Harmonization of DRR and Climate Change Adaptation Zenaida Delica-Willison South-South Disaster Risk...

Harmonization of DRR and Climate Change Adaptation

Zenaida Delica-WillisonSouth-South Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor

Calabanga, Bicol, Philippines 23 November 2010

Number of disasters and people affected increasing

Source: Thirty Years of Natural Disasters 1974-2003: The Numbers

Disasters:

Disasters are unmanaged risks, a development issue. When a hazard hit a population with high vulnerabilities and low capacities, then disaster may occur. If the localities can not manage the hazard by themselves and they need outside assistance, disaster occurs

Natural hazards are potential disasters if they are not managed locally

Disasters:

Climate change is one of the most important challenges for social development and human security of our time.

Climate change is a climate risk and one of the biggest disaster risks.

Climate Change What is climate change?

• The alterations of the earth’s atmosphere

-- climate warming

-- more frequent and intense extreme weather events

Climate Change:

Where are we now?• Our planet is warming:

--increase in global average air and ocean temperature

--widespread melting of snow and ice

--rise in global mean sea levels

Emission of increased quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG) have played a significant role in CC

1860-70Hadley Centre

UK©Royal Crown


UK©Royal Crown

2090-2100

Hadley Centre

UK©Royal Crown

Climate Change:

What are the consequences?

--changes in precipitation

--more frequent and severe flooding

--rises in temperature and their effects – snow melting, GLOF

--rising sea levels—salinisation

--more intense and prolong droughts

Climate Change:

Who are mostly affected?

-- the poorest – making livelihoods and living condition more vulnerable to shocks and other hazards.

-- the entire society

-- global

Climate Change:

What to do? How do we deal with CC?

CC Mitigation

CC Adaptation

Climate Change:

CC Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or stabilize GHG emissions.

CC Adaptation is about coping and dealing with the consequences of changing climate Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. (IPCC)

Disaster Risk Reduction

• The conceptual framework to minimize or reduce vulnerabilities throughout a society

-- to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development.

Climate change is one of the of the disaster risks and therefore is a major concern for DRR

Why Harmonization of Climate Adaptation and Disaster Risk

Reduction?

DRR and CCA are supported by two entirely different sets of institutions, individuals, methodologies and policy frameworks.

In particular the rapidly emerging area of climate change adaptation science come on the scene quite unrelated to the

ongoing work on disaster risk reduction.

Discrepancies range from the intellectual development of the fields to implementation of risk reduction measures.

Global interest in the issue has exploded over the last two decades, as consequences become more discernable and science more certain.

It does not matter that climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction deal with two different types of risk: it is reducing that risk that is a common objective.

• A global policy framework has been designed and implemented under the auspices of the UN since the early

1990s to lay out rules for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and monitoring this reduction

International Climate Change Processes

Only GHG mitigation mechanism for developing countries

UNFCCCUnited Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change1992

mitigation and adaptation

IPCCInter-governmental Panel on Climate Change• comprising 2500 scientists worldwide• assessment report led to development of the UNFCCC

CDM: Clean Development Mechanism

Joint Implemen-

tation

Emissions Trading

Creates 3 mechanisms for mitigation

KYOTO PROTOCOLSigned 1997, took effect 2004

IPCC: Understanding the problem 2500+ scientists : human influence on climate

greenhouse gases (GHG) accumulated in

atmosphere since industrialization (1867) from

burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

Projected:

•Temperature increase up to 6.4ºC

•Sea-level rise from 50 to 95 cm.

•Increase in extreme events: drought,

storms, floods

•Current is warmest period

IPCC• 1979: First World Climate Conference • 1988: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC)

was established by UNEP and WMO • May 1992: United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change was signed by 154 countries• December 1987: COP 3 adopted the Kyoto Protocol • 2007: IPCC issues the Fourth Assessment Report• December 2007: COP 13 called for enhanced action on

adaptation

The Bali Action Plan calls for:

“Disaster reduction strategies and means to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change”

The inclusion of disaster risk reduction reflects:

• Recognition that climate change adaptation should benefit from experience in reducing disaster risk

• Opportunity to build synergies: e.g., disseminate existing tools, scale-up successful risk reduction efforts

• A shift in the climate negotiations to integrate the agendas on mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and funding

1990-1999: International Decade for Natural Disasters Reduction

Scientific understanding of natural disasters Assessment of their damage potential Mitigation and reduction of damage through

technical assistance, technology transfer, education and training

2005-2015: Hyogo Framework for Acton (HFA)

Building the resilience of Nations and Communities to disasters

ISDR Secretariat: focal point with UN for coordination and harmonization of policies and strategies for DRR

For both CC and DR

• Risk is socially constructed.

• Poverty, inequality and disempowerment breed vulnerability that increases disaster risk.

• Development that doesn’t consider environmental impacts in the planning process can create or increase disaster risk, which negates positive effects of development.

• Disasters can be seen as politically attractive as they sell an image of efficiency in emergency response.

47

South-South Citizenry based Development Academy

Designed for learning on how to make communities resilient and resistant to disasters and how to adapt to climate change

Sharing of experiences, tools and resources by communities to communities and CBDRM practitioners

Concept – all are teachers and students or all are learners.

DRR project reducing climate related risks “Benenain River Cluster Project” in Indonesia

People depends their livelihoods on this river, but more and more risky.

Flash Floods annually hit the down stream communities

Community Action Plan Construction of elevated

wells + latrines + hygiene promotions

Pilot: elevated pig barns Trees plantings (e.g.

bamboo, mangroves) River banks: rehabilitation

and village regulation Provide and re-promote

elevated houses

Adaptation project reducing disaster risksHaor areas in Bangladesh

• Climate resilient land use practices to cope with climate-induced risks (flashfloods)– Adaptive cropping of short

cycled winter rice crops and non-rice crops

– Farming system development in sandy soil

rice suitable for the haor region of Bangladesh

NATIONAL POLICY

LOCAL PRACTICE

There is a significant

gap between national

and local level action

Convergence of Adaptation and DRR Goal:

– Resilient communities within the context of sustainable development to achieve well-being

Strategy: – Vulnerability reduction and climate risk

management

Common agenda: climate risk management

Hyogo Framework for Action in 2005: provided guidance to the integration of adaptation and DRR through:– identification of climate related risks– design of risk reduction measures– improved use of climate risk information

Challenges Lack of synergy between Adaptation and DRR

– Terminology and definition of terms (vulnerability, risks, adaptation and mitigation)

– Governance and institutional mechanisms (HFA, Kyoto Protocol)

– Time horizon and formulation of interventions– Lack of integrated framework and approaches to

manage climate risks

Lack of capacity Lack of funds

Opportunities for harmonizing DRR and adaptation

Inclusion of DRR in the negotiating text Movement towards mainstreaming DRR and

adaptation in development agenda Movement towards creating synergy between

Adaptation and DRR, ie. Harbin Alliance Rich experiences of the DRR groups that

illustrate how a good disaster risk reduction project can be used in adaptation

Recommendation:• Coordination between ministries, platforms, policies and

processes at national and sub-national level

• Agreement to ensure joined up approach to integrating adaptation and DRR into development planning and programming

• On-going, systematic dialogue, information exchange and joint working between climate change and disaster reduction bodies, focal points and experts

The End

Harmonization of DRR and Climate Change Adaptation Zenaida Delica-Willison South-South Disaster Risk...

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