Disaster Risk Management and Climate Adaptation (part 2)

Part 2 of 2.

I work on disaster risk management in East Asia and the Pacific. This is a region which faces increased disaster risk associated with climatic hazards, particularly from rising sea-levels, exposure to floods, droughts and tropical cyclones. Some scientists claim that for some islands in the Pacific it may already be too late. Adaptation may mean moving out to another country. The major challenge that we face is to shift the focus of attention and resources from post-disaster reconstruction to pre-disaster risk reduction and to integrate the disaster and climate change adaptation agendas across different levels and sectors of governance and the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders.

In this regard, one of the practical tools that we have developed in EAP is the Primer on Climate Resilient Cities. This is a tool for city governments in the East Asia Region to better understand how to plan for climate change impacts and impending natural disasters through sound urban planning to reduce vulnerabilities. It gives local governments information to actively engage in training, capacity building, and capital investment programs that are identified as priorities for building sustainable, resilient communities. Click here to download a copy of the Primer and for more details.