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Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 16. Management of Flash Floods
This tool provides an overview of approaches and practical actions to reduce disaster risks associated with flash floods. Flood forecasting and warning are expected to play an important role in flash flood management though there are scientific and technical limits to provide accurate and timely warnings. Spatial planning and flood proofing can also reduce risk of exposure. These require flood hazard mapping to assess the risk of flash floods and an appropriate legal framework to integrate (flash) flood management planning and spatial planning. Participatory approach can identify areas at risk ...
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 15. Flood Proofing
This tool aims to provide various options of flood proofing measures, not exclusively limited to structural measures or building protections, with a target of practitioners responsible for flood management. The tool covers two aspects of flood management: flood resistance and flood resilience. The flood resistance keeps out flood water to prevent flood damages, while flood resilience minimizes the impacts of floods once flooding occurs.
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 14. Urban Flood Management in a Changing Climate
The main thrust of this tool is to examine major aspects of urban flood management through in the context of climate change. This document deals with the “management” process and less about the technical, structural, and capital-intensive strategies usually pursued in coping with urban floods. It also explores the vital interaction and necessary overlap of urban flood management with land use management, urban planning, socio-economic development, and public awareness and participation. All of these issues lie at the core of planning for and carrying out strategies for climate change adaptatio ...
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 13. Conservation and Restoration of Rivers and Floodplains
The tool aims at assisting practitioners mainly through reviewing and describing options for conservation and restoration of rivers and floodplains that can potentially assist flood management practitioners in addressing various flood management objectives, and providing an overview of current practices that could help flood management practitioners in identifying and establishing the values of ecosystem services generated under different conservation, restoration and flood management scenarios.
Integrated flood management tools series, 15. Flood Proofing
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM); Global Water Partnership (GWP) - WMO, 2012This tool aims to provide various options of flood proofing measures, not exclusively limited to structural measures or building protections, with a target of practitioners responsible for flood management. The tool covers two aspects of flood management: flood resistance and flood resilience. The flood resistance keeps out flood water to prevent flood damages, while flood resilience minimizes the impacts of floods once flooding occurs.
Integrated flood management tools series, 16. Management of Flash Floods
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM); Global Water Partnership (GWP) - WMO, 2012This tool provides an overview of approaches and practical actions to reduce disaster risks associated with flash floods. Flood forecasting and warning are expected to play an important role in flash flood management though there are scientific and technical limits to provide accurate and timely warnings. Spatial planning and flood proofing can also reduce risk of exposure. These require flood hazard mapping to assess the risk of flash floods and an appropriate legal framework to integrate (flash) flood management planning and spatial planning. Participatory approach can identify areas at risk ...
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GNDR post HFA debate: summary of regional and online discussions October-November 2012
GNDR, 2012As a contribution to the development of a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Reduction, this discussion paper informs a number of regional and online discussions and distills down the key themes which emerged with a particular focus on recommendations for a post HFA framework, accompanied by fuller notes of the discussions which appear in annexes.
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The economics of investing in disaster risk reduction
Vorhies Francis; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) - UN/ISDR, 2012This working paper addresses the likely increase of the economic costs of disasters and the technical and political challenges faced by economic assessments. It makes three suggestions for improving the economic effectiveness of investment decision-making for disaster risk reduction (DRR). It (i) sets out the renewed mandate for investing in DRR which came out of the RIO+20 Conference in June 2012; (ii) highlights the high and rising economic costs of disasters; (iii) explores the challenges of estimating the economic costs of disasters; (iv) identifies the economic benefits of DRR; (v) specif ...
Analysis of heavy rainfall events over Dar es Salaam city: A necessity to lessen flood risks
Floods are a threat to many cities especially in the developing countries and cities found near the coastal areas where the population pressure, unplanned settlements and poor infrastructures are most evident. Climate change also poses a higher flood risks in these areas due to increased frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events. In this study analysis of extreme rainfall over Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania was done. The analysis employed empirical as well as hydrological frequency modeling to annual maximum daily rainfall events for 5 of the meteorological stations found within the c ...
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JCOMM Technical Report, 70. Fiji Stakeholders Workshop for WMO Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project
The Stakeholders Workshop for the WMO Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project in Fiji (CIFDP-FSW) was held at the conference room of the Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji. This was the kick-off of the national sub-project of CIFDP in Fiji (CIFDP-F), of which the Phase 1 was sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and implemented by WMO in collaboration with the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS).
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JCOMM Technical Report, 68. 8th JCOMM-TCP Workshop on Storm Surge and Wave Forecasting (SSW-8): proceedings
The Eighth JCOMM-TCP Workshop on Storm Surge and Wave Forecasting (SSW-8) was held at the Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), Nairobi, Kenya, from 19 to 23 November 2012.
This series of workshop is co-organized by the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP), with a view to enhancing capacities of the National Hydrological and Meteorological Services (NMHSs) in providing necessary forecasting and warning services against natural marine hazards that complement b ...
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Safer communities through disaster risk Reduction (SC-DRR) in development
UNDP, 2012This report presents findings of the final evaluation of the safer communities through disaster risk reduction programme. The programme was designed to support the government of Indonesia develop new approaches and capabilities for disaster management by focusing on risk reduction and not just response. The overall objective of the project was to promote a culture of safety in Indonesia by making disaster risk reduction “a normal part of the development process”.
