109 envisioning resilience towards ccd

southasiadisasters.net Special Issue, April 20142

ABOUT THIS ISSUE

Since time immemorial the risk fromnatural hazards has been one of the most

predominant risks faced by humancommunities worldwide. Such risks havedictated the evolution of numerous aspectsof human civilization like settlementpatterns, dwelling structures, masstransportation, etc. However, due to theinterplay of a variety of factors such asclimate change, burgeoning population, etc.the risks of natural hazards have enhancedand continue with an upward trajectory. Butwith advances in technology and technicalknowledge, novel approaches have alsobeen devised to counteract the emergingrisks.

One such approach is the ClimateCompatible Development approach. Suchan approach tries to address the overlapbetween climate change adaptation (CCA)and disaster risk reduction (DRR) for theachievement of broad development goals.This issue of Southasiadisasters.net entailsan overview of the climate compatibledevelopment approach. The main purposeof this issue is to highlight the existing andevolving systems of knowledge that canhelp in tackling these emerging risks.

This issue contains a rich repository ofcontributions from highly reputed experts,practitioners and academics from the fieldof disaster risk reduction and climate changeadaptation. It provides a peek into the majorcurrents that would shape the agendas ofthe field of disaster risk reduction, makingit an indispensable advocacy tool to shapethe HFA 2 process.

Climate compatible development is development that minimisesthe harm caused by climate impacts, while maximising the

many human development opportunities presented by a lowemissions, more resilient, future. Climate change and responses toit are changing patterns of innovation, trade, production, populationdistribution and risk in complex ways. This is creating a newdevelopment landscape for policy makers, who need to nurtureand sustain economic growth and social development in the face ofmultiple threats and uncertainties while also cutting emissions orkeeping them low.

In tackling the challenges, climate compatible development movesbeyond the traditional separation of adaptation, mitigation anddevelopment strategies. Instead it emphasises climate strategiesthat embrace development goals and development strategies thatintegrate the threats and opportunities of a changing climate. As aresult, it heralds a new generation of development processes thatsafeguard development from climate impacts (climate resilientdevelopment) and reduce or keep emissions low withoutcompromising development goals (low emissions development).Climate compatible development goes one step further by askingpolicy makers to consider 'triple win' strategies that result in lowemissions, build resilience and promote developmentsimultaneously.

Source: CDKN Policy Brief, Defining Climate Compatible Development,http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/PDF/Outputs/CDKN/CDKN-CCD-DIGI-

MASTER-19NOV.pdf

INTRODUCTION

Defining ClimateCompatible Development

southasiadisasters.netSpecial Issue, April 2014 3

Loss and Damage refers toadverse effects of climate

variability and climate change thatoccur despite global mitigation andlocal adaptation efforts. In 2012-2013,UNU-EHS coordinated nine casestudies that assessed loss and damagein vulnerable communities. This wasthe first-ever multi-country study ofits kind, and included three SouthAsian case studies (Bangladesh,Bhutan and Nepal, seewww.lossanddamage.net). Theproject yielded important insights inlocal communities' efforts to avoidclimate-related losses and damages,and it showed how and why people'scoping and adaptation measures fallshort (see Warner and van der Geest,2013). Below, findings fromBangladesh are summarized. Acrossthe region, micro-insurance couldplay an important role in makingrural households less vulnerable toloss and damage. Timely payoutsafter hazards strike can preventpeople from entering a vicious circleof poverty and increasedvulnerability.

Satkhira is a coastal district inBangladesh. It faces the double threatof sea level rise and cyclones. Bothresult in saltwater intrusion, whichhas severe impacts on rice cultivation,the mainstay of the local economyand the principal source of food forthe majority of the population.Salinity in soils has increased sharply.Eighty-one per cent of the surveyrespondents reported high salinitylevels in their soils, compared to justtwo per cent 20 years ago. To adapt tohigher salinity, farmers planted new,saline tolerant-rice varieties. Thisstrategy worked reasonably welluntil 2009, when cyclone Aila hit thearea and caused a sudden and drasticincrease of salt content in the soil.

CLIMATE COMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT

Addressing Loss and Damage with Micro-insurance

Almost all farmers in the area losttheir complete harvest that year. Inthe two subsequent years, salinitylevels were still too high and riceyields were extremely low (moredetails in Rabbani et al., 2013).Complete harvest losses and pooryields in three consecutive years wereclearly beyond people's capacity toabsorb, and this pushed them deeperinto poverty, making theirlivelihoods even more vulnerablethan they already were.

Rural households in Nepalexperienced similar losses due toflooding (Bauer, 2013), and in Bhutan,farmers were affected by changingmonsoon patterns that reduced wateravailability for rice cultivation(Kusters and Wangdi, 2013). If farmersin these vulnerable communities hadaccess to affordable insurancesolutions, some of the most erosiveeffects on livelihood sustainabilitycould be avoided.

The Munich Climate InsuranceInitiative (MCII), hosted at UNU-EHS,studies the potential of micro-insurance to prevent people fromfalling into extreme poverty whenthey are hit by climate hazards. MCIIinitiated a project in the Caribbeanpiloting insurance solutions for low-income households against excessrainfall and high wind speed.Recently, MCII extended its activitiesto Pakistan, where it collaborateswith the Pakistan National DisasterRisk Authority and the Climate andDevelopment Knowledge Network(CDKN) to explore design options fora disaster risk insurance frameworkfor vulnerable communities (http://www.climate-insurance.org).

Insurance can help manage loss anddamage from weather extremes inways that bolster efforts to achieveclimate resilient development. Riskassessment, which is at the core of anyinsurance solution, can help identifyclimate stressors, exposures and

Focus group discussion in Bangladesh.

Phot

o: G

olam

Rab

bani


thresholds and strengthenpreparedness. Prudently employinga combination of insuranceapproaches with risk reductionmeasures, such as early warning,education, disaster-proofinfrastructure and investment in moresustainable livelihoods, reducessocietal disruption when extremeweather events happen. Approachesthat manage impacts of unexpectedextremes can help developingcountries and communities createnecessary buffers, for example byproviding financial liquidity throughfast payouts immediately after anevent. Further, such approaches canhelp the international communitybetter plan financial needs foradaptation and managing loss anddamage (Warner et al., 2012).

