The Role of Environmental Management and Eco-Engineering in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
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Material Information

Title:
The Role of Environmental Management and Eco-Engineering in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
Creator:
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU)
Publisher:
ProAct Network
United Nations
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2008
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Risk management ( lcsh )
Environmental management ( lcsh )
Climate change ( lcsh )
Genre:
non-fiction ( marcgt )
non-fiction

Notes

Summary:
This report stresses the impact of rapid climate change on increases in the intensity and frequency of climate-related natural hazards worldwide. It calls attention to new environmental management approaches geared towards improving safety in light of such hazards, while cautioning against expensive hard engineering measures (such as sea walls, levees and riverine canals) that negatively impact environmental systems. The approach advocated emphasizes the benefits of intact and well-managed ecosystems to the prevention of natural hazards. It highlights a number of natural hazards and the ecosystem features that help to mitigate their impacts on vulnerable populations. For instance, forests play a critical role in protecting steep slopes, reducing the likelihood of landslides and avalanches, while also reducing the risks of flooding. Similarly, coastal vegetation and coral reefs protect shorelines against wave impacts. The report calls attention to new areas of applied environmental planning and management, specifically the importance of the combined application of hard and eco-engineering measures to improving safety and defending ecosystems against hazards. It also touches on structural conditions of vulnerability, arguing for meaningful support to those most at risk, warning that if vulnerabilities are not dealt with, future disasters will likely have a disproportionate impact on already distressed communities. It is an argument worth noting, particularly in support of increasing the participation of vulnerable communities in disaster risk reduction strategies (DRR). In including these populations, the design and implementation of these responses must account for challenges posed by climate change. This entails new approaches to environmental resilience and livelihood security, since the most vulnerable are often the most dependent on environmental resources for their economic wellbeing. The findings of this report are based on a combination of field data and mainstream literature, along with carefully selected case studies that enhance understanding of different settings implementing environmental management and eco-engineering techniques. The benefits of eco-engineering include the environmental goods and services that strong and resilient ecosystems provide to populations; the use of local knowledge and community participation in DRR that these measures often entail; the lower costs of implementing and maintaining these measures; and their easy adaptability to the changing circumstances brought about by climate change. ( English )
Subject:
Environment Management & DRR ( English )
Citation/Reference:
(2008). The role of environmental management and eco-engineering in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. ProAct Network; UNISDR.

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.
Resource Identifier:
FI13042687

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Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction