the specific realities of women and girls. While women may bear a disproportionate burden of ecosystem degradation due to gendered roles, limited access to water and natural resources, and social inequalities, they fulfil active roles as community members and leaders who hold important knowledge that can contribute to resilient, productive and sustainable communities.