Kees van der Geest, MichaelZissener, and Koko Warner

United Nations University Institute forEnvironment and Human Security

(UNU-EHS)

References (all open access):

Bauer K. (2013). Are preventive andcoping measures enough to avoid lossand damage from flooding inUdayapur District, Nepal? Int. J GlobalWarming, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 433-451.

Kusters, K. and Wangdi, N. (2013). Thecosts of adaptation: changes in wateravailability and farmers' responses inPunakha district, Bhutan. InternationalJournal of Global Warming Vol. 5, No. 4,pp. 387-399.

Rabbani, G., Rahman, A. andMainuddin, K. (2013). Salinity inducedloss and damage to farminghouseholds in coastal Bangladesh.International Journal of Global WarmingVol. 5, No. 4, pp. 400-415.

Warner, K. and van der Geest, K.(2013). Loss and damage from climatechange: Local-level evidence from ninevulnerable countries. InternationalJournal of Global Warming Vol. 5, No. 4,pp. 367-386.

Warner, K. et al. (2012). Insurancesolutions in the context of climate change-related loss and damage: Needs, gaps, androles of the Convention in addressing lossand damage. Policy Brief No. 6. Bonn:UNU-EHS.

The American Jewish JointDistribution Committee (JDC)

— which teamed up with the AllIndia Disaster Mitigation Instituteto help victims of the 2004 IndianOcean Tsunami — is aidingsurvivors of a natural disaster in theregion. The world's largest Jewishhumanitarian group has so farraised over two million dollars indonations aimed at assisting thePhilippines recover from thedevastating Typhoon Haiyan, whichstruck the island nation late last year.

Days after the disaster, JDC providedrelief and aid to survivors with freshwater, shelter and medicalassistance. In recent months, JDChas begun a long-termrehabilitation phase rebuildingschools, helping individuals returnto their livelihoods, and providingtargeted Disaster Risk Reductionassistance in regions where fewinternational organizations areoperating such as Panay. In line withJDC's global mission, it is reachingout primarily to vulnerablepopulations impacted by thedisaster – women, elderly, children,poor, and people with disabilities.

"We are proud to continue ourwork in the region ensuring a senseof normalcy and stability in thelives of Typhoon Haiyan survivors,"said Judy Amit, Global Director ofJDC's International DevelopmentProgram. "Drawing on ourextensive experience working indisaster zones in South Asia, Haiti,Japan, and Turkey, we understandthat this is paramount to long-termrecovery."

INFORMATION SHARING

Aiding Typhoon Haiyan Victims inPhilippines

JDC's work focuses on helpinglocals overcome the psychologicaltrauma they sustained during thedisaster. It has deployed adelegation of post-trauma expertsfrom the Israel Trauma Coalitionto help locals come to terms withtheir loss and over the comingmonths will be working with localagencies and municipalities to trainand develop local capacity to helpstudents grapple with trauma.

JDC's work in the Philippines hasbeen part of an international andinterfaith effort carried out incooperation with its partners,including: the IDF Field Hospital,Afya Foundation, Catholic ReliefServices, UNICEF, Magen DavidAdom (MDA), the InternationalMedical Corps (IMC) the RamonAboitiz Foundation (RAFI), andIsraeli Trauma Coalition, theInternational Institute for RuralReconstruction, the Center forDisaster Preparedness.

JDC works in more than 70 nationsaround the world including Indiawhere it supports Jewish life andprovides social services tocommunities in Mumbai, Delhi,Thane, Pune, Kerala, Calcutta, andAhmedabad. India was a hub ofoperations for JDC during itsresponse to the 2004 Southeast Asiantsunami when it cooperated withthe All India Disaster MitigationInstitute to respond to the needs ofthose affected by the massive tidalwaves.

– American Jewish JointDistribution Committee


Cartagena de Indias is an iconicLatin American city. It sits on the

Caribbean coast of Colombia and hasa population of 978,600 people.Cartagena is an important market inthe Colombian economy, and standsout for its vitality, driven by tourism,industry and its port, which moves77.4% of Colombia's maritime cargo.When you visit Cartagena, a city thathas been classified as a WorldHeritage Site, you will step into theSpanish Colonial era and taste theculture of the Caribbean coast; youwill also be able to experience therapture of beautiful beaches andcolourful ocean of the surroundingislands.

But beyond the idyllic touristattractions and its dynamic economy,


Cartagena de Indias: A Pioneer in Becominga Climate Compatible City

Cartagena is characterized as one ofthe most socially unequal cities inColombia and is marked by highindices of poverty. It is also one ofthe coastal cities that are mostvulnerable to climate risk.1 In recentyears, extreme climate events havebrought heavy flooding, coastalerosion, sea level rise, storm surges,and the proliferation of diseases likedengue. These new circumstanceshave had significant repercussions notonly among the most socio-economically vulnerable people wholive in high risk areas, but also on themost important economic sectors ofthe city. Just as an example, duringthe phenomenon known as La Niña,or the Winter Wave (2010-2011), theport and industrial sectors reportedunprecedented losses in earnings and

infrastructure. The tourism sector thathas been booming in recent yearsexperienced a decline in activities.Climate projections made byINVEMAR in the framework of theCartagena VulnerabilityAssessment, show the tendencies thatwill become increasingly pronouncedfrom now until 2040, with substantialimpacts on the development of thecity, competetivity of the economicsector and the capacity to reducepoverty.

As a consequence, climate change andits incumbent risks today and in thenear future pose fundamentalquestions: How can we reduce risksand vulnerability to climate andgenerate resilience in the city? Howcan we guarantee that Cartagena

Forecast ofclimate changeimpacts inCartagena(Credit:VulnerabilityAssessment ofCartagena, 2012)

1 INVEMAR Study financed by CDKN: "Policy Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change", 2012.


continues to be attractive to investorsand remains competitive? Moregenerally, how can we conceive of theadvancement of a city that iscompatible with the climate realitiesof the future? In other words, howcan we turn a climate threat into anopportunity for development andpoverty reduction?

