1.1 BACKGROUND
The earth is naturally surrounded by the warm blanket of air that has the capacity to absorb or retain heat rays from the surface of the earth, however, if the earth did not have small amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other gases called the greenhouse gases it would be impossible for humans to inhabit the earth because it would have been too cold for any living thing to survive. The surface of the earth is warmed by the process called the greenhouse effect which occurs once the greenhouse gases retain some amounts of heat rays that bounce from the sun rays that heat the earth’s surface.
The levels of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases have increased over the years due to both natural and anthropogenic factors but mostly human induced. Some human activities such as deforestation, industrial activities and combustion of fossil fuels have increased the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leading to the increase in temperature of the surface of the earth. Scientists and researchers have argued that the increase in the earth’s surface temperature can cause climate change which can lead to catastrophic and disastrous events such as the raise of the ocean water levels due to the melting of the polar ice and flooding the coastal areas.
1.2 INTRODUCTION
Climate change is the world phenomenon in which the temperature of the earth’s surface increases to the level in which it threatens the wellbeing and proper operation of the ecosystems thereby affecting the life of humans and other animals due to the unpredictable seasons and effects of droughts, floods and higher temperatures that lead to the great loss of biodiversity( )…………………states that the term ‘gender’ refers to sexually ascribed roles responsibilities and opportunities associated with women and men, as well as the hidden power structures that govern relationships between them. Gender is in essence a term used to emphasise that sex inequality is not caused by the anatomic and physiological differences that characterize men and women, but rather by the unequal and inequitable treatment socially accorded to them. In this sense, gender alludes to the cultural, social, economic and political condition that are the basis of certain standards, values and behavioural patterns related to gender and their relationship.
Therefore, this research is trying to find areas that show the effects of climate change on gender which are roles ascribed by the society and areas that where climate change mitigation measures have been recorded, it will illustrate some of the facts with pictures depicting some evidenced effects of climate change and some measures that are being put in place in order to reduce or cushion the impacts of climate change.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The effects of climate change are felt differently by men, women and children, in most cases, women and girls are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. For example, Gender bias in the impact of disasters is also under-reported. When disasters strike, they hurt the whole community, but women often bear the brunt. Floods frequently claim far more female victims because their mobility is restricted and they have not been taught to swim. In the aftermath of a disaster, restrictions on the legal rights and entitlements of women to land and property can limit access to credit needed for recovery ( ). It has been proved that during disasters such as floods, women and children especially girls are the most affected, this is because most of the women don’t have access to personal transport so as to be able to escape such disasters with easy……………states that during the Hurricane Katrina that hit Louisiana in 2005, Women were disproportionately represented among those left in the city following the storm. Despite making up 54% of the population of the city, 80% of those who were left were women. In many cases, this was because they lacked the means to leave. They did not have access to the private transport that the authorities assumed in their emergency planning, or have the resources to pay for petrol or accommodation on leaving the city. Since the conditions of living in camps don’t give any form of privacy to affected individual, most women and children once placed in camps face sexual assault, rape and violence.
a. Climate change, water and energy.
The effects of climate change have led to the reduced supply of water in most parts of Zambia, in backing this point, the Human Development report (HDR, 2007:28) emphasises that, “In many countries, climate change means that women and young girls have to walk further to collect water, especially in the dry season. Moreover, women can be expected to contribute much of the labour that will go into coping with climate risks through soil and water conservation, the building of anti-flood embankments and increased off -farm employment.” Women are generally the primary caretakers of the family and are often first to become aware of environmental changes, as resources become scarce, increasing their workload and leading to problems with sustaining their families. This is particularly relevant when it comes to water. As a result of the traditional gender roles in many developing countries, women tend to labour to provide water for household needs, such as cooking, washing, hygiene and raising small livestock. Children, in particular girls, often share these responsibilities.
a. Climate change, migration and gender.
The effects of climate change have led to most people migrating from one place to another in order to search for areas that promise comfort for a better livelihood. Brown (2008:62) states disasters such as hurricanes or more gradual changes such as drought which affects their access to basic needs such as food and water”. Zambia has not been spared to the issue of migration or movement, because there is constant movement of individuals, families or the whole community due to climate change related phenomenon such as floods, feminine and drought. During floods, droughts or feminine one family member mostly, though not always, a man leaves to look for a safer place or greener pasture.
1.3 AIM.
The aim of this research is to visit different places that,
1. Show the effects of the changing climate on gender or how men and women are affected by the changes in the climate as witnessed in the past few years.
2. To visit another site that shows measures put in place in order to curb the effects of climate change.
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
The purpose of the study is to find out how different sexes are affected by climate change. It tries to find out how these impacts are handled by different people and how they affect their day to day life and find out who are the most vulnerable group of people within Lusaka.
1.5 OBJECTIVES. The following are the objectives of the research paper.
1. To gather relevant information that shows the relationship between gender and climate change and apply it to the practical real life situations.
2. To find out how men, women, boys and girls are affected by the changes such as floods and drought.
3. What are the measures that have been put in place in order to adapt to the effects of climate change.
1.6 METHODOLOGY
The methodology used in this research is purely non-experimental. It is also important to note that the study was both descriptive and non-descriptive. This is for the simple reason that it was conducted in uncontrolled and natural setting.
The method used to collect data in this research includes,
1. The use of questionnaires given to the specific individuals in the research areas
2. The use of direct or un structured form of research such as direct interviews with the people
3. Observations during the research and consultations with different kinds of literature about the topic of research.
1.7 LIMITATIONS
1. Due to the uncontrolled nature of the study, it was difficult to get people to respond diligently to the questionnaires because they were busy with their daily duties.
2. Language was also a barrier in that most people could not express themselves well concerning the topic of climate change.
3. Unawareness, most people saw and felt the impacts of climate change but did not know what climate change is in reality.
2.1 DATA ANALYSIS.
It is now widely recognised that the impacts of climate change will affect the poor, both within and between countries, first and worst because they are the most vulnerable and have least resources to adapt to a changing climate. This fact has not spared Zambia as a country, it has been witnessed during the rainy season and the times in which the amount of rainfall received is not enough for the season.
2.2 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON GENDER.
a. Climate change and floods in Zambia.
The issue of floods in Zambia has been reported to affect more women as compared to men, this is because women mostly are not equipped or trained on such issues of safety and self-protection in the times of disaster. Therefore, floods during the rainy season in Zambia usually affects the majority of women. For example, the Post newspapers dated 10 December 2010 reported flooding in the city of Lusaka to have affected hundreds of people and submerged hundreds of houses. The city of Lusaka experienced above normal rainfall, which resulted in flooding in the un planned settlements around the city especially those with poor or no drainage systems. Most houses in Lusaka’s Misisi, Frank, Jack, Chawama, Kuku and John Howard compounds were submerged in water. A number of pit latrines were submerged in water and others had collapsed contaminating water sources, a situation that led to an outbreak of cholera cases. Almost 3,400 cases of cholera were recorded whilst 87 deaths were reported. source: field research photo, showing excessive flooding in misisi compound in Lusaka. A young man risks his health in order to ferry children to the other side for school.
After the excessive floods, most of the people usually are required to move away from their homes and relocated to new places in fear of their safety. The international Federation’s Disaster Relief Fund (DREF, 2010) reported that, after the assessment in Lusaka city, the government of Zambia and its cooperating partners relocated the flood affected households to safe areas within the city of Lusaka. The Ministry of Sports, Youth and Child Development donated a piece of land near the Independence Stadium to accommodate the affected families for a period running from 25th February to 1st July 2010. A total of 177 families (873) people were accommodated in the tents that were provided by DMMU.

