BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESILIENCE: MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION INTO DISASTER RISK

REDUCTION

PAPER PRESENTED

PAULETTE BYNOE, PhD

AT

COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE (CDM 5)

ROSE HALL RESORT AND SPA

MONTEGO BAY

DECEMBER 7, 2010 ,

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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

• SETTING THE CONTEXT

• DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

• WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?

• CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE

• BENEFITS

• THE WAY FORWARD

• CONCLUSION2

SETTING THE CONTEXT

• “Warming of the Climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level” (IPCC, 2007).

• “Although SIDS contribute with less than one percent of global GHGs emissions, they already experience adverse effects of climate change including: sea level rise; tropical cyclones/hurricanes; droughts; increasing sea surface temperatures; and coral bleaching; and other adverse phenomena” (UNFCCC, 2007)

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Arguably, global climate change is the most serious sustainable development threat to Caribbean States

comprising approximately 39 million people (UNEP, 2008)

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SETTING THE CONTEXT

Even without the threat of global climate change the Caribbean States are faced with peculiar environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.

These include hazards such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions which, in turn, threaten the progress made for the sustainable development of the Region since the Rio Summit in 1992.

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SETTING THE CONTEXTProductive sectors heavily dependent on their limited natural resource base (e.g., agriculture, forestry, fishing, tourism).

•Susceptibility to the vagaries of international trade.

•High transportation and communication costs.

•Serious vulnerability to extreme climate events and

other natural disasters.

•Scarce land resources.

•Increasing pressures on coastal and marine

environments and resources.

•Small domestic markets.

•Limited ability to develop economies of scale.

•High import content (especially of strategic imports

such as food and fuel).

•Limited economic diversification possibilities.

•Limited extent to which domestic competition policy

can be applied.

•Dependence on a narrow range of export products.

•Inability to influence international prices.

•Uncertainties of supply due to remoteness or insularity.

•Shifting rainfall patterns and cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes.

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• The 2005 flood disaster in Guyana (52 inches of rain: 7 times the average for January).

• Since August 2008, the Caribbean region has been affected sequentially by the tropical storm Fay, hurricanes “Gustav”, “Hanna” and “Ike” that caused more than 350 deaths, affected more than 2,8 million persons and damaged more than 600,000 houses.

• Hurricane Tomas in 2010 has done significant social, environmental and economic damages to St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti (already hit by an earthquake). 7

Climate change will increase the magnitude and frequency of extreme, as well as change climatic conditions and climate variability, thereby generating new

threats/climate related disasters

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IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON DISASTER RISK

Increasing the frequency and severity of some, but not all, hazards

Increasing people’s vulnerability and exposure to regularly experienced shocks and stresses

Increasing uncertainty and unexpected events due to complexity of the physical and human system and their interactions

(IPCC, 2007) 9

THE PROBLEMATIC

• There is significant overlap between the practice and theory of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, there is limited coherence and convergence in institutions,organisations and policy frameworks. Both struggle to be incorporated into regular development planning and this aspiration is slowed down by duplicated activities, ineffective use of resources and confusing policies.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

Adaptation is an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects (only and not targeting root causes???), which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (IPCC, 2001).

Anticipatory adaptation (proactive) Autonomous/Spontaneous adaptation Planned adaptation (policy decision based on awareness) Reactive adaptation

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

• Disaster risk reduction: action taken to reduce the risk of disasters and the adverse impacts of natural hazards, through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causes of disasters, including through avoidance of hazards, reduced social and economic vulnerability to hazards, and improved preparedness for adverse events.

• It is therefore tailor-made to help counteract the addedrisks arising from climate change.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

Resilience: the capacity to deal with change and continue to develop. (DIVERSITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE ARE CRITICAL)

Partnership (New Governance Arrangement??) : A formal agreement between two or more parties that have agreed to work together in the pursuit of common goals.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS Institutional: International and regional financial institutions

(IDB, UNDP, CIDA, DFID, CBD, World Bank); regional climate change and disaster management agencies: CCCCC, CDEMA, CIMH, UWI, etc. etc.); local (National Offices of Disaster Management, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance,, Local Authorities, etc.

Social: governments, businesses/private sector, local communities, scientists, academia, professional bodies, the media, women’s groups, youth groups, religious organisations, nongovernmental organisations, and other civil society groups.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

Programmes: sectors such as tourism, water, agriculture, physical planning and environment, health and education; and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, research.

Disciplines: physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, law, sociology, environmental management and the like.

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OBSTACLES TO PARTNERSHIP

Isolated hubs

Vested Interests

Competition for Funds

Perception of relevance being under ‘threat’

Governance systems16

WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?

• The Hyogo Framework for Action identifies the need to “promote the integration of risk reduction associated with existing climate variability and future climate change into strategies for the reduction of disaster risk and adaptation to climate change……by “Stimulating interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships and expanding risk reduction networking at all levels. (ISDR).

• The Bali Action Plan’s directions for adaptation call for the consideration of: “Risk management and risk reduction strategies, includingrisk sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance; disaster reduction strategies and means to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

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WHY MAINSTREAM CCA INTO DRR?

Vulnerabilities are worsened by the Region’s limited adaptive capacity in terms of human, technical and financial resources; and the limited efforts to promote sustainable management of the natural capital.

Ignoring the impacts of climate change on disaster risk threatens the effectiveness of policies, programmes and projects designed to manage these risks, and in certain circumstances, can increase the vulnerability and exposure of intended beneficiaries.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPTS

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CONVERGENCE Both require proactive and anticipatory action

Both aim to build resilience in the face of hazards

Skills requirements: hazard maps, vulnerability assessments, valuation of natural resources, public awareness, risk analysis and early warning systems.

Risk management

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CONVERGENCE

Both require a significant amount of financial resources

Both are key to the Region’s sustainable development agenda

Both recognise that the starting point is in existing/current conditions of risk and climate variability

Both require multi-stakeholder participation: local level importance Measures to relieve risk and adapt to climate change must ultimately be effective at the local level

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DIVERGENCE

• The political and widespread recognition that climate change achieves as opposed to DRR(Tearfund, 2008).

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DIVERGENCE

DRR• Temporary local and national

importance

• Negative impacts alone are identified (DRR)

• DRR tackles the risks of geophysical hazards (like volcanoes and earthquakes).

• Funding streams ad hoc and

insufficient

GCC• Long-term global importance

• Negative impacts and positive opportunities and benefits are identified

• Adaptation does not.

• Funding streams sizeable and increasing

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BENEFITS

Sharing of scarce resourcesResearch and DevelopmentTransferability of skillsMore cost effective implementation ofprogrammeMore effective planning and implementation

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BENEFITS

Policy coherence and strengthening of efforts More efficient use of financial, human and natural resources; Increased effectiveness and sustainability of both adaptation

and DRR approaches. A reduction of climate related losses through more

widespread implementation of DRR measures linked with adaptation

Increased effectiveness and sustainability of both adaptation and DRR approaches.

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THE WAY FORWARD

• Action on the convergence of the CDM Strategy and Framework 2007-2012 and the Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to CC (2009-2015)

• Political awareness, understanding and commitment

• Policy and institutional mechanisms

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THE WAY FORWARD

Partnership arrangements (multilateral, bilateral and national institutions) to move the Caribbean forward in the direction of greater integration of the two approaches to hazards

Greater communication, information and tools sharing and collaboration.

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THE WAY FORWARD

Collaborate with the DRR community to focus on the socioeconomic and political dimensions of managing climate risks, and to ensure that adaptation is informed by community-based experiences.

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CONCLUSION

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction is a win-win strategy

NOW it the time for ACTION

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THANKS FOR LISTENING

Bynoep2000@yahoo.com

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