Global perspective Human stories

FROM THE FIELD: Women guardians of the environment

A farmer in Cambodia cultivates her rice crop.
UNDP Cambodia/Manuth Buth
A farmer in Cambodia cultivates her rice crop.

FROM THE FIELD: Women guardians of the environment

Climate and Environment

Women from around the world are being given a more prominent role in the fight against climate change, thanks to the efforts of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Globally, countries are being encouraged to update their plans to curb climate change and restrict the increase in temperatures to at least two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a process which is being supported by UNDP.

The impacts of a warming planet are being felt globally, as weather patterns become more unpredictable, and the frequency and intensity of disasters increase.

A woman fisher prepares her nets on the Caribbean Island, Dominica.
UNDP/Zaimis Olmos | A woman fisher prepares her nets on the Caribbean Island, Dominica. 

The knowledge and leadership skills of women are being factored into the plans to reverse adverse climatic conditions; farmers in particular are considered to have a key role in introducing agricultural practices which are more favourable to the environment, and can help reduce the emission of harmful gasses, which are accelerating climate change.

Read more here about how women are increasingly taking on the role of guardians of the environment.