Climate change and female empowerment: a case study of “fragments for hope”

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Jamie M Sommer, Peggy Christoff and Aidee Saucedo

Stockholm University, Sweden
State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA
International Relations Specialist, Mexico

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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Various organizations across the world work at the community level to help sustain and restore our environment. As climate change continues more adaptation technologies and mitigation strategies are necessary to sustain our livelihoods. One of the most vulnerable areas to climate changes is coral reefs. Coral reefs are not only beautiful, they are also living organisms that protect coastlines from damaging storms and sea level rise, provide habitats and nutrients for marine life and are important in carbon and nitrogen fixation. They also provide many communities with economic activity, as they are a favorite destination for many tourists from across the world and provide food such as fish. Due to climate change, coral reefs are disappearing across the world. This is especially damaging to communities who rely on tourism for their livelihoods. One non-governmental organization (NGO), Fragments of Hope, created a project called “More Corals = More Fish” in Belize to restore coral reefs and promote women empowerment. Lisa Carne, the Founder and Executive Director of this NGO, is one of the first female diving instructors in her area. She now offers grants and subsidized training programs for women in tourism and marine conservation to earn higher salaries than their more common career options in the domestic and server sector. The activity of these women not only improves their lives, but also restores the coral reefs to combat climate change. In this case study, we provide an analysis of this project to determine the effectiveness of this work in creating better livelihoods for women, while also improving the environment. We also evaluate and identify the characteristics of the project that will make it translatable to other areas around the world.

Biography

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E-mail: Jamie.sommer@statsvet.su.se