Integrating approaches:sustainable livelihoods, disaster risk reduction & climate change adaptation

Hilary WarburtonHead, Reducing Vulnerability ProgrammePractical Action ESRC Seminar, 26th January 2011

Sustainable livelihoods, disaster risk reduction & climate change adaptationWhy integrate?QuestionsExperience on the ground Policy and practice: scaling upIntegrating frameworksReflections and future challenges

Why integrate?

Questions• What can experience with Sustainable Livelihoods

Approaches teach us about strengthening resilience to disasters and climate change impact?

• Policies, institutions and processes at the community, district and national level: what are the critical requirements for supporting disaster and climate resilient livelihoods?

• Frameworks for integration: challenges and opportunities for bringing together Disaster Risk reduction, Climate Change Adpatation and Sustainable Development?

Integrated approaches in practice

India

Drought, flash floods

SLA approach, diversifying livelihoods-> achieved vulnerability reduction & adaptation outcomes

Changing climates, changing lives

The Western Orissa Rural Livelihood Project

WORLP

Integrated approaches in practice

Nepal

Flooding & landslides

Strengthening livelihoods & income + disaster prevention-> reduce disaster risk

Scaling up through local government

Changing climates, changing lives

Livelihood Approach to DRRPractical Action

Integrated approaches in practice

Ethiopia & Mali

Erratic rainfall

Research on adaptation strategies using livelihoods approach

Trade off between short & long term coping strategies

Changing climates, changing lives

Changing climate, changing livesAction against Hunger, Tearfund, IDS

Common themes

• Different starting points & objectives• Livelihoods, disasters, adaptation

• Livelihoods thinking vital for understanding & achieving DRR & CCA

• Livelihood diversification central• Increasing options as well as income

Vulnerable people do not differentiate between SLA, DRR & CCA

Policy & practice: bottom up & top down

Views from the Frontline 2009: “Clouds but little rain..” Bottom-up perspective of progress towards Hyogo Framework for Action

7000 views400 organisations48 low, low-middle income countries

LOCAL PRACTICE

NATIONAL POLICY

Mind the gap! Globalnetwork DR

Policy & practice: ChallengesProgress at international & national policy levels butlack of change in practice at local levels• The more vulnerable, the less progress• Lack of understanding of risks people face• Lack of resources or resources untapped?• Need for more engagement & accountability to vulnerable

people• Cannot measure policy effectiveness without local monitoring

Closing the gap – eg. building district government capacity to support integrated planning in communities

Integrated frameworks: Adaptive Social Protection

SP can increase resilience to disasters or rebuild assets after a disaster.

SP can support adaptive capacity through building assets, supporting livelihoods, or increasing the rights of the vulnerable .

Social protection

Climate change adaptation

Disaster risk reduction

‘Adaptive social protection’

Institute of Development Studies

Integrated frameworks: Integrating climate change into secure livelihoods

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Protecting livelihoods

Transforming livelihoods

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CA

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Increasing vulnerability to clim

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Christian Aid

LivelihoodsDiversity

Strengthening community organization and voiceSupporting access to and sustainable management of productive resourcesPromoting access to skills and technologiesImproving access to markets and employmentEnsuring secure living conditions

Hazards and StressesDisaster Preparedness

Building capacity to analyse hazards and stresses (incl climate change impacts)Improving hazard prevention and protectionIncreasing early warning and awarenessEstablishing contingency and emergency planning

Future UncertaintyLong Term Trends incl. Climate Change

•Improving understanding of trends and their local impacts •Ensuring access to relevant and timely informationBuilding confidence and flexibility to learn and experiment in order to adapt to uncertaintyCommunicating local impacts of global trends

Governance Environment

Decentralised & participatory decision making and resourcingStrengthening links between local, district and national levelsPromoting integrated approaches to livelihoods, disasters and climate change. Mobilising resources

Resilience

Ability to Adapt to change

Ability to cope and recover from shocks

Ability to secure sufficient food

Ability to move out of poverty

From Vulnerability To Resilience(V2R)

Practical Action

Integrated frameworks: tools or process?

Characteristics of a Disaster-Resilient Community

•Resource, not model•Facilitate learning•Requires adaptation•Solution-focused

UCL

Integrated frameworks: issues

• Differences in starting points & objectives• Differences in approaches to CCA & adaptive

capacity• Tools – not an end in themselves• Help organise thinking & stimulate learning

Messages

Integration of SLA, DRR & CCA makes senseLivelihoods, risks, climate & other changes = reality

Policy & Practice – a large gapModels exist but where is the will & capacity to move

forward?

Frameworks – a means to help thinking & improve action

Try using them & see if they help people on the ground

ReflectionsSLA Vulnerability context

unpickeddynamic part of system

Dealing with uncertaintymeasuring / characteristics of adaptive capacitysame approach if global temp. increases > 4˚C ?

Tackling underlying causes of vulnerabilityreluctance by policy makers?preference for technical fix?

What next…?

One year on: update

Tools – use & capacity-building

Advocacy needed

New trends emerging