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World disasters report 2014: focus on culture and risk
This year’s World Disasters Report focuses on culture and risk. It explores the different ways in which culture affects disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and how disasters and risk influence culture. It examines why people choose to live in hazard-prone locations, and how culture and beliefs enable them to live with the risks they face. The report looks at the organizational culture of agencies working in the fields of disaster risk reduction and adaptation, and challenges the widespread faith in community-based activities. It also considers culture in relation to housing a ...
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Emergencies and disasters: WHO Regional Committee, sixty-fifth session
World Health Organization (WHO) - WHO, 2014This document responds to the need to ensure that health measures focused on prevention and mitigation of risks related to natural hazards are implemented in the Western Pacific Region. It presents the draft Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health, which focuses on all phases of the disaster risk management for health (DRM-H) cycle: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in order to prevent and mitigate risks associated with disasters.
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Sixth Session of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management : Chair's summary
This summary provides the Chair’s assessment of the main points of the key issues discussed during the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management, held in Suva, Fiji on 2–4 June 2014.
It presents (i) the findings of a ten-year review of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in the region; (ii) a summary of a High-level dialogue between prominent representatives of Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand and Thailand, addressing community resilience building and the role of leaders in this agenda; (iii) the perspectives of the Pacific region on the consultation process around the ...
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Explaining extreme events of 2013 from a climate perspective : Special Supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Vol. 95, No. 9, September 2014
AMS, 2014
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Global reinsurance : strengthening disaster risk resilience
This publication address the threat posed by natural disasters, disruptive technologies, political turmoil, terrorist attacks, and environmental degradation to companies, cities and entire nations and the essential role played by global reinsurers in absorbing disaster shocks by providing predictable financial relief and strengthening societal resilience.
It gathers the extensive experience of the members of the Global Reinsurance Forum (GRF) in assessing current and future risks, in managing risks, and in creating tailor-made risk transfer solutions. It considers the critical role pla ...
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Evaluating ecosystem-based adaptation for Disaster Risk Reduction in Fiji
This report documents an assessment of disaster risk reduction for flooding in the Ba and Penang River catchments in Viti Levu, Fiji to identify the most cost-effective management options for communities and households. The analysis accounted for the biophysical and socioeconomic impacts of flooding, the costs, benefits, and feasibility of management, and the potential impacts of climate change. The report highlights that natural disasters such as hurricanes, cyclones, and tropical depressions cause average annual direct losses of US$284 million in the Pacific region – the highest in the world ...
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Global estimates 2014: people displaced by disasters
This document addresses the need for coordinated approaches to prevent, manage and respond to the enormous challenge of disaster-induced internal displacement. It is an essential contribution to the knowledge of the scale and impacts of rapid-onset disasters.
It provides a solid evidence base for understanding global patterns and trends in displacement, and to inform frameworks for the achievement of post-2015 goals on disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. It also underscores the need for climate change adaptation plans and donor commitments that give due attenti ...
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Facing Uncertainty : the value of climate information for adaptation, risk reduction and resilience in Africa
This report puts participatory scenario planning (PSP - a multi-stakeholder platform for making seasonal climate forecasts useful) into the broader context of climate communication, with a focus on Africa.
It is aimed at new users and intermediaries interested in integrating climate information into adaptation, resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), early warning, agriculture and other sector-based development programmes and related work. It explains why and how climate information is a valuable resource for informing responses to climate variability and change. Based on lessons fro ...
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A catalyst for change: how the Hyogo Framework for Action has promoted disaster risk reduction in South East Europe
Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, the ; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR); World Bank the - GFDRR, 2014This report celebrates some of the many achievements made in the South East Europe (SEE) region in the context of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA), and suggests areas for further development and improvement. It is set in the context of the South Eastern Europe Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Programme (SEEDRMAP) and aims to present some evidence-based elements of success and key regional achievements in addressing the HFA, as well as highlighting areas for further work at regional and national level. The res ...
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Agriculture and disaster risk : a contribution by the United Nations to the consultation leading to the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR)
United Nations (UN) - United Nations, 2014This document provides some recommendations for addressing disaster risk in agriculture in the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. It presents: (i) the status of mainstreaming disaster risk in agriculture, reporting on the progresses and highlighting some emerging trends; (ii) the drivers for mainstreaming disaster risk into agriculture; (iii) the regional/international policy frameworks and initiatives within agriculture to be targeted; (iv) measuring disaster risk in agriculture; (v) a list of agencies contributing and description of institutional commitment; and (vi) key docume ...
Assessing the costs of climate change and adaptation in South Asia
This report synthesizes the results of country and sector studies on the economic costs and benefits of unilateral and regional actions on climate change in ADB’s six South Asia developing members, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The study takes into account the different scenarios and impacts projected across vulnerable sectors and estimates the total economic loss throughout the 21st century and amount of funding required for adaptation measures to avert such potential losses. It is envisioned to strengthen decision-making capacities and improve understa ...
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Linking food security, climate adaptation and carbon management : a case study from Indonesia
Suni Yulius P.K.; Lassa Jonatan A.; Institute of Resource Governance and Social Change (IRGSC) - IRGSC, 2014This paper addresses the reduction of carbon emission as a global climate mitigation imperative and considers the negative impacts of climate change on food production. It argues that, in order to ensure that climate adaptation, food security and climate mitigation objectives are mutually achieved, local level intervention is necessary.
The case study shows local level action where efforts achieving food security through mutual adoption of climate adaptation (e.g. drought and soil erosion management through land and water conservation measures) and carbon mitigation. The resear ...
