Aligning the Global Delta Risk Index with SDG and SFDRR global frameworks to assess risk to socio-ecological systems in river deltas

Abstract

River deltas globally are highly exposed and vulnerable to natural hazards and are often over-exploited landforms. The Global Delta Risk Index (GDRI) was developed to assess multi-hazard risk in river deltas and support decision-making in risk reduction interventions in delta regions. Disasters have significant impacts on the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, despite the strong interlinkage between disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, global frameworks are still developed in isolation and actions to address them are delegated to different institutions. Greater alignment between frameworks would both simplify monitoring progress towards disaster risk reduction and sustainable development and increase capacity to address data gaps in relation to indicator-based assessments for both processes. This research aims at aligning the GDRI indicators with the SDGs and the Sendai Framework for Disaster and Risk Reduction (SFDRR). While the GDRI has a modular indicator library, the most relevant indicators for this research were selected through a delta-specific impact chain designed in consultation with experts, communities and stakeholders in three delta regions: the Red River and Mekong deltas in Vietnam and the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna (GBM) delta in Bangladesh and India. We analyse how effectively the 143 indicators for the GDRI match (or not) the SDG and SFDRR global frameworks. We demonstrate the interconnections of the different drivers of risk to better inform risk management and in turn support delta-level interventions towards improved sustainability and resilience of these Asian mega-deltas.

Cascading hazards of a major Bengal basin earthquake and abrupt avulsion of the Ganges River

“…Prior research on cascading hazards in coastal settings has recognized tsunami flooding and landslides due to earthquakes and emphasized the need for better planning and preparation for such cascading events 95,96 . We show that earthquake-driven avulsion of large river networks is another real, yet largely unrecognized, threat to seismically active lowlands.…”

Impact of aquaculture practices on the sustainability of social-ecological systems in coastal zones of the Mekong delta

“…The design of the impact chain re ects the views and perspectives collected in FGDs and KIIs. Impact chains allow the explanation of the relationship between causes and effects between indicators (factors) relevant to the risk assessment (Cremin et al, 2023;GIZ et al, 2018). These impact chains support the analysis of the overall factors and processes, causeeffect relationships, involvement of multiple hazards, and drivers of change that affect social and ecological susceptibility.…”

“…The development of public water treatment stations would be also needed to reduce the circulation of pollutants in the waters. [9] https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2088 [10] https://thiennhienmoitruong.vn/phat-huy-hieu-qua-tu-mo-hinh-nuoi-thuy-san-duoi-tan-rung.html [11] https://seafood.vasep.com.vn/key-seafood-sectors/shrimp/news/developing-shrimp-farming-under-forest-canopy-in-camau-24976.html (consulted on the 01/09/2023) [12] See the blog posted by our team in 09/2022: https://livingdeltas.org/blog/rice-or-shrimp-exploring-current-and-future-agroecological-systems-in-soc-trang-province [13] More details on the resolution 120 for the Sustainable development of the Mekong delta available on : https://www.vdo ce.org/en/conference-on-three-year-implementation-of-resolution-120-on-mekong-river-delta-preliminary-outcomes/ (available on the 20/07/2023) [14] The company Viet-Uc is "National leader of the aquatic industry": https://vietuc.com/ (Visited on the 26/05/2023) for a synthesis) how the farms are interrelated and how the externalities of one farm can have impacts on another neighbouring farm. Indeed, if one farm is less at risk thanks to the use of advanced technologies for water treatment but releases wastewater to the canal, doing so the same farm increases the risk to other farms based on extensive farming models which may not bene t from advanced technologies for the treatment of the water provided by the same canal.…”