To respond to these questions, theCity Hall of Cartagena, inpartnership with the ColombianMinistry of the Environment andSustainable Development,Cartagena's Chamber of Commerce,INVEMAR and the Climate andDevelopment Knowledge Network(CDKN), carried out a study ofvulnerability to climate change. Theresults were published in a Documentof Guidelines for Adaptation in 2012,which gave a precise image of currentand projected climate risks, and thesocial, economic and institutionalramifications, based on solidscientific evidence. The studyconsidered climate factors and relatedelements that interact with climate,such as soil use, urban, demographicand eco-system dynamics, amongothers. Some of the results wereincorporated into the City'sTerritorial Zoning Plan.

Most importantly, local authoritiesgained an awareness andunderstanding of the vulnerabilities,added to their previous experienceswith the 'winter wave' and theincumbent risks to competetiviy. Itunleashed a participatory and multi-sector process to create an AdaptationPlan with sights set on preparing thecity, its surrounding islands and itsdifferent economic sectors to faceclimate change and future climaterisks. The Adaptation Plan with its

Vulnerable small-scale fishermen on the island of Tierra Bomba, Cartagena.

management of climate risks wasincorporated as one of the pillars intothe new Municipal DevelopmentPlan for 2013-2015. The current Mayorof Cartagena has also developed adiscourse to give direction to theefforts of different sectors and to makeCartagena a model climate-compatible city. The futuredevelopment of Cartagena is seen asclosely linked to its success inpreparing and adapting the city. Inthe Plan's framework, public-privatealliances work to demonstrate earlyvictories and concrete initiatives thatare demonstrative and replicable. Thecity government, with support ofCDKN and private investors, iscreating a model of a neighbourhoodadapted to climate change that seeksto reduce the vulnerability of thepoorest communities by promotingresilience and creating new economicopportunities.

Visionaries of Cartagena de Indiashave clearly opted to become aclimate compatible city, prepared tosustain its level of competetivity inthe future, to mitigate climate risksand create innovative solutions toalleviate poverty.

– Mathieu Lacoste,CDKN Communication and

Knowledge Management Coordinatorfor Colombia

Boston neighbourhood where the design and intervention to create the first AdaptedNeighbourhood in Colombia will take place.


The dramatic images of TyphoonHaiyan and its devastating trail

of destruction in the Philippines andparts of South East Asia were awakeup call. We witnessed humansuffering and destruction caused by aclimate phenomenon ofunprecedented scale.

Typhoon Haiyan was the strongeststorm ever to make landfall. Recordbreaking winds in excess of 300 km/hdestroyed 1.2 million homes.Thousands of people perished andmillions more lost their livelihoods.1In a striking coincidence in Poland,we simultaneously witnessed thefailure of another fruitless UN climatechange meeting. In spite of theemotional pleas from Naderev Saño,the climate change commissioner forthe Philippines, for action to be taken.

Our global society is at a criticaljunction. The window of opportunityis narrow and time is unfortunatelynot on our side. While no individualweather event can be blamed withcertainty on climate change, each ispart of an alarming trend that willonly grow worse unless and until wetackle global greenhouse gasemissions and recognise thatvulnerable countries such as thePhilippines cannot cope with theoverwhelming impacts of climatechange alone.

Despite all our economic andtechnological advances in recentyears, our economic and politicalprocesses are struggling to cope withthe magnitude and complexity of thethreats posed by climate change. Nocountry, rich or poor, and no


The Need for a New Cadre of Leadersin the Face of Climate Change

economic sector is immune to theeffects of climate change andtherefore nobody can afford to becomplacent. Yet we have been unableto achieve a much neededbreakthrough in climate talks and toproduce the critical mass of actionsthat are required to curb the worstimpacts of climate change.

We urgently require decisive actionand only leadership can get us there.All too often, national interests andshort-term economic, political andcommercial considerations havestood in the way of urgent andnecessary action. Differences inmindset, culture and approaches haveseemingly blocked us fromdeveloping and acting upon acommon vision that addresses thethreat, and harnesses thetransformative potential of action onclimate change.

More than US$ 1 trillion dollars havebeen invested in clean technologies,with thousands of jobs created inrecent years, and this can only be goodfor our global society. Theproduction of solar panels hasdecreased by 80 per cent since 20082

with the technology becomingincreasingly mainstream in manydeveloping nations. In spite of all ofits negative effects, climate change isan opportunity for us to reassess ourfundamental assumptions about theworld we want to live in and how wewant to build our future.

Our global society will betransformed by climate change andby the measures taken to deal with it,as well as the mammoth task we face

to reduce world poverty andpromote human development.Leadership will be, with no doubt, adecisive factor. The new emergingcontext calls for a new cadre of leaderswith a new set of abilities and waysof thinking, from a multitude of fieldsand at all levels in our society, torespond to those challenges and buildthe resilience of our natural, economicand political ecosystem that is neededto cope with them.

Back in 1992, my organisation Leadand our global Fellowshipprogramme were established toaddress the deficit of leaders whocould advocate and deliver changeacross the spectrum of sustainabledevelopment. For over 20 years, webuilt a global a network of changeagents which today is active in morethan 90 countries worldwide. We'vewitnessed how individuals are ableto challenge conventional ways ofcreating, learning and being, in orderto become major catalysts for change,crossing traditional organisationaland industry boundaries.

Decisive action on climate changewill require us to recognise our inter-dependency; no country, sector orleader can meet these challengesalone. Over the coming years, wewant to use our considerableexperience in this vital area todevelop the type of leaders who willhelp us to break down the currentsilos and barriers and prepare ourglobal society for a rapidly changingworld.

– Williams Johnson,Chief Executive Officer,Lead International, UK

1 MercyCorps: www.mercycorps.org.uk2 How to win the argument on climate change: a five-point plan. Simon Maxwell, Executive Chair, CDKN. Mar 2014


For many local governmentsaround the world, the ability to

adequately address climate changeand natural disaster impacts is criticalfor the continued development of thecity. Since most localities are resourceand capacity constrained, manyinternational actors have stepped into offer support for risk andvulnerability assessments, adaptationand resilience planning, projectimplementation, and programmaticdevelopment. In South Asia, notableexternally sourced programs includethe Rockefeller Foundation's AsianCities Climate Change ResilienceNetwork (ACCCRN), differentinitiatives spearheaded by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability,and the Disaster Risk Reduction andClimate Risk Managementpartnership between theGovernment of India and the UnitedNations Development Programme(UNDP). Although these externalinterventions have provided muchneeded additional capacities formunicipal governments, localeconomic, political, and socialcontexts will inevitably shape theeffectiveness, sustainability, andequity of these resilience-buildinginterventions. Therefore, as aprerequisite to improving resilienceinterventions on the ground, onemust first understand the theoreticaland practical implications of climateand disasters on city planningprocesses, local political institutions,and urban spatial form.

Education and research at the nexusof climate adaptation, disaster riskmanagement, and urban planningand policymaking are emergingfields of interest across manyuniversities and research institutions.The Massachusetts Institute of


Education and Research at the Nexus ofDisaster Resilience and Climate Adaptation

Technology (MIT) has been at theforefront of assessing the localimpacts of climate change anddisasters and designing suitableinstitutional and spatial strategies forbuilding urban resilience. WithinMIT's Department of Urban Studiesand Planning (DUSP), a number ofstudents and professors have beenengaged in researching climateadaptation and disaster resilience inboth developed and developingcountry contexts.

In particular, DUSP at MIT has a longhistory of working with a number ofNorth American cities withrehabilitating urban buildings,infrastructures, and institutions afterdisaster events. These projects includeredevelopment and reconstruction inthe City of New Orleans afterHurricane Katrina, resilient designand landscape redevelopmentinitiatives in New York City afterHurricane Sandy, climate change riskand vulnerability assessmentprocesses in the Northeastern U.S.through the New England ClimateAdaptation Project (NECAP), and othercommunity resilience developmentprojects through the Resilient CitiesHousing Initiative (RCHI).

Elsewhere in the world, DUSP at MIThas engagements in Haiti, wherefaculty and students are involved inhelping the country develop resilienthousing and economic infrastructuresafter the devastating earthquake in2010, in Malaysia, where a SustainableCities Partnership with the UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia (UTM) wasrecently inaugurated, and inBangladesh, India, and Pakistan,where there are ongoing student-ledresearch projects on building urbanresilience. Also, DUSP at MIT has

developed long-standingpartnerships with transnationalnetworks involved in climateadaptation and disaster resilience. Forexample, DUSP at MIT partnered withICLEI—Local Governments forSustainability to produce a globalsurvey assessing the process ofadaptation planning andimplementation in nearly 500 citiesacross the world. Lastly, through theComprehensive Initiative onTechnology Evaluation (CITE) projectbeing supported by U.S. Agency forInternational Development (USAID),different departments across MIT inaddition to DUSP have been taskedto evaluate indigenous andcommunity-based technologies forsupporting local livelihoods andresilience.

In terms of curriculum development,DUSP at MIT has introduced coursesin urban climate adaptation, disasterresilient design, and housing andeconomic development for resilientcities. The adaptation course providesstudents with critical analyses of theconcepts of risk, vulnerability, andclimate impacts, and delves intoparticular local sectoral, economic,and social equity planning anddecision-making tools. The disasterresilient design course is offered inconjunction with the Department ofArchitecture, and focuses onunderstanding and generatingspecific proposals for disasterresilience through combinations ofretrofit, reconstruction, resettlement,commemorative, and anticipatorydesign.

On top of these many courses, bothundergraduate and graduate studentshave opted to participate in the manyresearch and coursework


opportunities across differentdepartments at MIT, such as throughthe Department of Architecture, theTechnology and Policy Program(TPP), MIT Center for InternationalStudies, and other engineering andnatural sciences divisions. Studentshave also received funding supportfor international research and projectimplementation through the MITInternational Science and TechnologyInitiatives (MISTI), MIT GlobalEducation and Career Development

Current discussions on the futureof disaster risk reduction (DRR)

after 2015 emphasise a long-standinggap between local and national/global priorities and initiatives. Onthe one hand, most national riskreduction policies still rely oncommand-and-control and top-downframeworks, which emphasisescientific knowledge and nationalgovernment intervention. On the

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

A Road Map for Disaster Risk Reduction Post-2015

other hand, many non-governmentalorganisations (NGOs) have beenadvocating for increased involvementof those affected by disasters in DRRthough bottom-up, community-basedinitiatives stressing the importanceof local knowledge and resources. Ineffect, initiatives from the bottom-upand those from the top down areseldom combined in an integratedapproach.

(GECD), through the Aga KhanProgram for Islamic Architecture, andothers.

Climate change adaptation anddisaster risk reduction are emergingconcerns for academics andpractitioners alike. The Departmentof Urban Studies and Planning at MIThas been at the forefront of trainingresearchers and practitioners toaddress these challenges through thelens of public policy, urban design,

and socioeconomic development. Theaim is to produce scholar-practitioners who are exceptionallytrained in the theories of urbanclimate and disaster resilience andwho are also able to enact meaningfuland effective interventions towardadapting to climate impacts andmanaging disaster risks at the locallevel. For more information, visit http://www.dusp.mit.edu.

– Eric Chu, Department of UrbanStudies and Planning, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, USA

Integrating top-down and bottom-upactions is however essential toaddress both the root causes ofpeople's vulnerability to disastersand enhancing their capacities.Vulnerability reflects people'sinability to access resources andmeans of protection that are availableto those with more power. It is rootedin cultural, social, economic andpolitical structures, which mainly liebeyond the reach of those who arevulnerable. Reducing people'svulnerability thus requires profoundstructural reforms and political will,i.e. actions from the top down. Inparallel, enhancing people'scapacities largely depend uponactions from the bottom up.Capacities indeed refer to the sets ofmostly endogenous knowledge,skills and resources people utilise indealing with disasters. To addressboth the root causes of people'svulnerability and enhance theirintrinsic capacities, DRR must beinclusive of a large array ofstakeholders, including internationalorganisations, governments,scientists, NGOs, and the diversemembers of local communities, inorder to integrate top-down andbottom-up actions.