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Madagascar: country case study report - How law and regulation supports disaster risk reduction
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) ; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - UNDP, 2014This report considers the extent to which disaster risk reduction (DRR) is mainstreamed into the disaster risk management laws and institutions in Madagascar. It identifies key laws and regulations in the area of disaster risk management (DRM), especially those applicable nationwide. It finds that these legal frameworks currently focus more on response and recovery than on prevention and DRR. Legislation also provides for DRM bodies at all levels of government administration, including at the community level, although the establishment and effective functioning of these bodies remains a challe ...
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Hyogo Framework for Action, post 2015: what would we like to see - Voices from the field
Picard Mary; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) ; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - UNDP, 2014The aim of this report is to support legislators, public administrators, DRR and development practitioners and advocates to prepare and implement effective disaster risk management (DRM) legal frameworks for their country’s needs, drawing on examples and experience from other countries.
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Retrospective evaluation of the GFDRR program in a sample of disaster-prone countries
DARA - Spain, 2014This evaluation presents evidence of the Secretariat of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)'s improvements in disaster risk management (DRM) performance in five countries (Guatemala, Malawi, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) and analyzes the implications for the theoretical model that sustains its approach and the current Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework.
In particular, the evaluation sought to fulfill following objectives: (a) identify if program outputs are contributing to expected (and unexpected) improvements in DRM performance in a sample of ...
Canada in a changing climate: sector perspectives on impacts and adaptation
Government of Canada, 2014This report focuses on new information and knowledge, assessing advances made in understanding climate change impacts and adaptation from a sectoral perspective, based primarily on literature published up to the end of 2012. It draws from the individual chapters of Canada's national-scale science assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation, which include an overview of Canada’s changing climate (Ch. 2), thematic chapters focused on sectors (Ch. 3 to 8) and the concluding chapter on adaptation research and practice (Ch. 9). The rest of the synthesis is structured around high-level concl ...
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Disaster resilience : topic guide
This topic guide focuses on resilience to natural hazards, with emphasis on humanitarian action, in fragile and conflict-afflicted states as well as in other contexts. Although some principles are common to both contexts, there remains a high level of uncertainty about how to build resilience in adverse political economies. The document is a useful guide for policymakers and practitioners synthesizing the evidence, approaches and lessons that emerge from the literature.
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Technical guidance on choosing targets for reducing natural disaster risk
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) ; Overseas Development Institute (ODI); Risk Management Solutions (RMS) - ODI, 2014This report presents the findings of a study that has explored climate finance delivery in Ethiopia. For the first time, estimates of the level of climate change relevant expenditures that appear in the national budget are presented, and their policy and institutional impacts analyzed.
The report indicates there are major challenges for Ethiopia to finance its response to climate change as there appears to be a major financing gap caused by the difference in the national Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy and the national budgetary resources for climate change-relevant act ...
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Recommendations of the European Seismological Commission (ESC) for the Post Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA2)
This document presents the recommendations and proposals developed by the ESC community for the post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (the HFA2 initiative). It includes: (i) proposals on the structure of the new policy; (ii) proposals on fostering scientific investigations on hazards, especially earthquakes; (iii) integration of science with policy making; and (iv) regional and international collaboration and cooperation.
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Local approaches to harmonising climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies: Lessons from India
The Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) conducted research in the disaster-prone arid zones of India, Leh and Barmer to determine how best to overcome the challenges of integrating effective disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation into development planning. This brief describes the team’s research and observations, and suggests how other communities can address similar challenges by using windows of opportunity in post-disaster situations. The paper argues that special planning and response mechanisms need to be developed at the national level to meet the ...
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A review of droughts in the African continent: a geospatial and long-term perspective: In Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 11
2014This paper presents a review and analysis of the available literature and information on droughts to build a perspective on geospatial and temporal variation of droughts in Africa. The study is based on the review and analysis of droughts occurred during 1900–2013 as well as evidence available from past centuries based on studies on the lake sediment analysis, tree-ring chronologies and written and oral histories and future predictions from the global climate change models. The paper argues that the available evidence from the past shows that the African continent is likely to face extreme and ...
Operational plan for integrated disaster risk management 2014–2020
Asian Development Bank (ADB) - ADB, 2014This operational plan highlights the urgent need to enhance the management of residual disaster risk, including through the establishment of adequate disaster risk financing arrangements. It outlines a series of crosscutting actions to address these needs, focusing on institutionalizing integrated disaster risk management, strengthening capacity and knowledge, investing in disaster resilience, and engaging stakeholders. The operational plan recognizes the importance of reducing disaster risk in both the immediate and long term, taking the possible effects of climate change into account.
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Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in 2013 : large losses from floods and hail; Haiyan hits the Philippines
This Sigma report gives a global and regional overview of catastrophes in 2013 when almost 26,000 people died in disasters. It also takes a special look at fostering climate change resilience. Typhoon Haiyan was the biggest humanitarian catastrophe of the year and Asia had the highest economic losses. Worldwide economic losses from catastrophes worldwide were US$ 140 billion in 2013. The report predicts that climate change could contribute to rising losses in the future as the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increase. It is argued that dealing with climate change requires a r ...
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Planning for the future and adapting to climate change in Ethiopia: lessons from ACCRA
This briefing paper discusses ACCRA's activities in promoting pro-poor and participatory climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in planning processes. It argues that policymakers face difficult trade-offs in planning for a changing and uncertain future. Yet many development actors continue to plan for the near-term, with little room for manoeuvre or contingency. The paper focuses specifically on one specific characteristic of adaptive capacity in order to help decision makers and planners to better prepare themselves for the future: Flexible and Forward-Looking Decision Making ( ...
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