Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction by Dr Naeem & Gloria
Climate change will therefore affect disaster risks in two ways: firstly, through the likely increase in weather and climate hazards and effects of sea-level rise; and, secondly, through the increases in vulnerability of communities to natural hazards resulting from ecosystem degradation, reductions in water and food shortage.
Disaster risk reduction can be defined as action taken to reduce the risk of disasters and the adverse impacts of natural hazards, through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causes of disasters. This can be done through avoidance of hazards, reduced social and economic vulnerability to hazards, and improved preparedness for adverse events.
More extreme weather events in future are likely to increase the number and scale of disasters, while at the same time, the existing methods and tools of disaster risk reduction provide powerful capacities for adaptation to the climate crisis.
Natural Hazards by themselves do not cause Disasters- it is the combination of an exposed, vulnerable and ill-prepared population or community with a hazard event that results in a disasters.
Revamp Rave Network held the 8th session of the Second Virtual cohort training programme on climate change on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction” on the 25th of June 2022. The session was taught by Dr. Naaem Shahzad –Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Expert and Gloria Kasang Bulus –Disaster Risk Reduction Expert and Founder of Bridge that Gap Initiative.
Gloria said that climate change and disaster risk reduction are closely linked as climate change impacts lead to disasters, the same way disasters are the resulting impact of climate change.
The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters(HFA) with the expected outcome of the substantial reduction of disaster losses in lives and in the social, economic and environmental assets of communities, each country and to deploy strategic goals for the integration of disaster risk reduction into sustainable development policies and planning, development, strengthening of institutions, mechanisms and capacities to build resilience to hazards and the systematic incorporation of risk reduction approaches into the implementation of emergency preparedness, response and recovery programme.
The linkage between Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, climate change if not mitigated will lead to disaster, they both hit the most vulnerable like women and children, both are development issues and share the same ultimate objective: Reduction/Mitigation. They both face similar complexities and challenges and rely on the same type of measures and policies, both concern all sectors and human activities and aim at enhancing resilience and Mitigation of climate change contributes greatly to reducing risk and vulnerability to natural hazards.
In the absence of disaster risk reduction, some of the consequences may include more heat waves which can lead to more deaths for the most vulnerable. It will increase drought in some regions leading to damage to crops and livestock death, displacement of populations, increased frequency of high precipitation in some regions triggering floods and landslides and , Sea-level rise which will increase the impact of storm surge and river flooding and higher temperatures and melting glaciers.
The components of DRR include Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness and Response and some measures that can be taken includes Risk assessment, Education and information management, Land use planning, Environmental management, Protection of critical facilities and an Early warning system.
Disaster risk reduction is a core element of disaster management and includes prevention, mitigation and preparedness while climate change adaptation plays a key role in addressing the climate crises, for climate change mitigation and adaptation to be sustainable, we must understand the impacts and learn how to reduce risk.
It will be good to note that not all hazards lead to disaster if contained properly Dr Naaem Shahzad said. He further mentioned that disaster risk reduction is a broader aspect while climate change adaptation comes after.
He said in his session that the capacity to respond to a disaster is indirectly proportional to the risk. Therefore, the higher the capacity in a community the lower the risk and the lower the capacity the higher the risk and less developed countries are more vulnerable because their coping capacity is low.
Climate impacts are increasing risk due to population increase because of the load on resources, increase concentration of hazards in some areas, unplanned migration, increase vulnerability, unplanned development, environmental degradation and poverty.
Nevertheless, vulnerability being a function of more exposure and sensitivity, more adaptive capacity should be deployed to decrease vulnerability. The assessment of vulnerability should consider all three factors, Adaptation is the adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
The two types of Adaptation are Autonomous or Reactive adaptation which tends to be what people and systems do as impacts of climate change become apparent and Anticipatory or proactive adaptation which are measures taken to reduce potential risks of future climate change.
Disaster Risk Reduction is the conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or limit(mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards within the broad context of sustainable development, Dr Naeem defined.
He then spoke about mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change into development where he described mainstreaming as a small, isolated flow of water being drawn into the mainstream of a river where it will expand to flow smoothly without loss or diversion and mainstreaming risk reduction as a process to fully incorporate disaster risk reduction into relief and development policy and practice and DRR mainstreaming a dynamic process with a dual purpose of ensuring that development is protected through DRR elements and ensuring that development does not increase people’s vulnerability to disasters.
There are main barriers to Disaster Risk Reduction which include lack of awareness, lack of coordination, lack of resources and political commitment the steps to successful mainstreaming include awareness raising, enabling environment, development of tools, training and technical support, change in operational practice, measuring progress and learning and experience sharing.
