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Harmonization Portal

Exploring synergies between Climate Change Adaptation
and Disaster Risk Reduction

Although climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction have different histories and are supported by different sets of institutions, knowledge centres, policy frameworks and funding mechanisms, there is a growing realisation that they share a common risk management agenda. Both fields have complementary strengths (and weaknesses), which highlight the need of exploring closer links and productive synergies. The rising political visibility of climate change adaptation and rapidly growing support from donors and national governments can be seen as an opportunity for DRR while the academic research, extensive practical experience and the DRR methods and tools which have been developed over the last two decades are of great interest to the climate sector.

Recently, a dialogue has started between both communities on putting greater effort on learning from each other and collaborating conceptually, practically and in the field of policy development. It is expected that these collaboration and harmonization efforts will continue to grow over the coming years.

Why this Portal?

The experiences of the different actors engaged in this dialogue between the climate adaptation and risk reduction communities have until now not been systematically documented. This Portal aims at providing an overview of the key websites and resources which relate to these integration efforts.

Who is the Portal for?

Intended users of the Portal are disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation actors who want to explore linkages between both fields in their policy and programs. These actors include governmental agencies at national and local level, inter-governmental agencies, international NGOs and their partner organisations, researchers and community based organisations, active in developmental, environmental and/or humanitarian work.

The Portal contains information on:

Key actors

• Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)
  • Asian Disaster Management News: January-April 2008: "Re-Aligning Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation"
  • Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) Climate Risk Management Program
• British Overseas NGOs for Development Disasters & Risk Reduction Group (BOND DRRG)
  • BOND DRRG Workshop on Climate Change Advocacy (3rd April 2008)
• CICERO: Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo
• Placing Climate Change within Disaster Risk Reduction, Kelman Ilan and Gaillard J.C.
• Creeping environmental changes and disaster diplomacy
• Many Strong Voices:Dynamic Assessment of Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Small Island Developing States
• GECHS: Global Environmental Change and Human Security (Oslo)
  • Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security - A Commissioned Report for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2008
  • Workshop on climate change, humanitarian disasters and international development: Linking Vulnerability, Risk Reduction and Response Capacity (27 April 2007)
• Government of Sweden, Commission on Climate Change and Development
• Publications
• Incentives and Constraints to Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction – a Local Perspective, Ian Christoplos, March 2008
• The Role of Risk Transfer and Insurance in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, Margaret Arnold, ProVention Consortium, March 2008
• Links between Disaster Risk Reduction, Development and Climate Change, March 2008, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
• Government of Sweden, Conference: “Climate Change, Disaster Risks and Poverty Reduction: Towards a common approach to reduce vulnerability”, October 24, 2007, in collaboration with UNISDR and GFDRR.
• Stockholm Plan of Action
• Workshop report
• Government of Norway, Oslo Policy Forum: “Changing the Way We Develop: Dealing with Disasters and Climate Change”, 27-29 February 2008, in collaboration with UNDP, ProVention.
• Forum Report
• Harbin Alliance: Group of organisations interested in exploring links between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
• Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET)
  • From Risk to Resilience - Understanding the Benefits and Costs of Disaster Risk Reduction under Changing Climatic Conditions
  • Responding to Climate Change and Disaster: Adaptation, Mitigation and Risk Reduction
  • From Risk to Resilience: Responding to Climate Change and other Natural Hazards through Adaptive Risk Reduction
  • Publications:
  • Adaptive Capacity and Livelihood Resilience: Adaptive Strategies for Responding to Floods and Droughts in South Asia
  • Working with the Winds of Change. Towards Strategies for Responding to the Risks Associated with Climate Change and other Hazards
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex:
• Climate Change and Disasters Research Theme
• Linking Climate Adaptation
• Climate change and disasters discussion forum
• Climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction
• International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change: Urbanization and Global Environmental Change (UGEC)
• La Red project: ENSO impact on Latin America
• ProVention Consortium
• Community Risk Assessment and Climate Adaptation Tools
• Workshop on Climate Change Adaptation, Development and Disaster Risk Reduction - February 19-20, 2008, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre Red Cross/Red Crescent Centre on Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness
• Conferences:
• Report on 2nd International Work Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction 22-24 June 2005
• Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre
  • Publications
  • Opinion brief: Why humanitarian agencies should get engaged in the UN climate change negotiations
• Red Cross Red Crescent Climate conference on the humanitarian consequences of Climate Change 26-29 June 2007
• Publications:
• Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Guide
• Tearfund, Climate Change and Disasters
• Publications:
• Disaster Risk Reduction and the Post-2012 Framework, Bonn Climate Change Talks, 2-13th June 2008
• Linking climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
• UNDP Caribbean Risk Management Initiative
• Publications:
• A Climate Risk Management Approach to Disaster Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change, UNDP Expert Group Meeting. Havana, June 2002
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Nairobi Work Programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.
• Call for Action no. 12: ‘Assess and provide guidance on the links between disaster risk reduction strategies and adaptation’
• UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Working Group on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
• Disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change
• ‘On Better Terms’ (ISDR, 2006)
• Prevention Web on climate change
• Briefing Note: Climate change and disaster risk reduction (ISDR, 2008)
• Vulnerability and Adaptation Resource Group (VARG)
• Workshop:
• Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, VARG workshop held at UN-ISDR, Geneva, 2-4 October, 2006
• Publications:
• Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Synthesis Report, (November 2006)
• Wikiadapt.org
• Adaptation and disaster risk reduction links
• World Bank
• Publications:
• Burton, I., and M. van Aalst, 2004. Look Before You Leap: A Risk Management Approach for Incorporating Climate Change Adaptation into World Bank Operations
• Bettencourt, S. et al. 2006. Not If but When - Adapting to Natural Hazards in the Pacific Islands Region: A policy note.