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction summary: The Philippines
This short article presents the work of the United States in terms of disaster preparedness in the Philippines. It asserts that that the U.S. funded training and preparedness programs have contributed to the Philippine government’s ability to lead major rescue and relief operations.
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction story: focus on Kenya
This second instalment in USAID's Pounds of Prevention series takes a closer look at how disaster risk reduction work helps keep people safe from harm. This particular example from Kenya presents USAID's work in helping communities in Kenya not only improve their quality of life today, but also bolster their ability to withstand severe drought conditions through water collection, conservation, and storage.
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction story: focus on Mozambique
This edition travels to Mozambique and presents a cyclone early warning system that combines technology with community organization and mobilization, which enables people in Mozambique to be better prepared to take the right action at the right time every year when the cyclone season arrives and flooding threatens the countryside. The paper asserts that countless lives have been saved and that the resources spent mounting a humanitarian response have decreased.
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Saint Lucia Country Profile for Disaster Risk Reduction
UN/ISDR, 2012This country document for Saint Lucia represents a collaborative effort between DIPECHO partners in country and national authorities to provide a country document for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). This document aims not only to orient ECHO/DIPECHO funding as with previous Country Documents, but based on the common format for such documents developed in 2012 through the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), provide a more holistic approach to DRR at the country level and are geared towards DIPECHO partners in country, national authorities including sectoral ministries, th ...
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The challenges of climate change and exposure growth for disaster risk management in developing countries
Over the past 30 years, total economic losses from natural hazards have more than tripled in real terms. The economic and social impacts have been particularly great in developing countries, where past development gains are at risk and human security is increasingly threatened. This report argues that at a global level, exposure growth could remain the main driver of risk in the short-term, but beyond about 2030, climate change could begin to play a more significant role. Climate change and the rapid accumulation of people and assets in hazard-prone areas increase the need for a more forward-l ...
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Weaving a culture of resilience, a gender-sensitive approach to disaster risk reduction in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands
This document reports on a research aiming at a more gender-sensitive approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. It gives insight on the situations in which women and men, girls and boys live in three selected communities in both countries. It provides information about their local behaviour patterns, belief and value systems, their daily life routines etc. - all necessary information to adapt ongoing and plan future DRR measures in this specific context.
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Disaster risk financing and insurance in Sub-Saharan Africa : review and options for consideration
World Bank, 2012This report is a preliminary effort to present a body of knowledge on the state of disaster risk financing and insurance in Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to contribute to a strengthened understanding and collective knowledge within Sub-Saharan Africa on disaster risk financing and insurance, and to encourage open dialogue between stakeholders on how strategies can best be developed to increase financial resilience against natural disasters. It is targeted at policy-makers and actors in the international community with an interest in this agenda. In the context of this report, disaster risk finan ...
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Adapting to climate change: assessing World Bank Group experience phase III
World Bank, 2012This report presents an extensive review of the World Bank’s experience dealing with climate variability and climate change, offering valuable lessons on adaptation efforts worldwide. It answers questions in three areas: (i) dealing with climate variability; (ii) factoring climate change risks into investment projects; and (iii) anticipating climate change. In addition to this learning-focused agenda, the evaluation also asks how the Bank Group has performed against climate adaptation goals of the Bank Group’s Strategic Framework for Development and Climate Change (FY09-11).
The evalua ...
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Linkages between population dynamics, urbanization processes and disaster risks: a regional vision of Latin America / Vínculos entre las dinámicas demográficas, los procesos de urbanización y los riesgos de desastres: una visión regional de América Latina
Fernandez Rogelio; Sanahuj Haris; United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); et al. - UN/ISDR, 2012This document presents an analysis of the connections among population dynamics, urbanization processes and disaster risk reduction. Amongst the main findings are that public policies should increase governance and guide urban sustainable development in order to anticipate future levels of exposure, by enhancing land-use plans, climate change adaptation strategies and considering disaster risk management.
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Climate change and agriculture in the United States: effects and adaptation
The report analyses the effects of climate change on U.S. agriculture on the basis of research needs categorized within a vulnerability framework addressing specific actions that would improve understanding of the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to: (i) improve projections of future climate conditions, including extreme temperatures, precipitation, and related variables; (ii) evaluate and develop process-level understanding of the sensitivity of plant and animal production systems; and (iii) develop and extend the knowledge, management strategies and tools needed by U.S. agricultur ...
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Process of managing risk at the lowest level of governance
AIDMI, 2012This issue addresses the process of managing risk at the lowest level of governance and the way this process must be owned by local authorities. It presents articles covering different aspects of process oriented district disaster management (DM) planning in India. The content includes: (i) people led district disaster management; (ii) Puri district disaster management plan; (iii) district disaster management plan (DDMP) of West Champaran; (iv) revision of DM plan framework and process in Gujarat; (v) making district disaster management in Ladakh; (vi) role of state disaster management authori ...
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Long road to resilience: impact and cost-benefit analysis of community-based disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh
This report presents the activities to reduce disaster risk as implemented under the Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) programme between 2005 and 2011 by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. It is structured in three sections: (i) Section A reviews the background of the programme and the evaluation; (ii) section B includes the key findings, relating to relevance, effectiveness, impact, efficiency and sustainability; and (iii) section C presents the implications of those findings.
Flood risk management research in New Zealand
This discussion paper explores existing river flood risk management practices in New Zealand, including the national context for flood risk management and looks at regional practices. The document then provides a brief overview of research in areas that contribute to the better understanding of flood processes, briefly stepping through climate, flood flows and inundation research and considering complexities of coastal catchments, flood vulnerability studies and research around community awareness and preparedness for flood hazards. Finally, the document identifies gaps in flood research, and ...
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Post-hyogo framework for action discussion for increased disaster resilience
ACT, 2012This document outlines ACT Alliance's commitment to humanitarian principles, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), how ACT aims to meet its disaster resilience commitments through the post-HFA framework, and how ACT members can get involved.
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Flood risk, insurance and emergency management in Australia
This paper is based on research being conducted with assistance from the Bushfire CRC on the role of insurance in responding to natural hazards. It identify some causes of underinsurance, with particular reference to floods, and consider steps that individuals, insurers and governments may take to both increase the uptake of insurance whilst also increasing community resilience. This paper reviews the lessons from the Queensland floods (December 2010 – February 2011) and identifies that two major issues are the cost and availability of flood cover. It is argued that if insurers assist with mit ...
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Adaptive governance and resilience: the role of multi-stakeholder platforms in disaster risk reduction+: In Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, 12, 2923–2942
This study aims to provide an analysis of the spatial distribution of vulnerability of urban populations to extreme heat events in Australian capital cities at the present time, and to estimate future vulnerability in relation to projected climate changes.It provides a ‘tool’ to guide short-term, medium-term and longer-term heatwave adaptation policy.
Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in Zimbabwe
IIED, 2012This working paper reviews impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Zimbabwe, with the intention of providing a broad overview of the key issues related to climate change, including the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction at the district, provincial and national levels. It draws on a set of background papers that were produced by the Policy and Advocacy for Climate Change in Zimbabwe project, examining climate trends, scenarios and projections for Zimbabwe and drawing upon a variety of case studies on adaptation projects.
Strengthening disaster risk management capacities in Uzbekistan, issue 3: Summary of annual activities of 2012
UNDP, 2012This issue provides a summary of the disaster risk management activities activities, progress, achievements and efforts carried out by UNDP in Uzbekistan. I covers: (i) youth motivation for disaster risk reduction (DRR); (ii) the help provided to Uzbekistan by a new Disaster Preparedness and Response Group (UN DPRG) in case of a disaster; (iii) the development of practical guidelines for community preparedness for earthquake safety; (iv) the mainstreaming of DRR in schools and the involvement of kids; (v) the establishment of lessons learnt and knowledge exchange platform with the Russian Fede ...
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Flood preparedness in the Netherlands: a US perspective
This report discusses some aspects of Dutch crisis management for flooding and for the recovery period, and gives a description of what the American approach could mean for the Dutch situation. It contains a series of articles in which several aspects of the crisis are addressed: (i) flood response, an introduction; (ii) early warning, forecast, situational assessment and sense making; (iii) self reliance and community involvement in Dutch flood response; (iv) managing the response to large scale floods; (v) vertical evacuation: rethinking urban, rural and social space; (vi) public/private par ...
Social strategies for prevention and adaptation = Estrategias sociales de prevención y adaptación
This document contains 13 case studies from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and its objective is to recuperate ancestral and vernacular knowledge culturally developed and associated with risk prevention in face of recurrent hydro-meteorological hazards, like floods.
Societies have imagined, created, constructed, rejected and returned to imagine, create and construct diverse strategies that allow them to prevent the effects related to the imminent presence of a natural hazard. These processes are associated and are the result of the conditions in which a certain society d ...
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Potential of semi-structural and non-structural adaptation strategies to reduce future flood risk: case study for the Meuse: In Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, 12, 2012
Copernicus Publications, 2012This study assesses how semi-structural and non-structural measures can decrease the flood risk beyond the local level, now and in the future, in the Meuse river basin, in the region of Limburg, in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is aimed: (i) to assess the sensitivity of riverine flood risk to changes in land use and climate; and (ii) to examine the potential of different adaptation strategies at the regional scale to reduce future flood damage and risk. This assessment is the first study of this kind carried out in the Netherlands.
It considers the independent contributi ...
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Comparative flood damage model assessment: towards a European approach: In Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, 12, 2012
Copernicus Publications, 2012This study addresses the recognised gap between what climate science can currently provide and what end users of that information require in order to make robust adaptation decisions about their climate related risks. It identifies five key contributing factors to the gap: (i) uncertainty in climate science; (ii) cognitive bias and challenges of interdisciplinary research; (iii) (mis)understanding and (mis)use of key terminology; (iv) communication (or lack of); and (v) non-climatic influences.
The study aims to bridge this gap between end user needs and science capability by b ...
Environmental legislation for disaster risk management: module 1
Gupta Anil K.; Nair Sreeja S.; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); et al. - India Government, 2012“Environmental Legislation for Disaster Risk Management”, training module is based on the analysis of global context of environmental laws, policies and approaches of integrating environment and disaster risk management. This module cites examples of legal and policy framework from across the world, along with special references to the Indian legal framework and disaster management.
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Geological hazard and risk assessment - Kabupaten Ende, Nusa Tenggara Timur
2012This document reports on a project intended to elaborate and test practical georisk analysis processes in Indonesia, primarily based on existing hazard and vulnerability data. It describes the methodology developed by the project at the local level (Kabupaten scale) and is aimed at delivering practical insight into the steps necessary to undertake 'natural' disaster risk assessment at Kabupaten level. It is intended to support Indonesian governmental authorities in coping with disaster risk management.
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Workshop on enhancing disaster resilience of education sector and communities
This report presents a two-day workshop conducted by the International Environment and Disaster Management (IEDM) Laboratory, Kyoto University, with the participation of officials from the Board of Education from three cities in Tohoku, other cities placing efforts in disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities, and researchers and practitioners endeavoring in DRR. A compilation of reports and discussions from the workshop, this publication analyses various issues concerning school centered community building and DRR education.
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2012 disasters in numbers in Asia
UN/ISDR, 2012An early view of disaster trends in 2012 across Asia, the world's most disaster-prone region, shows that mortality from flood events continues to decline but economic losses remain a major cause of concern.
Resource manual on flash flood risk management - module 3: structural measures
This publication presents the concept of integrated flood management as a component of integrated water resource management. It emphasizes that structural measures are most effective and sustainable when implemented together with appropriate non-structural measures keeping in mind physical measures for slope stabilization and erosion control. The description are simple yet effective, they can be implemented using local and low-cost materials with a minimum of external materials and technical support and a low environmental impact.
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Coherent action by the UN System to reduce disaster risk and build resilience
This background note describes areas of work for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) to enhance the focus on disaster risk reduction and resilience across the UN system. areas
Mainstreaming of DRR into GoB schemes on water and sanitation: gap analysis and way forward
ActionAid International (ActionAid); Concern Universal ; Islamic Relief Worldwide ; et al. - European Commission, 2012The outcome of this study suggests a framework for mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into existing and new schemes / programme of water and sanitation (WatSan) of government of Bangladesh (GoB). The study outcome also suggest various tools and guidelines to provide necessary practical support to responsible officials of GoB involved in planning, decision making, implementing, monitoring etc. to ensure DRR mainstreaming into WatSan.
City resilience in Africa: a ten essentials pilot
Permezel Melissa; Ebalu Oscar; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) - UN/ISDR, 2012This publication reports on the outcomes of a pilot project to ‘operationalize’ the Making Cities Resilient Campaign in three cities in Africa – Narok and Kisumu in Kenya and Moshi in Tanzania, commenced in 2012 by the UNISDR regional office for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. It also describes disaster prevention activities undertaken by pilot cities, and provides assessment and analysis of city resilience according to the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient: 1. Institutional and administrative frameworks; 2. Financing and Resources; 3. Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment – Know Your Risk; 4. Infr ...
Adaptation to climate change – are governments prepared? – a cooperative audit
This joint report presents a cooperative audit based on eight individual national audit reports from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia and Ukraine, and a fact-finding study by the European Court of Auditors. It reveals that the eight countries are in an early stage in adapting to climate change, and, so far, adaptation activities are related to identifying risk and vulnerabilities and to some extent policy development.
Nepal disaster report 2011: policies, practices and lessons
ActionAid International (ActionAid); Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal (DPNet-Nepal); National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET); et al. - Nepal - Government, 2012This report is a compendium of understanding, concepts, experiences and lessons of disaster risk management (DRM), emergency response planning and capacity building in Nepal. It also provides a chronology of the development of DRM processes in the country including government's initiatives in creating suitable policy and legal environments for effective disaster risk reduction (DRR), creation of Disaster Cluster Groups, participation of Nepal in global initiatives in DRR including the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduct ...
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The demand for micro-insurance: a literature review
Why are demand and renewal rates for micro-insurance so low despite the important protection against disasters it may offer? To address the puzzle this paper provides a selective overview of the current state of research on demand from farmers for risk micro-insurance mostly associated to lack and excess of rainfall (drought and flood). It first looks at the theoretical research and then reviews the empirical evidence on the factors influencing risk attitude and demand for disaster insurance from low-income farmers.
Tackling the limits to adaptation: An international framework to address 'loss and damage' from climate change impacts
ActionAid International (ActionAid); Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere - International Secretariat (CARE) ; World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) - ActionAid, 2012This document argues that current and future scale of climate change implies serious loss and damage, especially to the lives and livelihoods of those who are poor, most vulnerable and least to blame.
Flood risk and water management in the Netherlands: a 2012 update
Slomp Robert - Netherlands - Government, 2012This report describes Dutch context of flood risk management, institutions involved, disasters that influence flood risk policy and disaster management, flood protection standards for flood defenses, financial issues, urban planning and the choice not to insure against flood risk.
Towards climate smart disaster risk reduction in Asia: In Southasiadisasters.net, issue no. 88 (November)
This white paper released by the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China provides an overview of the extreme weather and climate events of 2011 in China. Section two asserts addresses climate change and reports that during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, China strengthened scientific research in and impact evaluation of climate change, improved relevant laws and policies, and enhanced the capability of key sectors to adapt to climate change, so as to reduce the negative impact of climate change on economic and social development and people's lives. The sect ...
Regional Meeting for Strengthening Regional Cooperation in Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Services for Disaster Risk Management : Final Meeting Report
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); European Commission - WMO, 2012
Turn down the heat: why a 4°C warmer world must be avoided
This report spells out what the world would be like if it warmed by 4 degrees Celsius, which is what scientists are nearly unanimously predicting by the end of the century, without serious policy changes. It provides a snapshot of recent scientific literature and new analyses of likely impacts and risks that would be associated with a 4° Celsius warming within this century, ranging from sea-level rise to increases in tropical cyclone intensity, unprecedented heat waves, severe drought, and major floods in many regions, with serious impacts on ecosystems and associated services.
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Disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change: experience from German development cooperation
German Government, 2012This publication aims to pinpoint commonalities between disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change. It describes the experience gathered from German development cooperation’s work in seven countries, which we see as a stimulus to aim for more effective and efficient interaction between the two fields and to work towards a significant reduction of risk in our partner countries by implementing risk management measures adapted to the respective conditions.
GFDRR track I: Strengthening regional and global partnerships for disaster risk reduction - A five year retrospective, 2007-2011
Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, the ; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR); World Bank the - GFDRR, 2012This report provides a five year retrospective on the experiences and successes of the Track I of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), which 'provides the financial and technical support to the ISDR system through the ISDR secretariat,' and identifies some pointers for 2013 and beyond. This report focuses only on the period 2007-2011 and reviews in detail the programmatic activities of Track I, including: (i) strengthening the regional architecture for implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 through regional platforms, ministerial meetings, regional st ...
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Adaptation to climate change with a focus on rural areas in India
The publication provides an overview of the main issues in current adaptation discussions and suggests adaptation options in six different fields related to rural areas: (i) agriculture; (ii) forests; (iii) biodiversity; (iv) water resources; (v) coastal zones; and (vi) disaster risk management. It describes concepts and approaches for adaptation and its integration into development planning using examples from India, as well as other parts of the world, to illustrate how existing theory can be put into practice.
TCP. WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones - Thirty-ninth session : final report
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) - WMO, 2012
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G20/OECD methodological framework on disaster risk assessment and risk financing
Group of Twenty, the (G20) ; Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Zoï Environment Network (Zoï) - ZOI Environment Network, 2012This framework is intended to help finance ministries and other governmental authorities in developing more effective disaster risk management strategies and, in particular, financial strategies, building on strengthened risk assessment and risk financing. While the framework does not specifically explore disaster risk reduction policies, it highlights the strong interconnections between disaster risk assessment, risk reduction and financial management, key building blocks for dynamic and continually evolving disaster risk management strategies.
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Central Asia mountains: sustainable mountain development from Rio 1992 to 2012 and beyond
Hughes G.; GRID-Arendal ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); et al. - ZOI Environment Network, 2012This report is an illustrated overview of the trends and challenges in sustainable mountain development in Central Asia since 1992. It highlights selected achievements and lessons learned, and identifies opportunities for further progress. It also presents two case studies from Tajikistan addressing the issues of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in mountain regions. The first is a study on the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, and the second is a tree-planting project designed to stabilize hazardous mountain slopes.
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Climate change in Eastern Europe: Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine
This publication explores the impacts of climate change on Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The three countries of Eastern Europe will not be affected as strongly as many other parts of Eurasia, yet they will see more of severe floods and forest fires, decreasing water reserves in the south, and gradual changes in biodiversity, agriculture and food security.
Standardized Precipitation Index User Guide
Over the years, there has been much discussion on what drought indices should be used in a particular climate and for what application. Many drought definitions and indices have been developed and attempts have been made to provide some guidance on this issue.
We hope that this user guide on the Standardized Precipitation Index will help countries and institutions to understand how to calculate and use the SPI in order to develop or further enhance their own drought monitoring and early warning capabilities.
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction story: focus on Brazil
This issue travels to Ceará State in northeastern Brazil, an area that faced increasingly frequent drought conditions, and the efforts of community organizations to develop strategies to minimize the negative impacts from droughts and adapt their livelihoods in such a way that makes families more resilient. It describes how the residents, using techniques to conserve water, enhance agricultural practices, and diversify income sources, have managed to mitigate the risk of drought.
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction story: focus on Indonesia
This edition travels to Indonesia to look at how the country’s disaster management readiness has evolved in recent years. Against the backdrop of a powerful earthquake and aftershock recently occurring off the coast, it explains how the Indian Ocean tsunami early warning system is activated and what transpires. Meanwhile, it also highlights the importance of community-based education campaigns and the development of professional first responder groups. USAID has been a partner in these efforts for many years and is encouraged by all of the good work being done to prepare for the next big event ...
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Pounds of prevention, a disaster risk reduction story: focus on locusts
This issue examines the desert locust, a pest that affects the lives of millions of people in more than 65 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia, an area that represents about 20 percent of the earth’s surface. It presents the case of Mauritania, one of several countries in West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East to benefit from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s locust prevention system known as the EMPRES Program, to which USAID and other donors contribute.
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Green Water Defense for Flood Risk Management in East Asia
The purpose of the ‘Green Water Defense in East Asia’ study is to take stock of advances in management practices, institutional and technological innovations for managing water resources under changing climate. The focus of this note is on green water defense for flood risk management in deltas and other areas vulnerable to flooding.
Nigeria national capacity assessment report on disaster risk reduction
Dia AliouMamadou; Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); et al. - United Nations, 2012This publication identifies gaps and challenges Nigeria is currently facing to fully engage in preventing, mitigating and reducing natural disaster risks. The assessment is also an opportunity to clearly identify existing capacities both at national and state levels, to understand desired capacities, and to propose recommendations on how they can be further developed and strengthened.
It focuses on national and state capacities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) using the indicators set for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. It looks into five technical areas o ...
Recognise the strength of women and girls in reducing disaster risks: stories from Viet Nam
This publication aims to raise awareness on the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It aims to tell the story behind the larger issues and show the visible force behind lasting change. For example, how a girl saved her father’s life from drowning; how a woman is devoting all her time and energy into teaching ethnic minority children how to better protect themselves; how girls express their concerns for an uncertain future in their own innovative way; how working with women in disaster preparedness and response can achieve better results, and through many more truly inspirati ...
Climate ExChange
Climate ExChange is a fully illustrated 250-page book with over 100 authors relating their work in weather, climate and water services at international, regional, national and local levels. The commentaries draw upon experiences around the world reflecting how people are using climate information to improve their lives. Climate ExChange reflects the progress and challenges in these fields, highlighting good practices in a wide variety of societies and disciplines.
Children’s action for disaster risk reduction: views from children in Asia
This publication provides children and youth in Asia a platform to report on progress made towards "the need to protect women, children and other vulnerable groups from the disproportionate impacts of disaster and to empower them to promote resiliency within their communities and workplaces" (as recognized in the declaration adopted in Incheon by the Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2010) from their own point of view. Previous surveys conducted with children globally show that their views on local governance for disaster risk reduction often tend to be less positive th ...
Aid investments in disaster risk reduction: rhetoric to action
This report uses the latest available data, to analyse aid investments in disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the period immediately following the United Nations’ (UN) 2005 Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), and looks in detail at the policies and investment profiles of 24 of the leading aid donors.
Local flood early warning system (LFEWS)
This document reports on Philippines Region 8's accumulated experience and knowledge in the setting up and management of local flood early warning systems (LFEWS), which aims to reduce human vulnerability and suffering by monitoring sources of floods, predicting where and when floods could possibly happen, identifying who would be affected and strengthening the capacity of local disaster risk reduction and management institutions to make informed decisions. It describes the impacts observed in terms of saving lives and properties, improving institutional performance of local governments and in ...
An exploration of the link between development, economic growth, and natural risk
This paper investigates the link between development, economic growth, and the economic losses from natural disasters in a general analytical framework, with an application to hurricane flood risks in New Orleans. It concludes that where capital accumulates through increased density of capital at risk in a given area, and the costs of protection therefore increase more slowly than capital at risk, (i) protection improves over time and the probability of disaster occurrence decreases; (ii) capital at risk -- and thus economic losses in case of disaster -- increases faster than economic growth; ...
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Report of the Adaptation Fund Board: note by the chair of the Adaptation Fund Board
This report responds to the decision requesting the Adaptation Fund Board to report on its activities at each session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), and covers the period from 30 November 2011 to 30 June 2012. It contains information on decisions and actions taken by the Adaptation Fund Board to be noted by the CMP. Disaster risk reduction is one of the sectors targeted in the 14 proposals approved for funding.
Tortillas on the roaster: Central American maize-bean systems and the changing climate
This study predicts the potential impacts that climate change will have on the production of maize and beans, the two most important food crops in Central America. Using state-of-the-art climate models and GIS tools, agronomic research and socio-economic analyses, it makes recommendations to climate change adaptation strategies tailored to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The results of the study are intended to fill a critical gap in the knowledge of the impacts of climate change on maize/bean production in Central America, in order for stakeholders to shift from a position of ...
Reducing vulnerability and exposure to disasters: Asia-Pacific disaster report 2012
The primary conviction of this report is driven by a concern that people’s exposure and vulnerability, experienced individually and collectively, continue to be twin challenges for the Asia-Pacific region. Faced with growing economic losses and increasingly vulnerable populations, this report has analyzed the drivers of risks and the strategies that are in place to deal with the growing risks.
The report has pursued three primary questions that all dedicated collaborators in the region need to join, “How do they and the people with whom they work understand the disaster risks in ...
Learning from megadisasters knowledge notes
This document includes a set of 32 notes grouped into six thematic clusters: (i) structural measures; (ii) non-structural measures; (iii) emergency response; (iv) reconstruction planning; (v) hazard and risk information and decision making; and (vi) economics of disaster risk, risk management, and risk financing. The notes are collecting and analyzing information, data, and evaluations performed by academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and the private sector—all with the objective of sharing Japan’s knowledge on disaster risk management (DRM) ...
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Disaster prevention and reconstruction from a gender equal society perspective: Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake
This special section of the annual white paper on gender equality 2012 provides an analysis and proposal under the theme of disaster prevention and reconstruction from a gender equal society perspective. It addresses the need to improve and strengthen disaster prevention and mitigation measures in anticipation of large-scale events similar to the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the future. It examines the Great East Japan Earthquake as it happened as well as the government’s response to the event from the perspective of a gender equal society. It also clarifies any lesson ...
