b uilding p artnerships for r esilience : m ainstreaming c limate c hange a daptation into d isaster...
Post on 19-Dec-2015
219 views
TRANSCRIPT
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESILIENCE: MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION INTO DISASTER RISK
REDUCTION
PAPER PRESENTED
PAULETTE BYNOE, PhD
AT
COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE (CDM 5)
ROSE HALL RESORT AND SPA
MONTEGO BAY
DECEMBER 7, 2010 ,
1
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
• SETTING THE CONTEXT
• DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS
• WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?
• CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE
• BENEFITS
• THE WAY FORWARD
• CONCLUSION2
SETTING THE CONTEXT
• “Warming of the Climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level” (IPCC, 2007).
• “Although SIDS contribute with less than one percent of global GHGs emissions, they already experience adverse effects of climate change including: sea level rise; tropical cyclones/hurricanes; droughts; increasing sea surface temperatures; and coral bleaching; and other adverse phenomena” (UNFCCC, 2007)
3
Arguably, global climate change is the most serious sustainable development threat to Caribbean States
comprising approximately 39 million people (UNEP, 2008)
4
SETTING THE CONTEXT
Even without the threat of global climate change the Caribbean States are faced with peculiar environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
These include hazards such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions which, in turn, threaten the progress made for the sustainable development of the Region since the Rio Summit in 1992.
5
SETTING THE CONTEXTProductive sectors heavily dependent on their limited natural resource base (e.g., agriculture, forestry, fishing, tourism).
•Susceptibility to the vagaries of international trade.
•High transportation and communication costs.
•Serious vulnerability to extreme climate events and
other natural disasters.
•Scarce land resources.
•Increasing pressures on coastal and marine
environments and resources.
•Small domestic markets.
•Limited ability to develop economies of scale.
•High import content (especially of strategic imports
such as food and fuel).
•Limited economic diversification possibilities.
•Limited extent to which domestic competition policy
can be applied.
•Dependence on a narrow range of export products.
•Inability to influence international prices.
•Uncertainties of supply due to remoteness or insularity.
•Shifting rainfall patterns and cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes.
6
• The 2005 flood disaster in Guyana (52 inches of rain: 7 times the average for January).
• Since August 2008, the Caribbean region has been affected sequentially by the tropical storm Fay, hurricanes “Gustav”, “Hanna” and “Ike” that caused more than 350 deaths, affected more than 2,8 million persons and damaged more than 600,000 houses.
• Hurricane Tomas in 2010 has done significant social, environmental and economic damages to St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti (already hit by an earthquake). 7
Climate change will increase the magnitude and frequency of extreme, as well as change climatic conditions and climate variability, thereby generating new
threats/climate related disasters
8
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON DISASTER RISK
Increasing the frequency and severity of some, but not all, hazards
Increasing people’s vulnerability and exposure to regularly experienced shocks and stresses
Increasing uncertainty and unexpected events due to complexity of the physical and human system and their interactions
(IPCC, 2007) 9
THE PROBLEMATIC
• There is significant overlap between the practice and theory of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, there is limited coherence and convergence in institutions,organisations and policy frameworks. Both struggle to be incorporated into regular development planning and this aspiration is slowed down by duplicated activities, ineffective use of resources and confusing policies.
10
DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS
Adaptation is an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects (only and not targeting root causes???), which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (IPCC, 2001).
Anticipatory adaptation (proactive) Autonomous/Spontaneous adaptation Planned adaptation (policy decision based on awareness) Reactive adaptation
11
DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS
• Disaster risk reduction: 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, including through avoidance of hazards, reduced social and economic vulnerability to hazards, and improved preparedness for adverse events.
• It is therefore tailor-made to help counteract the addedrisks arising from climate change.
12
DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS
Resilience: the capacity to deal with change and continue to develop. (DIVERSITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE ARE CRITICAL)
Partnership (New Governance Arrangement??) : A formal agreement between two or more parties that have agreed to work together in the pursuit of common goals.
