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Sorted by (Issue date descending, Date of update descending, Date of creation descending, Number of collection descending) Add the result to your favourites Refine your searchMediterranean ecological footprint trends
Global Footprint Network, 2012The Mediterranean’s ever-widening ecological deficit and its economic implications is the main theme of the new Mediterranean Ecological Footprint Trends report, the result of a two-year study by Global Footprint Network and the focus of the conference.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 ...Measuring Glacier Change in the Himalayas: In UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS), September 2012
UNEP, 2012A serious lack of reliable and consistent data severely hampers scientific knowledge about the state of Himalayan glaciers. As a result, the contribution of glacial melt to the Himalayan river basins remains uncertain. This is of grave importance because declining water availability could threaten the food security of more than 70 million people. There is thus an urgent need to improve cross-boundary scientific collaboration and monitoring of glaciers to bridge the knowledge gap and allow policy options to be based on appropriate scientific evidence.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 ...“Paris Declaration” Green Growth and Climate Change Commitments: the ICT Sector Shows the Way
ITU, 2012The ICT industry is at the forefront of the efforts to tackle climate change and meet resource efficiency challenges with the potential to reduce global CO2 emissions by 15% by 2020 (relative to 1990 levels). A key for the realisation of this strategy is the development of green ICT standards, which has been the focus of the second Green Standards Week (Paris, 17 – 21 September).
Assessment and modelling of climate variability and change in Cameroon (central Africa)
Cameroon is located on the west coast of central Africa. It is home to about twenty millions inhabitants relying upon rain‐fed agriculture for food security. With the increasing pressure of climate change, other activities for sustainable development such as transport, energy, water, livestock and urban settlement are also facing an increasing threat due to extreme climate and weather events. In some cases today’s climate extremes are expected to become tomorrow’s ‘normal’ weather. This assumption stresses the need of understanding the past, the current and hopefully to project local climate b ...Developing a climate-smart agriculture strategy at the country level: lessons from recent experience
Since the Global Conference on Climate Change, Food Security and Agriculture held at the Hague in 2010, the concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained increasing attention at international and national levels, with several countries initiating related activities. The objective of this paper is to highlight recent experiences with country-level implementation of CSA to identify some key lessons to incorporate in ongoing efforts to expand the use of the approach in developing countries. Section 1 describes the evolution of the concept of CSA since the Hague conference. Section 2 i ...Climate vulnerability monitor
DARA, 2012The Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2nd Edition reveals that climate change has already held back global development and inaction is a leading global cause of death. Harm is most acute for poor and vulnerable groups but no country is spared either the costs of inaction or the benefits of an alternative path.
Commissioned by the world’s most vulnerable countries and backed by high-level and technical panels, the new Monitor estimates human and economic impacts of climate change and the carbon economy for 184 countries in 2010 and 2030, across 34 indicators.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.Greening the economy with climate-smart agriculture
Agriculture has to address simultaneously three intertwined challenges: ensuring food security through increased productivity and income, adapting to climate change and contributing to climate change mitigation. To accomplish this, food systems have to become, at the same time, more efficient and resilient, at every scale from the farm level to the global level. Radical changes are needed in agricultural and food systems. These changes can play an essential role in greening the economy and contributing to sustainable development. This paper considers the intertwined challenges of food sec ...Climate change adaptation in Grenada: water resources, coastal ecosystems and renewable energy
This study attempts to encourage practical implementation of climate change adaptation programmes and their integration into national plans for sustainable development. It argues that the assessment process must evolve over time to fit continuously changing climate change impacts, conditions, priorities and national sustainable development criteria. The publication summarises initial analysis, findings and proposals of three critical areas for Grenada: water resources, costal ecosystems and renewable energy systems. The study concludes with a number of recommendations. For example, in terms of ...The critical decade: Queensland climate impacts and opportunities
Queensland’s climate is already changing and is likely to change further in the future, posing significant risks for the state. The next chapter of the climate story is about how Queenslanders, and Australians, can find solutions that minimise the risks of climate change while providing extra benefits for our health, community, economy and environment.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.Ocean-Based Food Security Threatened in a High CO2 World : a Ranking of Nations’ Vulnerability to Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
Emissions from human activities are changing the ocean’s chemistry and temperature in ways that threaten the livelihoods of those who depend on fish and seafood for all or part of their diets. The changes may reduce the amount of wild caught seafood that can be supplied by the oceans and also redistribute species, changing the locations at which seafood can be caught and creating instability for ocean-based food security, or seafood security. This report ranks nations based on the seafood security hardships they may experience by the middle of this century due to changing ocean conditions from ...
Projection of crop yield in Bhutan under climate change using PRECIS regional climate model
Bhutan is classified as one of the forty-eight least developed countries with farmers comprising more than two-thirds of its total population. The agriculture sector, which is a significant contributor to the country’s gross domestic product, has been vulnerable to extreme climate events in recent decades. As an effort to address the potential challenges it will face under climate change, this thesis projects the yields of three primary crops grown in Bhutan, rice, wheat and maize, for the period 2030 to 2050, based on climate projections by the PRECIS regional climate model.
In this st ...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 ...
Southern African rainfall physical mechanisms and projected Climate Change with a special focus on Zimbabwe
Aimed at understanding the physical mechanisms driving rainfall systems in southern Africa with a particular focus on Zimbabwe, this research is a step towards improving the representation of those systems in Climate Models leading to improved Rainfall projections. Because RCMs such as PRECIS are good at resolving subtle systems which modify local climates and possibly mask the anticipated anthropogenic induced (rainfall) change, its use in regions such as Zimbabwe that have complex terrain is crucial. Understanding the physical mechanisms that control rainfall in the current climate also prov ...
Capturing Recent Climate Variations in the Extreme Southern Caribbean with Projections for the Near and Medium Terms: A Downscaling Approach for Trinidad and Tobago
To mitigate adverse effects of future extremes in climate in the extreme southern Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago require a sound understanding of the science of the climate, along with realistic and region specific projection outputs; in order that an effective response can be provided by respective regions. As a step towards achieving this, downscaling GCM outputs through RCMs is useful at the local and regional scales because it can provide finer detailed and more user friendly output required for planning. Moreover, it is an avenue through which more profound understanding of the ...Good Practices in Building Innovative Rural Institutions to Increase Food Security
Continued population growth, urbanization and rising incomes are likely to continue to put pressure on food demand. International prices for most agricultural commodities are set to remain at 2010 levels or higher, at least for the next decade (OECD-FAO, 2010). Small-scale producers in many developing countries were not able to reap the benefits of high food prices during the 2007-2008 food price crises. Yet, this upward food price trend could have been an opportunity for them to increase their incomes and food security. The opportunity that high food prices could have provided as a pat ...
