Taking the edge off extreme-weather impacts
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Material Information

Title:
Taking the edge off extreme-weather impacts
Creator:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU) ( summary contributor )
Publisher:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2011
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Climate changes ( lcshac )
Natural hazards and disasters ( lcshac )
Genre:
non-fiction ( marcgt )

Notes

Summary:
This International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) report discusses climate change and related disasters, identifying lessons learned from the IFRC’s work with its national societies and disaster managers in vulnerable communities around the world. In 2010, the vast majority of disasters were weather-related, prompting an inquiry by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) on whether or not climate change was producing more disastrous conditions for vulnerable populations around the world. Pakistan’s monsoon super-flood and Russia’s unprecedented heat waves in 2010, along with 2011’s drought in the Horn of Africa, and massive floods throughout Central America, the United States, and Southeast Asia all seem to indicate that this may be the case. The IPCC’s report will be a critical resource for governments and organizations seeking to develop climate-smart policies to deal with weather-related disasters. In this document, the IFRC presents how it has responded to the increasing climate-related disaster risks over the past years. It discusses the organization’s reforms in reaction to the major floods throughout West Africa that left many rural communities ravaged in 2007. The report then highlights its work in the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, and how the Tuvalu Red Cross adjusted its policies as a result of the 2010 and 2011 droughts. And lastly, the document presents the IFRC’s work in Colombia to address the threat of destructive storms and associated floods and landslides. In West Africa one component of the IFRC’s efforts was to improve disaster preparedness by developing flood contingency plans, training volunteers to respond to future disasters, and pre-positioning stocks of vital resources such as food, water, and shelter. Another aspect of their work was to build regional capacity to interpret climate information and thus forecast seasonal rainfall patterns. These actions would facilitate early warning of potential climate-related threats, and early response. In Tuvalu, the national society established a working relationship with the country’s National Meteorological Office in order to increase its access and understanding of climate information. Internationally the IFRC worked more closely with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Countries in the Pacific Island nations were aided in developing national drought and water conservation plans. And in the last case presented, the Red Cross established river-level gauges for a flood warning system and evacuation plans in vulnerable communities throughout Colombia. ( English )
Subject:
Climate Change and Disasters ( French )
Citation/Reference:
(2011). Case study: taking the edge off extreme-weather impacts. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.

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Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction