Integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: key challenges—scales, knowledge, and norms

Abstract

Statistical data shows that the increase in disasters due to natural hazards over the past 20 years has, for the most part, been caused by meteorological and hydrological events. This increase has been largely assigned to climate change [Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 2010, http://www. emdat.be/Database/Trends/trends.html], that is, with climate-related hazards being major triggers for the majority of disasters. Consequently, there is obvious concern about how a changing climate will exacerbate the situation in the future (McBean and Ajibade in Curr Opin Environ Sustain 1: [179][180][181][182][183][184][185][186] 2009). However, the attribution of a single hazard event or specific losses to climate change is still difficult, if not impossible, due to the complexity of factors that generate disaster losses. Disaster risk is a product of the interaction of the hazard (event) and the vulnerability conditions of the society or elements exposed. As a result, the need for a systematic linkage between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) to advance sustainable development, and finally human security is being discussed within the ongoing climate change negotiations as well as within the disaster risk community, for example, in the framework of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on 'Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation'. However, crucial differences between DRR and CCA exist that have widely limited or hampered their integration in practice. A review of existing literature on the topic and current national and local adaptation strategies, as well as 38 expert interviews conducted between April and May 2009, have led the authors to hypothesise that most of these differences and challenges can be categorised with respect to different spatial and temporal scales, the knowledge base, and norm systems. This paper examines the reasons for the practical barriers when linking CCA and DRR according to these three aspects. Finally, we outline recommendations and measures that need to be adopted in order to overcome existing barriers. In addition, quality criteria are formulated that should be applied in order to constantly monitor and evaluate adaptation strategies designed to simultaneously meet DRR requirements and vice versa.

Herders’ perception of climate change does not always fit with actual climate change

“…As well as attempting to predict the details of these changes, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has also been concerned about managing the risks associated with extreme events and disasters (Field et al 2012). In ecological and socioeconomic systems subject to these extreme events, research has mainly concentrated on vulnerability to climate change and assessments of the impacts of climate change, but, more recently, the adaptation of humans to climate change has become an important field of research (Grothmann and Patt 2005;Birkmann and von Teichman 2010;Kates et al 2012).…”

A risk analysis for floods and lahars: case study in the Cordillera Central of Colombia

“…The combination of physical and social vulnerability is widely postulated in current risk research (Cutter 1996;Hufschmidt et al 2005;Birkmann and von Teichman 2010) but is still rather rare on this level of spatial resolution and quantification (IPCC 2012). The presented framework clearly expresses hazard, vulnerability, and risk within a range from 0 to 1.…”

“…Alcántara-Ayala 2002; Raetzo et al 2002), vulnerability is a more contested concept. No clear scientific consensus has been reached so far as to how vulnerability is exactly defined and by which factors it is influenced (Cutter et al 2003;Dikau and Weichselgartner 2005;Thomalla et al 2006;Birkmann and von Teichman 2010), but recent research underlines that vulnerability is a product of specific spatial, socio-economic, cultural and institutional contexts (Kuhlicke et al 2011). Accordingly, concepts have been developed that distinguish between different facets of vulnerability, including physical, social, economic, and cultural vulnerability (Tapsell et al 2010).…”

Integrating climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and urban planning: A review of Nicaraguan policies and regulations

“…1. Climate change adaptation and mitigation: The territorial development and land use planning processes must take into account both the environmental transformations and the existing risks in the national territory which result from climatic change, and establish the needed measures to increase the adaptive capacity of the country (…) 13 [71]…”

“…It is only recently that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report, which tries to address and link both fields: the special report "Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (IPCC-SREX)" [7]. It is now one of the most relevant documents for both disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation [13].…”