Figure suggests a road map tofoster integrated and inclusiveDRR. It recognises 1) that differentforms of knowledge are valuablein addressing disaster risk,including for assessingvulnerability and capacities, 2) thatactions from the top down andfrom the bottom up are necessaryto sustainable DRR through bothreducing vulnerability andenhancing capacities, and 3) thatboth previous points require a largearray of stakeholders from insideand outside local communities tocollaborate and dialogue.

Implementing this road mapentails the use of tools that allowall stakeholders to participate inthe same activity, around the sametable and at the same time in orderto foster a fair dialogue amongstall parties. These tools must betrusted by all actors and make localneeds and capacities, includinglocal knowledge, tangible tooutsiders as well as scientificknowledge and outsiders' actionstangible to local communitymembers. Such tools need to beintegrated into disaster riskassessment and reductionframeworks which consider boththe root causes of vulnerability andpeople's capacities, and allow forthe integration of bottom-up andtop-down actions. Eventually,these frameworks have to beincluded in states' policies andreceive the support of localgovernments. Theinstitutionalisation of goodpractices is indeed the only way toachieve large scale results. In thisperspective, the post-2015international framework for DRRhas a crucial role to play as it mustencourage national governmentsto move in the right direction.

– JC GaillardThe University of Auckland,

New ZealandJessica Mercer,

Secure Futures, United Kingdom

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Debris Management: Criticalfor Disaster Management

IntroductionThe world has witnessed some of

the worst disasters, in the livingmemory, in the recent past, whichincludes the Typhoon Haiyan ofNovember 2013 in Philippines, theGreat East Japan Earthquake of 2011and the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.These disasters throw challenges inrescue to relief and in debrismanagement to rebuilding lives andlivelihoods. The management ofdebris, which includes buildingmaterials, household furnishings,appliances, vegetation and medicalwaste is of strategic importance as itcan impede response and can also leadto secondary disaster For example, the2011 earthquake in Japan generatedapproximately 6.16 million tons ofdebris in Ishinomaki city, which isequal to the waste generated by thecity over 103 years (UNEP, 2012). Onthe other hand, it provides anopportunity for creating employmentas in the post-disaster situationemployment generation is veryimportant. Also, the optimum usageof the debris can reduce the cost ofrecovery and reconstruction.

Management of DebrisThere have been successful cases ofdebris management including in India,which provides a number of keylessons. For example, in the aftermathof the Earthquake of 2001 in Gujarat,the debris disposal was managedthrough two-pronged strategy. Therural households were provided lump-sum money to clear debris while inthe four worst-affected urban centersof Kutch district, contractors wereengaged to remove debris consideringthe volume as well as need forspecialized team and equipment. Also,government issued simple guidelineson closure of dumping sites inenvironment friendly manner,management of debris near water

bodies and its reuse. In Haiti after the2010 earthquake, debris were used asfill material for rehabilitation of routes,creating block paving, gabions, etc. InPhilippines, in the aftermath ofTyphoon Haiyan (locally known asYolanda) of November 2013, cash forwork program for debris disposal hasbeen undertaken and it proved to besuccessful in creating short-termemployment opportunities. Theseinterventions were planned in theaftermath of disasters and hence it tookprecious time for planning and settingup systems to execute the plan. Also,there was high level of dependence onexternal agencies for technicalexpertise, which may not be availablein many post-disaster situations. Henceit is important that countries developtheir system for debris management.

Way ForwardIndia is prone to more than 30 hazardsand it has taken a number of stepstowards risk reduction in last fewdecades which includes setting uptechno-legal region, dedicatedauthorities to coordinate disastermanagement and risk sensitivedevelopments. It is important to buildon this momentum and take stepstowards debris management plan ex-ante for effective and efficient responseand recovery. This includes prioridentification of the debris disposalsites, guidelines for disposal ofdifferent types of debris, system forexecuting debris disposal, creating aroaster of trained debris managementpersonnel and financial instruments.These debris management plan needto be integrated into the disastermanagement plan at appropriateadministrative levels from national todistrict and blocks and lastly, it needto be a live plan.

– Sudhir Kumar,Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist,

UNDP, Philippines


From the Seven Priority areas forHFA 2 it was decided to focus on

3 priorities, with women as a generalconcern to be mainstreamed as a crosscutting area.

Key area 1: Building CommunityResilienceKey Issues of concerno Capacity of community to plan

for mitigation and to respond tothe disaster is minimal

o Proven concepts, knowledge andtools in urban/rural context areyet to be shared

o Integration of community basedDRM into local governmentframework is important

o Mechanism for monitoring DRMactivity at the community levelneeds to be initiated andstrengthened

o Need of an enhanced role ofwomen in DRM

o Allocation of resources at locallevel are not yet strategized

Plan of actiono Capacity of community to plan

for mitigation and to respond tothe disaster is minimal

o Proven concepts, knowledge andtools in urban/rural context areyet to be shared

o Integration of community basedDRM into local governmentframework is important

o Mechanism for monitoring DRMactivity at the community levelneeds to be initiated andstrengthened

o Need of an enhanced role ofwomen in DRM

o Allocation of resources at locallevel are not yet strategized

Targetso Risk assessment maps (multi-

hazard risks) developed atnational and district level

o Non-life insurance incorporatedinto DRM

HYOGO FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

HFA 2 in Nepal: Priorities for Action

o Harmonized risk sensitive landuse plans agreed amonggovernment agencies

o Harmonized planning guidelinesdeveloped at local levels

o Mechanisms developed formonitoring and knowledgesharing

Key area 2: Sustainable development,climate change and disaster riskreduction integrationKey Issues of concerno DRR & CCA issues are yet to be

prioritized by the key decisionmakers

o Inadequate collaboration amongstakeholders (work in isolation)

o Lack of assessment tools toidentify economic impact ofDisaster & Climate Change

o Little progress in institutionaland legal reforms

o Implementation level linkagebetween CCA and DRR minimal

Plan of Actiono Align existing planning process

to ensure DRR/CCA integrationo Enact DRM legislation and fast-

track institutional reformo Engage private sector in DRM/

CCAo Establish a Climate/Disaster cell

in NPC, or central agencieso Enhance joint focal point systemo More joint actions to ensure

integrated planning and budgetallocation

o Endorse climate changeadaptation and gender strategy

Targetso DRR integrated in national/local

planning processo DRM act in placeo Sectoral plans have a clear

articulation of CCA/DRMrelated activities

o Annual plan at national/locallevel integrate CCA/DRM andreceive funding from the treasury

o Private sector activelyparticipates in Climate ChangeAdaptation /disaster management

Key area 3: Strengthening RiskGovernance and AccountabilityKey Issueso Lack of mandatory monitoring

mechanismo Lack of resource tracking and

feedback mechanismo Limited bylaw in place for the

implementation of DRMo Actors are focused in sectoral

work in isolation (no propercomprehensive risk governancemechanism and accountabilityframework)

Plan of Actiono Proposed legislation Incorporates

governance/accountabi l i tymechanism

o Use existing mechanism(CNDRC, DDRC) to ensureauthorization forimplementation and monitoring

o Strengthen government oversighto Strengthen National DRM

platformo Separate budget heading for

DRM

Targetso DRM act implementedo Strategic action plans based on

response framework is in placeo NPC effectively monitors DRM

in Nepal, mainstreaming taskcompleted

o National DRM platformstrengthened in coordinationand information sharing

o Climate and gender strategy andaction plan endorsed,disseminated and implemented.

Source: National DRR Platform,Consultative meeting, Kathmandu,Ministry of Home Affairs, March 28th,2014 – Megh Ranjani Rai, Consultant DRR

and Emergency Response, Nepal


The Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United

Nations (FAO) is developing theAgriculture Stress Index System(ASIS) to detect agricultural areaswith a high likelihood of water stress(drought) at the global level. Basedon Earth Observations, ASIS willsupport the vegetation monitoringactivities of the FAO-GlobalInformation and Early WarningSystem (GIEWS). The idea behindASIS is to mimic the analysis that aremote sensing expert would do andsimplify the results for the end-users.ASIS will provide a map every tendays in which the GIEWS officersdetect "hot spots" for every regionwhere crops may be affected bydrought during the growth season.To ensure that the system will notproduce false alerts due to externalfactors such as atmosphericperturbations, the officers then verifythe "hot spots" with auxiliaryinformation, for example bycontacting the Ministry of Agricultureof the affected country or bymonitoring prices of the commodities.

ASIS uses the Vegetation Health Index(VHI), which is derived from theNormalized Differenced VegetationIndex (NDVI). VHI was developed atthe United States National

AGRO-DROUGHT RISK REDUCTION

How Space Watch on Agro Drought ReducesDisaster Risk

Environmental Satellite, Data andInformation Service (NESDIS) and hassuccessfully been applied in manydifferent environmental conditionsaround the globe, including in Asia,Africa, Europe, North America andSouth America. The first step in ASISis to elaborate temporal average ofthe VHI assessing the intensity andduration of the dry period(s) occurredduring the crop cycle at pixel level.ASIS is based on ten-day satellite dataof vegetation and land surfacetemperature from the METOP-AVHRR sensor at 1 km resolution.The second step is the calculation ofthe percentage of agricultural areaaffected by drought (pixels withVHI<35- a value identified as criticalin previous studies) to assess theextent of the drought. Finally, thewhole administrative area isclassified according to the percentageof affected area. VHI can detectdrought conditions at any time of theyear. ASIS assesses the severity(intensity, duration and spatial extent)of the agricultural drought andindicates the final results atadministrative level given thepossibility to compare it with theagricultural statistics of the country.

The ASIS database thus contains 30years of agricultural hot spots,

starting with the year 1984 when theSahel was severely affected bydrought. Figure 1 shows for the SouthAsia countries the agricultural areasaffected by drought during the years1987, 1991 and 2002.

From the global version of ASIS,which was designed to detectagricultural hot spots on the globe,standalone versions can be developedto monitor agricultural drought atcountry or regional level. Thestandalone versions would becalibrated with local agriculturalstatistics and they would use specificparameters, coefficients and masks ofthe main crops of the country orregion. This version could be used onrisk management by establishingremote sensing based crop insurance.h t t p : / / w w w . f a o . o r g /climatechange/asis/en/ ASIS willbecome operational and accessible onthe GIEWS website in April 2014.

– Oscar Rojas,Natural Resources Officer

(Agrometeorology)Climate Impact, Adaptation &

Environmental Sustainability TeamClimate, Energy and Tenure Division

(NRC), Natural Resources Managementand Environment Department

Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO)

Figure: Percentage of agricultural area affected by drought (ASI) during the years 1987, 1991 and 2002

11111989898989877777 11111999999999911111 20022002200220022002


Leadership for Environment andDevelopment (LEAD) Pakistan

has been active on the environmentand climate change agenda since 2005.LEAD's work on this issue, andconsultations with multiplestakeholders across the country, ledto the identification of the keychallenges facing Pakistan in relationto climate change:• A low knowledge base about

climate change;• Lack of awareness and concern

among policy-makers;• Scattered policy responses by

government;• Weak capacities and resources

for implementing climatechange adaptation.

The LEAD Climate ActionProgramme (L-CAP) was developedto address these challenges. Theoverarching goal of the programmeis to enable effective, prioritized,national and international responsesto climate change by a cross-sectionof key Pakistani stakeholders. Thefocus of L-CAP is at three levels: a)

INFORMATION SHARING

LEAD Pakistan and Disaster Risk Reduction

Macro (government and decision-makers) - relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, as well asinternational negotiating positions;b) Meso (key stakeholders in thepublic and private sectors, as well asnon-profit entities) – raisingawareness of the importance andrelevance of climate change, andpromoting integration of climatechange strategies into mainstreamwork; and c) Micro (localcommunities) – empoweringcommunities to cope with climatechange at grassroots levels.