13
DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS Institutional: International and regional financial institutions
(IDB, UNDP, CIDA, DFID, CBD, World Bank); regional climate change and disaster management agencies: CCCCC, CDEMA, CIMH, UWI, etc. etc.); local (National Offices of Disaster Management, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance,, Local Authorities, etc.
Social: governments, businesses/private sector, local communities, scientists, academia, professional bodies, the media, women’s groups, youth groups, religious organisations, nongovernmental organisations, and other civil society groups.
• 14
DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS
Programmes: sectors such as tourism, water, agriculture, physical planning and environment, health and education; and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, research.
Disciplines: physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, law, sociology, environmental management and the like.
15
OBSTACLES TO PARTNERSHIP
Isolated hubs
Vested Interests
Competition for Funds
Perception of relevance being under ‘threat’
Governance systems16
WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?
• The Hyogo Framework for Action identifies the need to “promote the integration of risk reduction associated with existing climate variability and future climate change into strategies for the reduction of disaster risk and adaptation to climate change……by “Stimulating interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships and expanding risk reduction networking at all levels. (ISDR).
• The Bali Action Plan’s directions for adaptation call for the consideration of: “Risk management and risk reduction strategies, includingrisk sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance; 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.
17
WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?
Vulnerabilities are worsened by the Region’s limited adaptive capacity in terms of human, technical and financial resources; and the limited efforts to promote sustainable management of the natural capital.
Ignoring the impacts of climate change on disaster risk threatens the effectiveness of policies, programmes and projects designed to manage these risks, and in certain circumstances, can increase the vulnerability and exposure of intended beneficiaries.
18
CONVERGENCE Both require proactive and anticipatory action
Both aim to build resilience in the face of hazards
Skills requirements: hazard maps, vulnerability assessments, valuation of natural resources, public awareness, risk analysis and early warning systems.
Risk management
20
CONVERGENCE
Both require a significant amount of financial resources
Both are key to the Region’s sustainable development agenda
Both recognise that the starting point is in existing/current conditions of risk and climate variability
Both require multi-stakeholder participation: local level importance Measures to relieve risk and adapt to climate change must ultimately be effective at the local level
21
DIVERGENCE
• The political and widespread recognition that climate change achieves as opposed to DRR(Tearfund, 2008).
22
DIVERGENCE
DRR• Temporary local and national
importance
• Negative impacts alone are identified (DRR)
• DRR tackles the risks of geophysical hazards (like volcanoes and earthquakes).
• Funding streams ad hoc and
insufficient
GCC• Long-term global importance
• Negative impacts and positive opportunities and benefits are identified
• Adaptation does not.
• Funding streams sizeable and increasing
23
BENEFITS
Sharing of scarce resourcesResearch and DevelopmentTransferability of skillsMore cost effective implementation ofprogrammeMore effective planning and implementation
24
BENEFITS
Policy coherence and strengthening of efforts More efficient use of financial, human and natural resources; Increased effectiveness and sustainability of both adaptation
and DRR approaches. A reduction of climate related losses through more
widespread implementation of DRR measures linked with adaptation
Increased effectiveness and sustainability of both adaptation and DRR approaches.
25
THE WAY FORWARD
• Action on the convergence of the CDM Strategy and Framework 2007-2012 and the Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to CC (2009-2015)
• Political awareness, understanding and commitment
• Policy and institutional mechanisms
26
THE WAY FORWARD
Partnership arrangements (multilateral, bilateral and national institutions) to move the Caribbean forward in the direction of greater integration of the two approaches to hazards
Greater communication, information and tools sharing and collaboration.
27
THE WAY FORWARD
Collaborate with the DRR community to focus on the socioeconomic and political dimensions of managing climate risks, and to ensure that adaptation is informed by community-based experiences.
28
CONCLUSION
Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction is a win-win strategy
NOW it the time for ACTION
29