The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government has launched a gender-sensitive action plan to focus funding on groups of women, considered the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

ADB and the government represented by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources unveiled the Philippines Nationally Determined Contribution Gender Action Plan 2024-2030 (NDC-GAP).

The NDC-GAP’s goal is to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030 to help comply with the Paris Agreement on limiting the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

It will guide the government in improving four main areas that are critical to addressing climate change: governance, climate mitigation and adaptation, reporting and finance.

CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera said financing programs should be more specified to respond to the needs of women in maximizing benefits from climate finance, especially the P1-billion People’s Survival Fund (PSF) for local government units (LGUs).

“There is limited knowledge and awareness of the nexus of gender and climate change among government agencies in the country. Sex and gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis is still not mandated in lead agencies,” she said during the launch at the ADB Building in Mandaluyong City on Monday.

The PSF was created by Republic Act 10174 as an annual fund for LGUs and accredited community organizations to implement climate change adaptation projects.

A report by the United Nations (UN) said women in lower income countries lack adequate access to training on disaster protection and opportunities to work elsewhere, putting them in greater danger when severe weather disturbances occur.

“When disasters strike, women are less likely to survive and more likely to be injured due to long standing gender inequalities,” the UN report said.

“During periods of drought and erratic rainfall, women, as agricultural workers and primary procurers, work harder to secure income and resources for their families. This puts added pressure on girls, who often have to leave school to help their mothers manage the increased burden,” the UN report added.

The Department of Finance also secured this year a $10-million grant from Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest climate fund.

Under the seven-year NDC-GAP, there should be gender-responsive laws on climate change by 2028.

By 2030, Herrera said there should be sex-disaggregated database, upskilling of government agents and communities to address climate change, and leadership development for women to advance their careers in climate-related sectors, such as energy, agriculture and transportation.