Climate Sense

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dAptAtion

And

itigAtion

trAtegieS

As timeframes become longer, there is increased uncertainty

about how human and environmental systems will interact and

change, and how the relationships between various components

of risk will shift. Nonetheless, as we improve our understanding of

these relationships and the physical and social sciences of climate

change and variability, we can act to build flexibility and strength.

We can also familiarize people with the sources and uses of climate

data, and we can mainstream disaster risk reduction – climate-

related and otherwise – into policy and everyday practice. We can

build on existing initiatives and strengths to integrate near-term

and long-term approaches into a single framework.

A new risk reduction approach

Traditional disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts are intended to

modify near-term risk in one of three ways: altering the environ-

mental and social conditions in which hazard events occur, altering

event properties in a particular place (thereby, often shifting risk

elsewhere), and/or building the capacity to respond to and recover

from impacts. Efforts related to climate change mitigation and adap-

tation do the same. The aim is to change social and environmental

conditions in such a way that future hazard events do not overwhelm

human systems.

Since hazard characteristics and conditions are more uncertain,

we must encourage flexibility by maximizing our ability to access,

synthesize, and enact creative solutions. We must do what we can

to minimize potential exposure, as well.

Approaches focused on building long-term adap-

tive capacity will contribute to near-term reductions

in vulnerability and increases in coping capacity; while

near-term actions will set the stage for longer-term

conditions and options. Both timescales need to be

considered when integrating DRR activities with policy

and planning.

Both traditional near-term DRR activities and efforts

focused on adaptation to climate change and variabil-

ity encounter impediments to implementation. The

challenges fall into three major categories: technical

data issues of resolution, collection, management, and

sharing; issues of collaboration and coordination; and

difficulties in meaningfully integrating science and

practice.

Needed spatial data can be difficult to obtain, and its

analysis and use may require specialized resources. In

fact, specific skills and technologies are required even

for sharing many data types.

Disaster and risk are multi-faceted, multi-secto-

ral, and multi-disciplinary, however, the emergent

nature of disasters, competing resources and goals,

historical mistrust, and institutional practices can

discourage collaboration and coordination. Finally,

scientists, practitioners and the public often operate

in different worlds, and speak different languages. So,

creating bridges and operationally meaningful ways

of framing, analysing, and communicating hazard

and risk information is critical to effective decision

making, and to facilitating DRR activities and DRR

‘mainstreaming.’

Addressing these challenges in the more common

context of DRR and near-term risk builds and exercises

some of the basic structures necessary to address them

within the context of climate change and variability

and longer-term risk, fostering resilience in individu-

als, institutions and communities.

Meeting DRR challenges

Within the context of building resilience and facilitat-

ing DRR, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) has helped

address these challenges by: assisting communities of

interest and fostering collaboration among stakehold-

ers; by building relationships with local authorities,

national governments, regional organizations, inter-

national organizations, military groups, and academia;

and by participating in data collection activities directly

related to local emergency management. PDC develops

and implements decision support systems for emer-

gency management and DRR activities that integrate

dynamic and static data and do not require users to

have sophisticated technology. While facilitating early

warning for sudden hazards, PDC products and services

also reduce the difficulties of data collection, manage-

ment, and sharing, thus supporting long-term security.

PDC capabilities and experience include performing

risk and vulnerability assessments at multiple scales

using numerical modelling, loss estimation, and

complex indicator approaches; and performing techni-

Rising sea levels in East Asia

Much of Bangladesh, as well as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and

Bangkok, Thailand, are at risk as sea levels rise

Source: PDC using data from 2007 LandScan and NASA SRTM