Dilanthi Amaratunga, Richard Haigh University of Huddersfield, UK

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 700342.

Enhancing Synergies for disaster PRevention in the EurOpean Union

First Annual Meeting Napoli - June 23-24, 2016

Hotel Palazzo Esedra, Piazzale Tecchio, 50 – 80125

Challenge 01 Climate Change Adaptation VS Disaster Risk Reduction (Why does it exist?)

The focus on CCA v DDR is not new

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A considerable body of work, both academic and policy-focused (early examples are Sperling and Szekely 2005, the 2006 special edition of Disasters, Few et al 2006, Yamin et al 2005)

2009 UNISDR Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR/DRR) suggested that the majority of national processes for tackling DRR and CCA exist in parallel and have separate policy and institutional frameworks

“CCA and DRR projects currently work in a disconnected way, and therefore have failed to make significant headway towards vulnerability reduction”.

Thomalla et al. (2006)

Lack of integration is widely cited

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Lack of integration is widely cited

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“There is a need to integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), there is much discussion surrounding the topic of integration, to date, very little research exists on how this can be achieved”-Gero, A., Meheux, K., & Dominey-Howes, D. (2010)

“Countries analysed the current low level of integration of DRR and CCA. While there may be institutional arrangements that suggest some progress with integration at the national policy and institutional levels, the practical reality is that little is happening on the ground at the operational level”-Hay, J. E. (2012)

“The CCA and DRR fields, in Europe, are complex and fragmented. They involve multiple actors on the local, subnational, national and international level. Major disasters often cross borders, and countries must collaborate to find effective DRR solutions. DRR is not always directly associated with CCA, either being viewed as its own field or as part of disaster management”-UNISDR EUR,COE, & EUR-OPA(2010)

Definitions

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CCA is “the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities”

(IPCC 2012, p. 556)

DRR is “a policy goal or objective, and the strategic and instrumental measures employed for anticipating future disaster risk, reducing existing exposure, hazard, or vulnerability, and improving resilience”

(IPCC 2012, p. 558)

DRR and CCA - Commonalities and differences, modified version of Venton and La Trobe, 2008, abstracted from UNISDR (2012)

Why does the gap exist?

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DRR CCA Convergance?

Relevant to all hazard types Relevant to climate and weatherrelated hazards

DRR programmes have always considered weather-related hazards but there are indications that some are now taking into account the impact of climate change on hazard frequency and magnitude and on vulnerability and planning nterventions accordingly

Practice of DRR strongly influenced by post-disaster humanitarian assistance

Origin and culture of CCA derived from scientific theory and international climate change policy processes

Common ground being found in joint mainstreaming into development sectors – so specialists on both adaptation and DRR working in infrastructure, water/ sanitation, agriculture and health for example.

Most concerned with the present and near future: addressing existing risks based on assessment of local experience and historical record, for example

Most concerned with the short, medium and long-term future – addressing uncertainty and new risks derived from the impacts of climate change

DRR increasingly forward-looking and CCA increasing using and existing climate variability as the entry point for activating adaptation processes. The idea of ‘no regrets’ options is a key area of convergence.

Traditional and local knowledge is the basis for community-based DRR and resilience building

Widely held view that traditional and local knowledge at community level may be insufficient as impacts of climate change introduces new risks and changes to the frequency and magnitude of existing hazards. However, increasingly recognised that local knowledge also includes people’s ingenuity in facing risks.

Growing number of examples where local knowledge and meteorological/ climatological knowledge being considered side-by-side to inform DRR interventions

Source: Modified from Tearfund (2008), Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk

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DRR CCA Convergance?

Traditionally has considered risk a function of hazard, vulnerability, exposure and capacity

Traditionally has treated vulnerability interchangeably with physical exposure

IPCC special report on ‘managing the risks of extreme events and disasters for advancing adaptation (due in 2011), promises convergence in this area

Full range of established and developing tools

Range of tools under development Significant progress made in integrating learning from DRR into adaptation tool development

Incremental development, moderate political interest

New, emerging agenda, high political interest

Disasters more often seen as linked to climate change, and governments recognising the need to consider both simultaneouslyDisasters more often seen as linked to climate change, and governments recognising the need to consider both simultaneously

Funding streams often ad hoc, unpredictable and insufficient

Funding streams increasing and promise to be considerable, though problems of delivery and implementation widespread

DRR community demonstrating signs of being increasingly savvy in engaging in climate change adaptation funding mechanisms

Source: Modified from Tearfund (2008), Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk

Similarities

Similar aims Both focus on reducing people’s vulnerability to hazards by improving methods to anticipate, resist, cope with and recover from their impact

Common non-structural measures DRR and CCA can use common non structural measures such as knowledge development / awareness and methods and operating practices, including participatory mechanisms etc.

Mutual benefits Ex- reforestation (a key ‘DRR’ measure) will lessen the impact of a flood, but will also offset long-term soil degradation and help control local temperature and rainfall.

Poverty reduction and underlying risk

Poor are mainly affected. So for both adaptation and DRR, poverty reduction and sustainable natural resource management are essential components of reducing vulnerability to hazards and climate change

Converging political agendas There are political agendas both DRR and CCA can benefit

Common ground

Reasons for lack of coordination

Confusion over similarities and differences The climate change and disaster risk management communities have not always well understood these differences, and there has been general confusion over where synergies start and stop.

