At the crossroads

Material Information

Title:
At the crossroads climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Asia and the Pacific
Creator:
Berse, Kristoffer
Tran, Phong
Velasquez, Jerry
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU) ( summary contributor )
Publisher:
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2011
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Risk management ( lcshac )
Climate change ( lcshac )
Genre:
non-fiction ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
Asia
Oceania

Notes

Summary:
This report analyzes Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) initiatives implemented in Asia and the Pacific to determine whether they are treated in isolation or integrated into broader policy objectives as component parts. It provides a thorough analysis of implementation at the political, policy, and institutional levels. This document seeks to improve regional planning for DRR and CCA by highlighting potential areas of cooperation in order to facilitate the effective use of resources to meet both objectives simultaneously. Over the past decade efforts have increasingly focused on finding synergies between DRR and CCA by identifying shared goals and approaches without losing sight of their distinctive perspectives. What particularly binds them is a mutual concern for weather, comparable methods used to monitor, analyze, and address potential threats emerging from climate change, and risk reduction through pro-active anticipatory action. Unfortunately DRR and CCA are often implemented wholly separate from one another, thus there are few sustainable institutional linkages for exchanging knowledge, tools, and practices between the two. In order to access the current level of integration throughout Asia and the Pacific, the document looks at 233 regional and sub-regional initiatives carried out between 1991 and 2010. Data was gathered by surveying the ISDR Asia Partnership for Disaster Reduction (IAP), the DRR portal, and the GFDRR projects database. The study emphasizes three components: the geographical coverage of each initiative, which Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) priorities addressed, and whether their fundamental objective is to reduce vulnerabilities or lower impacts. The report found that there were two to three times more DRR-oriented projects and programs than those focused exclusively on CCA, or those that integrated DRR and CCA. It was also discovered that the majority of initiatives placed emphasis on HFA 3, building a culture of safety and resilience through the use of knowledge, innovation, and education, and that 79% of initiatives focused on strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions to deal with disaster risks. The most promising finding was that the majority of CCA and DRR/CCA initiatives concentrated on building response capacity and managing climate risk, which is evidence of movement towards a more integrated approach, one that emphasizes reducing vulnerability through the consideration of the impacts of climate-related disaster risks. ( English )
Subject:
Climate Change Adaptation and DRR ( English )
Scope and Content:
Acknowledgements p. 4; I. DRR and CCA at the Crossroads p. 5; 1.1 Introduction p. 5; 1.2 Similarities and differences p. 6; 1.3 Purpose and structure of the report p. 7; 2. Taking Stock of Regional Initiatives p. 9; 2.1 Introduction p. 9; 2.2 Geographical coverage p. 11; 2.3 Addressing the HFA priorities p. 15; 2.4 Closing in: vulnerability or impact? p. 19; 2.5 Summing up p. 23; 3. The Regional Institutional Landscape p. 26; 3.1 Introduction p. 26; 3.2 Typology of regional actors p. 27; 3.2.1 Inter‐Governmental Organizations p. 27; 3.2.2 Regional Organizations p. 29; 3.2.3 Regional alliances and networks p. 32; 3.2.4 United Nations Organizations p. 33; 3.2.5 Multilateral and bilateral financial institutions p. 34; 3.2.6 Other regional actors p. 35; 3.3 Who is doing what and where p. 35; 3.4 Summing up p. 41; 4. Towards an Enabling Environment p. 43; 4.1 Introduction p. 43; 4.2 Political commitment and awareness of regional inter‐governmental organizations p. 47; 4.2.1 Central Asia p. 47; 4.2.2 North East Asia p. 48; 4.2.3 Pacific p. 48; 4.2.4 South Asia p. 49; 4.2.5 South East Asia p. 49; 4.2.6 West Asia p. 51; 4.3 Regional policy and institutional mechanisms related to DRR and CCA p. 51; 4.3.1 Central Asia p. 51; 4.3.2 North East Asia p. 52; 4.3.3 Pacific p. 52; 4.3.4 South Asia p. 53; 4.3.5 South East Asia p. 55; 4.3.6 West Asia p. 58; 4.4 Future prospects p. 58; 5. Looking Back, Looking Forward p. 59; References p. 62; Annex 1 – Profile of Selected Regional Institutions p. 63; Annex 2 – List of Projects p. 154 ( English )
Citation/Reference:
Berse, K., Tran, P., Velasquez, J. (2011). At the crossroads—climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Asia and the Pacific: a review of the region’s institutional and policy landscape. United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
© UNISDR Asia and Pacific secretariat, July 2011. This publication maybe freely quoted but acknowledgement of the source is requested.
Resource Identifier:
FI13022766

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Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction