Building the Links (Climate Change and Rural Transport)

limate change is no longer the preoccupation of environmentalists and scientists alone. In recent years it has become a critical consideration in any type of development work, with the development community increasingly aware of its significance and impacts in the fight against poverty. It is time for IFRTD to begin reflecting upon the significance of rural transport in this debate and to bring on board the wealth of experience and capacities among our diverse membership. To date, the direct association of transportation with Green House Gas emissions has meant that urban transport takes centre stage, while the role of rural transportation in climate change has been largely ignored.

In this issue of Forum News,IFRTD members break down some key climate change terminologies such as mitigation, adaptation and co-benefits, and explore their meaning in relation to rural transport. Our members shine a light on specific concerns such as the exacerbation of existing gender and transport issues by climate change, the profiling of rural transport in critical climate change documents, and where exactly our research priorities should lie. What emerges is a clear recommendation to broaden the existing sector vision from a focus on mitigating urban transport emissions to understanding the role of rural transport services and systems in facilitating adaptation to climate change by the
rural poor.