LINKAGES AMONG WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, GENDER, AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Gender Gaps in Water
Resources Management
1. Women and men play
distinct roles in managing
natural resources including
water resources.
Where water is not available
on premises, females are far
more likely globally to bear the
burden of collection. In such
contexts, they face additional
obstacles to participation in
schools, workplaces, and other
social spaces, and drudgery
and physical impact increases.
Hence, gender roles need to be
differentiated in collecting
water, fuel, and fodder for
domestic use, and in generating
income.
Gender “Entry Points” 1.5 degrees Celsius of Global Warming Study
(Integrating gender dimensions Climate-Responsive Indicators
into efforts to achieve integrated
water resources management
objectives) Output Indicators Outcome Indicators
Integrated Water Resources
Management 1. Number of water-constrained ● Percentage increase in river
areas with Groundwater basins and critical areas with
1. Sustainable Development of Management Plan developed science-based water allocation
Water Resources incorporating climate change management system
scenarios, and adopted by LGUs
a. Formulation of Integrated ● Availability and sustainability of
water policies and surface and groundwater supply
regulatory frameworks
based on the following
principles: 2. Number of Integrated River ● All Master Plans of 18 major
Basin Management and river basins are climate-
a.1. Water should be treated as an Development Master Plan responsive (current: 5 major river
economic, social, and (IRBMDMP) endorsed by NSC basins are responsive)
environmental good.
Sustainable water resources
development as a key to poverty
eradication.
a.2. Water policies should focus
on the management of water as a
whole and not just on
Due to their distinctive the provision of water.
engagements with the natural a.3. Water resources should be
environment, women’s managed at the lowest appropriate
experience and knowledge level.
need to be acknowledged as
critical for water resources a.4. Women should be recognized
management. as central to the provision,
management and
There is a need to acknowledge safeguarding of water.
that using a gender perspective
and enabling the integration of 2. Improving Water Governance
women’s knowledge of the
environment will increase the a. Increasing coordination and
chances of environmental collaboration among various
sustainability. water sectors, such as drinking
water supply and
Gender gaps: sanitation, irrigation, and
● equitable access to ecosystem maintenance
domestic water supply;
equitable access to land b. Addressing potential
rights and water for competition and conflicts
productive use regarding water use among
different stakeholders from all
● equitable access to sectors and
sanitation (and hygiene) among individuals, communities,
facilities and governments.

● capacity development c. Addressing gender and social

at the level of operation disparities in terms of equitable
and maintenance of access to and control over
water supply and
 sanitation (often a role resources, benefits, costs, and
that falls on women) decision making between women
and men.
● gender equal
participation in
decision-making on
water
2. There is a need for an
accurate analysis of water
resources use. This involves
understanding the gender-
differentiated systems for
access to resources, labor,
water uses, water rights, and
the distribution of benefits and
production.

3. Women tend to play a less

public role in community
decision-making than men
(even if they are members of
local Water Users
Associations), although they
have a great role in domestic
water management.
Management of water
resources should therefore
mainstream the gender
dimension in the public sphere
on the local level.