One of the areas identified under theL-CAP is Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR). Besides the long-term effectsof climate change, there has also beena recorded, dramatic increase in thenumber and scale of extreme,weather-related events. Climatechange is resulting in an increase inthe frequency and severity of climaticextremes, which increases thefrequency of weather-relateddisasters. Climate change hits thepoor hardest and the greatest impacts

are likely to be on food security,health, migration, water security andquality. Over the past 10 years,weather-related disasters haveaffected 2.5 billion people. 98% ofthose killed in natural disasters acrossthe world are in developingcountries, underlining the linkbetween vulnerability to disastersand poverty. Climate change isalready amplifying the scope andscale of natural disasters in Pakistan.Disaster risks are posed by the greaterchance of flooding, mud slides,avalanches, cyclones and so on. Therisks are greatest for vulnerablecommunities living in coastal areasand along river banks, in mountains,and in arid areas. Recent flood inPakistan (in 2010 and 2011) hasimpacted and affected a largepopulation and has damaged (anddestroyed) rural as well as urbaninfrastructure and livelihoods. Recentclimate talks in COP19 (November2013) established the Warsawinternational mechanism for loss anddamage associated with climatechange impacts, as the main vehicle

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under the Convention to promote theimplementation of approaches toaddress loss and damage in acomprehensive, integrated andcoherent manner.

Our FocusThere are mainly four streams whichmake up the parameter of LEADsfocus in DRR:

Climate Change and Migration:Exploring the links between climatechange and migration – includingrural-urban migration – with thelatter being resorted to as anadaptation mechanism. Drawing onfrom relevant documented evidencefrom both Pakistan as well asglobally, building a case for newresearch and policy engagement inthe country.

Community Based Adaptations:Developing a framework forCommunity Based Adaptations(CBAs) by looking at the CBApractices in Pakistan, some importantlessons and attempts to integratethem with the decision makingframeworks coming up with policyrecommendations towards acoherent strategy.

Disaster Risk Transfer: With Pakistanbeing increasing vulnerable to someof the most catastrophic impacts ofclimate change, through extremeevents like floods, cyclones, GLOFsetc., there is a need to explore aneffective mechanism for transferringthis risk, using market instrumentssuch as micro-insurance. This streamlooks at the feasibility of suchinstruments for the most vulnerableand resource strapped segments.

Loss and Damage: This stream looksat the current, fiercely contesteddebate in the international arena onthis salient issue. South Asia is highlyvulnerable to climate change impactsand associated loss and damage.However, there is a persistent lack ofknowledge of potential future

climate change impacts making itdifficult for policymakers tointroduce policies and programs toaddress loss and damage. This streamhighlights the significance of thedebate, with the help of someregional case studies; it profferspolicy advice and proposes a nationalstrategy for deriving optimal benefitsfor the country.

Salient Interventions

Capacity Building• LEAD has carried out Capacity

Building Workshops on ChildProtection in Emergencies bybuilding the capacity ofgovernment officials undertakento incorporate and implementchild protection plans intoPunjab Provincial DisasterManagement Authority PDMA)'semergency response andpreparedness plans.

• Under the Climate LeadershipFor Effective Adaptation AndResilience (CLEAR) project; aDFID-funded five-year project, 30local CSOs in Southern Punjaband Sindh have been supportedto design and implement locallyrelevant, community-basedadaptation micro-projectsleading to enhanced sustainablelivelihoods. These are designedto demonstrate how vulnerablecommunities can respond to theimpact of climate change. Thisproject addresses an important L-CAP initiative that addresseslack of capacity, lack of effectivemodels, low and ineffectivelyarticulated public demand forgovernment to act, and a lack ofawareness among vulnerablecommunities as to their rights inrelation to climate change.

• Building Capacity on ClimateChange Adaptation in CoastalAreas of Pakistan, is an EuropeanUnion funded project aiming tobuild the capacity of vulnerable

coastal communities andgovernment departments toadapt to the particular threatsfaced by coastal communities inrelation to climate change. Thecoastal belt of Pakistan, spanningan approximate 814 km andencompassing two of the leastdeveloped provinces, Sindh andBaluchistan, has already beenravaged by the effects of climatechange, ranging from the moreapparent natural disasters (suchas tsunamis) to more gradualones such as changing seasonalpatterns. Coastal communitiesare directly reliant on theecosystem that they live in fortheir sustenance, the main sourceof livelihood being fishing.Although communitiesinhabiting the coastal belt ofPakistan are rich in indigenousknowledge about theirsurroundings, lack of education,lack of technical knowledge,gender bias and inertia havecreated a barrier to climateresilience. The overall objectiveof the project is to ensure that thecoastal areas in Pakistan andneighbouring regions haveclimate resilient ecosystems tosupport the livelihoods ofcoastal communities. As well asbuilding climate adaptationcapacity among communitiesand government departments, itseeks to strengthen watergovernance to improve theclimate resilience of Indus Deltaecosystems. These efforts aresupported by regional and trans-boundary cooperation on riverdelta adaptation.

Public Policy Engagement• LEAD Pakistan (in partnership

with CDKN and others) launchedthe IPCC Special Report onManaging the Risks of ExtremeEvents and Disasters to AdvanceClimate Change Adaptation(SREX) Report in Pakistan in June2012. The high profile event in


Islamabad was attended by DrRajendra Pachauri, Chairman ofthe IPCC and winner of the 2007Nobel Peace Prize, and around ahundred policy makers andexperts on both climate changeand disaster risk management(DRM). It provided anopportunity for reflection on thereport's findings, something thatwas continued at a related eventat the Lahore University ofManagement Sciences (LUMS).The process of dissemination anddebate is on-going throughLEAD's website and networks.

• Department of InternationalDevelopment (DFID) initiated aglobal study to identify the rolesand approaches of the privatesector in supporting resilience todisasters and climate extremes.LEAD carried out the Input toPakistan country case study of'Stimulating private sectorengagement in building disasterrisk resilience and climatechange adaptation'. Within this,the study inevitably looked atopportunities and constraints forprivate sector innovation indisaster risk management andclimate change adaptation, andoptions for addressing these.This study reviewed existingprivate sector engagements andcollect cases of innovativepublic-private sector partnershipapproaches to building resilienceto disasters and climate extreme.It seeked to understand the scopeof activities being undertaken bythe private sector in this context,including highlighting examplesof innovation and what factorshave supported these. It willparticularly focus on case studiesof where actions by the publicsector have helped to create theconditions for private sectorleadership and innovation (e.g.through regulation, taxation,risk sharing etc.). Stakeholdersincluded representatives of

donors, funds, domestic publicsector actors and members of theprivate sector.