Gender equality in emergencies programme insights
To mark International day for Disaster Risk reduction (IDDR) 2012, Oxfam has published a new collection of programme insights papers bringing together experiences, lessons and good practice from Oxfam and its partners work in emergencies and on disaster risk reduction (DRR). As the number and complexity of hazards and disasters are increasing rapidly, and with the ample evidence that women and girls are often more vulnerable to disasters than men and boys, the series features five case studies on gender and DRR or humanitarian programming in DR Congo, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kenya. Th ...
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Extreme weather events and crop price spikes in a changing climate: illustrative global simulation scenarios
Willenbockel D. - Oxfam, 2012Agriculture is highly sensitive to climate variability and weather extremes. Various impact studies have considered the effects of projected long-run trends in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide concentrations caused by climate change on global food production and prices. However, according to this study, an area that remains underexplored is the food price impacts that may result from an expected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The study uses a global dynamic multi-region computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to explore the potential food pri ...
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Climate change, water stress, conflict and migration
UNESCO, 2012This collection of papers, presented at the symposium ‘Climate change, water stress, conflict and migration’ held on 21 September 2011 in the Netherlands, highlight how climate change, water stress and other environmental problems threaten human security. For example, the paper by Muniruzzaman ilustrates how water ignores political and community boundaries, and how decisions in one place can significantly affect water use elsewhere. India’s plans to build more dams could, for instance, have devastating affects for Pakistan’s agricultural productivity which is highly dependent on water supply f ...
Options for including disaster resilience in post-2015 development goals
ODI, 2012This Background Note discusses potential indicators and targets for including a specific goal on disaster resilience in the post-2015 development framework, as well as considering the opportunities for building disaster resilience into indicators for other sector goals, and what these might be.
It looks at how to measure these, what baselines exist and whether data are available. It also examines some of the opportunities and challenges, such as options for including humanitarian assistance within a new framework.
It concludes by setting out criteria that can be u ...
Storm surges and coastal erosion in Bangladesh - State of the system, climate change impacts and 'low regret' adaptation measures
The effects of global environmental change, including coastal flooding stemming from storm surges as well as reduced rainfall in drylands and water scarcity, have detrimental effects on countries and megacities in the costal regions worldwide. Among these, Bangladesh with its capital Dhaka is today widely recognised to be one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change and its triggered associated impacts. Natural hazards that come from increased rainfall, rising sea levels, and tropical cyclones are expected to increase as climate changes, each seriously affecting agriculture, water & fo ...
Building urban resilience: principles, tools and practice
World Bank, 2012This report is divided into three major sections designed to give urban planners and practitioners an intuitive and easy way to build elements of resilience into their urban governance and city planning. It includes case studies and tables providing good practice examples and further details.
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Learning Lessons: ADB’s Response to Natural Disasters and Disaster Risks
ADB, 2012Natural disasters triggered by extreme hazards have increased sharply worldwide since the 1980s, as measured in lives lost, displaced people, and financial cost. Asia and the Pacific have borne the brunt of the physical and economic damage. This brief highlights lessons and recommendations from an independent evaluation report that assessed ADB support for disaster prevention and recovery programs during 1995–2011. The evaluation finds that disaster recovery projects have been much more successful than ADB-supported projects overall. Nonetheless, it also finds that most ADB country programs ha ...
Commonwealth finance ministers report 2012-2013
Henley Media Group, 2012This book considers building financial resilience against 'natural' disasters and climate change through an article from Francis Ghesquiere and Olivier Mahul, from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The article discusses the challenges created by 'natural' disasters and climate change to fiscal account management and outline steps that governments should take to overcome them. The article is featured on page 185.
The overall publication includes over 40 articles aimed to foster debate and collaboration in the weeks preceding the Commonwealth Financ ...
CMDRR forum bulletin, 7th issue, August 2012
DAM, 2012This bulletin gives an account of some important events and initiatives of the CMDRR Forum, Bangladesh. This issue captures: (i) the observance of Environment day, National Disaster Preparedness Day (NDPD) 2012 and the organizing of Climate Change Fair 2012; (ii) 'Capacity building of the community', a workshop on climate change impact and coping mechanism for the sustainable livelihood of people living in Haor; (iii) a seminar on climate change vulnerability and coastal people’s livelihood organized by ADD International; and (iv) District level sharing meetings on disaster risk reduction and ...
Feeling the heat: the human cost of poor preparation for disasters
Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2012This report shows the positive difference Islamic Relief Worldwide is beginning to make in the area of disaster risk reduction (DRR) by highlighting how village disaster committees and earthworks to raise people’s houses have reduced the impact of seasonal flooding in north-western Bangladesh. It shows how irrigated vegetable growing and microfinance loans for small businesses are helping former pastoralists to build new livelihoods in north-eastern Kenya that are less vulnerable to drought. It provides evidence that being better prepared can save money as well as lives and shows that it can b ...
Bivariate analysis and synthesis of flood events for the design of hydraulic structures – a case study for Argentina
A bibliographic review of the state of art of flood estimation techniques shows the importance of studying floods as multivariate events. The aim of this work is to discuss whether a multivariate analysis is necessary for designing dams or for assessing the adequacy of spillways belonging to existing dams. A multivariate approach offers a range of possible events associated to a joint return period, which can be used in a design stage. The multivariate criterion includes information related with the dependence structure linking the flood variables. This dependence is involved in the generation ...