Climate change may lead to the deteriorating water quality once there is a flood, for example, in shanty compound where there is use of pit latrines and open defecation. Faecal matter may contaminate the water leading to the outbreak of water borne diseases such as cholera, it is important to note that in such instances, women and children are the most affected because of their vulnerability and lack of resources that can help them to survive disasters. Floods also becomes breeds of mosquitoes that cause malaria which kills most children and women in Africa.
a. Climate change, malnutrition and gender.
Climate change has a direct link on food production. Climate change effects have led to less or reduced food production levels, for example, once there is a flood, most of the crops are submerged or completely swept away by the flow of water. This situation will lead to shortage of food which will eventually lead to malnutrition of which women and children are the most affected because most women depend on subsistence farming which directly depends on seasoned rainfall or are farm labourers depending on the small scaled crop that they grow. Source: fieldwork research in Mbereshi. Women and children are the most affected by the changing climate because they depend on seasonal rainfall. Picture shows a boy going to the garden.
The other aspect of the changing climate may lead to shortage of rainfall or droughts that also reduce the production of food especially for the rural women, hence being subjected to malnutrition. The raising temperatures are favourable for the survival and growth of pests, therefore the high temperatures due to climate change can indirectly affect the proper growth of food because it will support the survive of pests that are potentially harmful to the growth of the food. Climate change has led to the shortage of the resources, however, women have less access to the already few resources which makes them more vulnerable to disease related to nutrition and lack of access to medicines may put women and children at greater risk than men ( ).
b. Climate change, conflict and gender
Though Zambia as a country has not yet recorded any form of conflict in the past years due to lack of resources, researchers argue that if the current effects of climate change is to continue at the rate it is moving, conflicts are likely to be reported due to insufficient resources such as water, land and food. Such facts are witnessed in most compounds of Lusaka where a lot of residents line up for water in the late or early hours of each day, such a scenario is triggered by the few points where clean water can be fetched, leaving the majority of the people to fight for the little sources of water. The effects of climate change have led to the increase in conflicts because, the few resources are not properly shared in most communities, thereby causing conflicts among the people. Women, girls, boys and old people are the ones that are likely to suffer in instances of conflicts as they are the ones who are mostly reported injured or dead due to inability to escape or fight.
c. Climate change, diseases and gender.
Although most statistics in both developing and developed countries show that women have an average higher life expectance than men, it is however proved that they suffer more the effects of climate change in terms of diseases that are perpetuated by climate change directly or indirectly. Cannon (2002:28) states that,
“Although women in most countries have a longer average life expectancy than men, the quality of women’s health is low compared to that of men in their households and communities…While health threats related to global warming linger, women are faced with more immediate health risks than men, due to their role in the gendered division of labour”.