Further readings

• Report release: In the face of disaster – Save the Children
• Special issue of Disasters, Volume 30, Number 1, 2006: Natural disasters and climate change, edited by Madeleen Helmer and Dorothea Hilhorst
• IDS Bulletin, Vol 36-4, October 2005, Vulnerability, Adaptation and Climate Disasters
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), World Conservation Union (IUCN), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Intercooperation (2003) ‘Livelihoods and Climate Change: Combining disaster risk reduction, natural resource management and climate change adaptation in a new approach to the reduction of vulnerability and poverty’, IISD: Winnipeg
• Maarten van Aalst , Terry Cannon and Ian Burton, Community level adaptation to climate change: The potential role of participatory community risk assessment, in 'Global Environmental Change' Volume 18, Issue 1, February 2008, Pages 165-179
• Article in Places Magazine: Climate-Related Disasters: Humanitarian Challenges and Reconstruction Opportunities

Academic courses

• Kings College London Masters programme in Disasters, Adaptation and Development
• EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland); Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bangalore (India). Certificate of advanced studies in disaster risk reduction: vulnerabilities and capacities in the context of climate change

Country case studies

• Southern Africa - Climate adaptation: Addressing the needs of vulnerable communities
• Nepal baseline vulnerability assessment and social indices
• Transitioning to Climate Resilient Development: Perspectives from Communities in Peru, Frank Sperling, et.al.,World Bank Environment Department, Paper 115
• Bangladesh (DANIDA): Assistance to Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction, Support to the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Services, Bangladesh project document
• Kenya (VARG): Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Kenya Country Study
• Mexico (VARG): Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Mexico Country Study
• Vietnam (VARG): Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Vietnam Country Study
• Adaptation Learning Mechanism , Collection of case studies

Videos

The ProVention You Tube channel contains a wide selection of both community based disaster risk management videos and climate adaptation films.

Check the ProVention YouTube Channel for more videos.