• Climate and DevelopmentKnowledge Network (CDKN), isa 5 year global initiative DFIDfunded managed by Price Waterhouse Coopers. CDKN consistsof 7 alliance members workingin 3 regions namely, Asia, LatinAmerica and Asia. LEAD acts asthe Regional Hub for CDKNAsia. CDKN aims to enabledeveloping countries to achievea low-carbon and climate-resilient future along withpoverty reduction and humandevelopment. CDKN supportsdecision-makers in government,the private and non-governmental sectors atnational, regional and globallevel, in designing anddelivering climate compatibledevelopment (CCD). CDKNAsia currently works in fivecountries which includePakistan, India, Bangladesh,Nepal and Indonesia bycombining research, advisoryservices and knowledge sharingin support of locally owned andmanaged policy processes.CDKN focuses on four strategicthemes:i. Climate compatible develop-

ment strategies and plans;ii. Strengthening resilience

through climate-relateddisaster risk management;

iii. Improving developingcountries' access to climatefinance;

iv. Supporting climate negotiatorsfrom the least developed andmost climate vulnerablecountries

Research• LEADs research has an appetite

to explore vital areas ofsustainable development throughdifferent lenses and perspectives.This and the salience of climate

change, with its likely impactson a highly vulnerable Pakistan,have set us to launch a wholeseries on Vulnerability andResilience. This research series,comprises of prime studies thatexamine the vulnerability to ahost of climate induced hazardsand also suggests measures tobuild resilience against them.Each individual study focuses onthe four streams with LEADsDRR focus, while conducted inthe Pakistani context, reviews thestate-of-the-art, both in terms ofthe ongoing debate around theissue as well as the global bestpractices. It also reflects LEADPakistan's ambition of carryingthem out to the highestinternational standards. Thesestudies abstract from the lessonslearnt globally, and applyingthem to Pakistan, aim to come upwith actionable and meaningfulrecommendations for thepolicymakers in the country.

• Case Study on 'Reducing Risksand Vulnerabilities from GlacierLake Outburst Floods in NorthernPakistan was developed to guagehow the project carried out inBagrot Valley in Gilgit Baltistan,and Drongagh in Chitral byUNDP had been able to drawpolicy recommendations &institutional strengthening,strengthen knowledge andinformation about Glacial LakeOutburst Floods risks anddemonstrate community-basedGlacial Lake Outburst Floodsrisk management. This wasessential in developing theachievements and challengesfaced during projectimplementation, as well aslessons learnt. The case study wasshared with national andinternational experts on climatechange to ensure the integrity ofinformation provided.

– Hina Lotia, Director Programmes,Programme Development

Department, LEAD Pakistan


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Editorial Advisors:Anshuman SaikiaRegional Programme Support CoordinatorARO, IUCN (International Union for Conservation ofNature), Thailand

Denis NkalaRegional Coordinator, South-South Cooperation andCountry Support (Asia-Pacific), United NationsDevelopment Programme, New York

Ian DavisVisiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management inCopenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford BrookesUniversities

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduInternational Strategy for Risk Reduction (ISDR) –South Asia, Sri Lanka

Mihir R. BhattAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPHThe University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell,New York, USA

T. Nanda KumarChairman, National Dairy Development Board(NDDB), Anand, Gujarat, India

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE411 Sakar Five, Near Natraj Cinema, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad–380 009 India. Tele/Fax: +91-79-2658 2962E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net

ADVOCACY

Why Advocacy Matters?

The Climate and DevelopmentKnowledge Network (CDKN)

has been providing support todeveloping countries in theinternational climate talks throughthe Advocacy Fund since September2011. The world's poorest and mostvulnerable countries tend to be thehardest hit by the impacts of climatechange, but usually have fewerresources and limited capacity toengage with and influenceinternational climate negotiations.A fair and ambitious global climateagreement, that reflects the interestsof the poorest and most vulnerablecountries will only be possible in2015 if these countries make theirvoices heard in the negotiations. Thisis the vision for the Advocacy Fund.

The Fund supports a range ofprojects across Asia, Africa, LatinAmerica, the Caribbean and thePacific to help negotiators andleaders from these countries tobecome informed, skilled, active,networked and influential actors ininternational negotiations. These

projects range from providingassistance to these countries to senddelegations to the negotiations, tobuilding the technical knowledge andstrategic capacity of negotiatorsengaged in the talks. The fund alsoprovides legal and climate financeadvice to developing countrynegotiators in preparation for andduring the negotiations, as well ashelping these countries to buildalliances and consensus towardsambitious global action on climatechange. In Asia specifically we areproviding technical assistance to theChair of the Least DevelopedCountries Group, which representsthe interests of the least developedcountries under the United NationsFramework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC). The Chair iscurrently held by Nepal, and we aresupporting a range of capacitybuilding initiatives across the countryto a build a legacy for Nepal from itsleadership of the group.

Whilst monitoring and evaluatingadvocacy is difficult, evidence

suggests the Advocacy Fund hascontributed to the risingprominence and influence ofdeveloping country groups underthe UNFCCC. The negotiators wework with have expressed howCDKN support has allowed themto become key players and engageeffectively in the UNFCCC process,and given them the credibility andlegitimacy upon which tocoordinate with countries fromother regions. As we enter a criticalperiod in international climatenegotiations, it is imperative thatthe Advocacy Fund and other actorscontinue to support the poorest andmost vulnerable countries toengage in, and influence, theprocess. Whilst these countries mayhave less economic and politicalinfluence, they can have a verypowerful moral voice when they arewell prepared and coordinated. – Kiran Sura, Head of the Advocacy

Fund, Climate and DevelopmentKnowledge Network (CDKN),

London