Building urban resilience to climate change: what works where, and why
This document reports on a resilience-building curriculum that includes laying the groundwork for addressing climate change and climate resilience, conducting a climate change vulnerability and risk assessment, and using this assessment and other materials to prepare an initial resilience strategy, developed in 15 cities in 5 countries — Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Thailand and the United States.
All risks are local: making district disaster management plan in India: In Southasiadisasters.net, issue no. 86, July 2012
This issue addresses local actions in disaster risk reduction, asserting that all risks are reduced locally in the end. It presents articles covering different aspects of the development of district disaster management plan, focusing on Bihar, India. the content includes: (i) making district disaster management plan pro poor: local experience; (ii) a human rights-based approach and district disaster management plans; (iii) placing community first; (iv) a change of mind is needed; (v) embankment legacies and their effects on social systems; (vi) resilience and the district disaster management p ...
The global partnership for development: making rhetoric a reality - MDG Gap Task Force report 2012
United Nations (UN); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) - United Nations, 2012As a pressing priority, this report calls for affordable access to new technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster risk management, recalling the commitment of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the conference held in Durban from 28 November to 11 December 2011 and the need to make sure the Green Climate Fund and the Technology Mechanism become operational in 2012.
Coastal communities and climate change: maintaining future insurability
Lloyd's, 2012This report looks at the impact of climate change on flood risk at a number of coastal locations around the world, considering sea-level rise, the effect of wind speed on storm surges and, at one location, changes in land use. It investigates the impact on: (i) an unprotected property with no flood defences on a Caribbean island, the coasts of which are exposed to hurricanes and their associated storm surges; (ii) a building on the coast of a northern European country protected by flood defences against up to a 1-in-100 year storm surge event; (iii) a property on the coast of a northern Europe ...
State of the world’s cities 2012/2013: the prosperity of cities
This Report focuses on the notion of prosperity and its realisation in urban areas. It calls for a new type of city – one that: (i) is more 'people-centred;' (ii) includes vital dimensions such as quality of life, adequate infrastructures, equity and environmental sustainability; (iii) reduces disaster risks and vulnerabilities for the poor; (iv) builds resilience; (v) creates harmony; and (vi) promotes prosperity; and stimulates local job creation and social diversity. It recommends that those engaged in development work need to explore a more inclusive notion of prosperity and development.
Emerging DRR needs in the changing context of Myanmar
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC); French Red Cross (CRF) ; Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS); et al. - MRCS, 2012This document reports on a consultation intended to discuss the future disaster risk reduction (DRR) needs in Myanmar at national and local (field) levels in the changing context of Myanmar. It aimed to identify emerging issues, which needs to be further deliberated, and suitable actions to be identified to contribute towards a resilient development and a realignment of the DRR strategy and interventions by Governmental Bodies, UN Agencies, the Red Cross, NGOs and CBOs in Myanmar.
Post disaster governance, complexity and network theory: evidence from Aceh, Indonesia after the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004
This research aims to understand the inter-organizational network typology of large scale disaster intervention in developing countries and to understand complexity of post disaster intervention through the use of network theory based on empirical data from post tsunami reconstruction in Aceh, Indonesia, during 2005-2007. It addresses the ‘poly-centric’ features of emergency and reconstruction management, which promotes the notion that there are many overlapping centers of authority and responsibility for disaster risk reduction and post disaster intervention.
Managing drought risk on the ranch: a planning guide for great plains ranchers
National Drought Mitigation Center ; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), 2012This guide is designed to help rangeland managers to better prepare for and manage drought. For ranchers in the United States, drought can be defined as too little soil moisture to meet the needs of dominant forage species during their rapid growth windows. The longer you wait to make decisions, the fewer options you will have available to you and producers who focus on increasing flexibility and maximizing the health of resources are more likely to find solutions during drought that minimize painful decisions with limited resources. Accordingly, having a plan will help producers get through a ...
Multi-hazard business continuity management guide : Guide for small and medium enterprises
ILO, 2012This document is intended to contribute to increase constituents’ resilience, mitigate risks and enhance preparedness for crisis and business recovery. The scope covers different types of major-scale, natural hazards, i.e. geophysical, hydrological, meteorological, climate and biological, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tropical storms, over-floods, flash flows, mud flows, droughts, desertification and landslides. It aims to inform and guide decision makers and technical service providers on how to manage business continuity vis-à-vis the multiple hazards that may threat t ...
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Food Security: Near future projections of the impact of drought in Asia
This analysis suggests that climate change will affect us all sooner than we expected. The aim of the report is to encourage further debate and instigate action among policy makers and business leaders.
FONDEN: Mexico’s natural disaster fund – A review
This report aims to share Mexico’s considerable achievements on financial management of natural disasters with other governments. The report outlines the evolution of FONDEN to date and highlights aspects of particular bearing and applicability to other disaster-prone countries. The report is of particular relevance to middle-income countries but also contains important messages for both high- and low-income countries. It is hoped that this report will contribute to the dialogue on financial disaster risk management and inspire innovation elsewhere, leading to the improved financial management ...
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