Poor nutrition and the physical demands of water and fuel collection contribute to health problems for women and children, the health of women, children and the elderly seem to worsen as the effects of climate change are increasingly felt. Since women tend to have lower quality and quantity of healthcare than men, it is also less likely that these problems will be treated when they do arise. Old people are also usually affected by the changes in rising temperatures that give them stress and heart or cardiovascular problems due to heat.

Additionally, a number of problems that are likely to be made worse by climate change, including poverty, natural disasters and conflict, can cause women and children to seek alternative livelihoods, effectively forcing them into prostitution, which increases their vulnerability to contracting HIV/AIDS. Existing health inequalities also mean that women are disproportionately exposed to epidemics such as malaria, fevers and cholera.

In Zambia, energy is still a very big problem especially for rural women who have to walk long distances to find fire wood because of the loss of most of the nearby forests.

“Water and firewood have increasingly become scarce in this area especially in the past ten years. We only have one borehole in this area where the whole community depends, these days, sometimes the water dries up, I don’t know what the cause could be. For firewood, we go behind the hills of Milner farms which is very far, because in the nearby hills there is nothing” said a woman in Shimabala, Kafue rural. A community evacuated by the people due to excess flooding, a situation that makes women and children more vulnerable to cases of rape and defilement once placed in alternative camps .Source: field work research, Kabwe, Zambia

3.1 CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION.
Since the impacts of global warming or climate change are already being experienced and felt by every individual, there is need to take action in order to curb the effects of climate change. Research has proved that even if greenhouse gases ceased to be produced, it will take long before the effects of climate change stop being felt. Therefore, it is important to come up with measures that will cushion the impacts of climate change in the agriculture, construction and education sectors to empower people with ways to cope up with climate change.

Climate change adaptation aims at making people resilient to the changes of global warming. Climate change adaptation is a process through which societies make themselves better able to cope with an uncertain future. Adapting to climate change entails taking the right measures to reduce the negative effects of climate change (or exploit the positive ones) by making the appropriate adjustments and changes. There are many options and opportunities to adapt. These ranges from technological options such as increased sea defences or flood-proof houses on stilts, to behaviour change at the individual level, such as reducing water use in times of drought and using insecticide-sprayed mosquito nets. Other strategies include early warning systems for extreme events, better water management, improved risk management, various insurance options and biodiversity conservation( ).
a. Infrastructural adaptation.
In order to adapt to the climate change situation, the way foot bridges and most importantly houses are build should be to withstand the changes such as floods. In Zambia, newly built houses are characterised by high concrete slabs so as to avoid the floods from entering the house during the rainy season. During the research, the area of Kamwala south was surveyed where there are more houses under construction, it is said that Kamwala south in Lusaka is also usually affected by the flood during the rainy season, therefore, most of the houses under construction have at least an elevated concrete slab foundation. Sour
A house under construction in Kamwala south, Lusaka showing a concrete slab with reasonable centimetres above the ground to prevent floods. Source: field work research.
The adaptation measures to climate change may include the construction of alternative shelter in safe areas in order to prepare for any emergency so as to evacuate people during the floods or any catastrophes.