Concern over different approaches CCA mainly follows a Top Down approach and DRR follows more bottom-up approach concerned with more community based emphasis

Lack of clarity regarding how integration is achieved Not clear-when, at what level, and to what extent co-ordination is required, as well as who should take the lead. One reason is communities in DRR and CCA coming from distinct backgrounds

Reasons for lack of coordination

Calls for CCA and DRR integration

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Given that climate change and associated processes are fully embraced by disaster-related efforts, a prudent place can be posed for considering climate change adaptation (CCA) as a subset within disaster risk reduction (DRR) (Kelman and Gaillard 2010; Mercer 2010; Kelman et al. 2015).

IPCC reports urge a risk perspective for assessing the different climate change-related threats

Calls for CCA and DRR integration

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CCA is the aspect to be integrated into the core DRR operation. CCA and DRR integration could provide benefits at all scales, minimize overlap and duplication of projects and programs (Nalau et al. 2015)

Move beyond vulnerability and resilience towards a vision of DRR that ends separation between the two issues and promotes working together towards simultaneous and common goals (Kelman et al. 2015)

Converging CCA and DRR agendas

Converging CCA and DRR agendas

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If we don’t, it will be inefficient

If we don’t, we won’t achieve intended outcomes

Need to strengthen political commitment - politically how we can achieve these objectives

International organisations are critical for facilitating this coordination

Data collection and information management is critical and must be coordinated

Climate change is affecting relations between countries so the way forward is to address all three pillars - long term sustainable development - substantive topic to help avoid conflict

Source: Panel discussion at High Level Forum on Implementation

of Sendai Framework at Local Level, Florence, June 2016

The Consequences

Continued growth in disaster risks

Competing rather than complementary agendas

Complicated policy frameworks

Missed opportunities for sharing tools

Methodologies and approaches and missed opportunities for funding

Parallel efforts for same issue and risk scenario

If we don’t integrate CCA and DRR

Challenge 1: Climate Change Adaptation vs. Disaster Risk Reduction in ESPREssO

Anna Scolobig Department of Environmental Systems Science Climate Policy Group

ESPREssO Kick-off meeting

Napoli, 23-24 June 2016

IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (WGII AR5) – solution space

Source: IPCC (2014)

• spatial challenges and terminology,

• regulatory fragmentation and separation,

• separate funding and management responsibilities,

• separate policy development and strategic decision practices,

• lack of financial incentives,

• cultural inertia and path dependency, lack of integrative research,

• different practitioners´ and researchers´ communities dealing with CCA and DRR

Why do CCA and DRR still remain isolated from each other? (ESPREssO DoW)

• WP1: stakeholders perspectives on the challenge

• WP2: input papers/reports on how the challenge is handled at global, european and national level

• WP3: hazard-specific scenario (winter storm, flood, droughts) for Risk Management Simulator

• WP4:analysis of indicators addressing climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and resilience strengthening

• WP5: guidelines and vision paper addressing the challenge –including viable options to address it

CCA vs. DRR in ESPREssO WPs

Preliminary discussion points

• 2015 World conference on DRR in Sendai, COP 21 in Paris and existing working groups/task forces: starting point to address this challenge

• compare national strategies and research policies to integrate CCA & DRR

• analyse and compare CCA vs. DRR action plans;

• find new ways for CCA&DRR communities to work together (e.g. in test cases/RMS WP3);

Challenge1:ClimateChangeAdaptationvs.DisasterRiskReductioninESPREssOAnnaScolobigDepartmentofEnvironmental Systems ScienceClimatePolicyGroup

ESPREssO Kick-offmeetingNapoli,23-24June2016

IPCC’sFifthAssessmentReport(WGIIAR5)– solutionspace

Source:IPCC(2014)

• spatialchallenges andterminology,• regulatoryfragmentationandseparation,• separatefundingandmanagementresponsibilities,• separatepolicydevelopmentandstrategicdecisionpractices,• lackoffinancialincentives,• culturalinertiaandpathdependency,lackofintegrativeresearch,• differentpractitioners´ andresearchers´ communitiesdealingwithCCAandDRR

WhydoCCAandDRRstillremainisolatedfromeachother?(ESPREssO DoW)

• WP1:stakeholdersperspectivesonthechallenge• WP2:inputpapers/reportsonhowthechallengeishandledatglobal,european andnationallevel• WP3:hazard-specificscenario(winterstorm,flood,droughts)forRiskManagementSimulator• WP4:analysisofindicatorsaddressingclimatechangeadaptation,disasterriskreductionandresiliencestrengthening• WP5:guidelinesandvisionpaperaddressingthechallenge–includingviableoptionstoaddressit

CCAvs.DRRinESPREssOWPs

Preliminarydiscussionpoints

• 2015WorldconferenceonDRRinSendai,COP21inParisandexistingworkinggroups/taskforces:startingpointtoaddressthischallenge• comparenationalstrategiesandresearchpoliciesto integrateCCA&DRR• analyse andcompareCCAvs.DRRactionplans;• findnewwaysforCCA&DRRcommunitiestoworktogether(e.g.intestcases/RMSWP3);