Lesotho Climate Change Projections
Lesotho is a small mountainous country is southern Africa. Lesotho is a temperate region that has four distinct seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is among countries that are vulnerable to climate change impacts. As such, future climate projections are vital to the country. Lesotho has submitted her first and the only report (FNC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2000. The report includes vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessment developed using the first generation low resolution Global Climate Models (GCMs) output. This study was aimed ...Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security
National Academies Press, 2012Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human wat ...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.The Global Water Crisis: Addressing an Urgent Security Issue
Bigas Harriet; Axworthy Thomas S.; UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH); et al. - UNU, 2012In March 2011, high-level experts from around the world were invited to Toronto, Canada, to meet with members of the InterAction Council about the status of the world’s freshwater supply as it relates to global security issues (see List of Participants in this volume). These experts reported that that the global water crisis is real and that there is urgency in addressing the growing number of security risks associated with threatened water supply and quality. They also, however, expressed hope and identified opportunities that can be realized by the timely triggering of change in policies, in ...Case Study: Communicating Modeled Information for Adaptation Decision Making
By examining the HighNoon project in north India, this case study explores how adaptation-relevant information can best be packaged and disseminated to different users and audiences at the state, district, and block levels. It also explores what kinds of information are of most interest to various stakeholders and how different types of information can contribute to adaptation decision making.Investment decision making under deep uncertainty - application to climate change
While agreeing on the choice of an optimal investment decision is already difficult for any diverse group of actors, priorities, and world views, the presence of deep uncertainties further challenges the decision-making framework by questioning the robustness of all purportedly optimal solutions. This paper summarizes the additional uncertainty that is created by climate change, and reviews the tools that are available to project climate change (including downscaling techniques) and to assess and quantify the corresponding uncertainty. Assuming that climate change and other deep uncertainties ...Climate change, agriculture and food security in Tanzania
The consequences of climate change for agriculture and food security in developing countries are of serious concern. Due to their reliance on rain-fed agriculture, both as a source of income and consumption, many low-income countries are considered to be the most vulnerable to climate change. This paper estimates the impact of climate change on food security in Tanzania. Representative climate projections are used in calibrated crop models to predict crop yield changes for 110 districts in the country. The results are in turn imposed on a highly-disaggregated, recursive dynamic economy-wide mo ...Climate and clean air coalition to reduce short-lived climae pollutants (CCAC)
The Coalition's initial focus is on methane, black carbon, and HFCs. At the same time, Partners recognize that action on Short lived climate pollutants must complement and supplement, not replace, global action to reduce carbon dioxide, in particular efforts under the UNFCCC.
The Coalition's objectives are to address short lived climate pollutants by: Raising awareness of short lived climate pollutant impacts and mitigation strategies; Enhancing and developing new national and regional actions, including by identifying and overcoming barriers, enhancing capacity, and mobilizing ...Knowledge Centre on Cities and Climate Change
This Knowledge Centre on Cities and Climate Change (in short: K4C) helps you to keep track of what is happening in the field of cities and climate change, by serving as a platform for sharing experiences and best practices, as well as facilitating exchange of innovative initiatives.
K4C provides you with access to hundreds of publications and reports and a world map provides you with an overview of cities, countries and regions for which good practice examples and documents are available. Moreover, through K4C you can get in touch directly with institutions and communities that are prom ...Climate Change and Price Volatility: Can We Count on the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve?
ADB, 2012On 12 July 2012, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three intergovernmental agreement establishing the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) entered into force. In this paper, lead author Roehlano Briones, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, assesses the effectiveness of APTERR as a mechanism for addressing food security in light of the rising challenges of climate change and price volatility. Using Riceflow, a model of the global rice economy, he studies the possible impacts of APTERR releases on the rice market by simu ...Impact of climate change on children in Nepal : research report
Plan International, 2012This study assesses children and key stakeholders' perception of the impact of climate change on children's well-being and evaluates children's access to disaster risk management and climate change adaptation information. It also records the current adaptation practices and suggests ways to address some key climate change issues. The study addresses the existing dearth of research in demonstrating the best way to reduce the adverse effects of changing climate, particularly on the most marginalised and vulnerable people in South Asian countries, including Nepal. It is intended to policy makers ...
Building resilience to disasters in the Western Balkans and Turkey
WMO, 2012This brochure describes; (i) UNISDR and WMO's joint programme Building resilience to disasters in the Western Balkans and Turkey; (ii) its objectives, in line with the priorities set by the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 - Building resilience of nations and communities to disasters; (iii) the project activities, which focus on disaster risk reduction capacity building, knowledge management and disaster risk transfer and community based disaster management for UNISDR, and on risk assessment, meteorological and hydrological forecast, enabling climate risk management in decision-making, and ...
Progress report - An update on worldwide GCOS projects: in Meteorological Technology International, May 2012
The Global Climate Observing System has accelerated its program to help implement a number of renovation projects in developing areas around the world.Green Accounting and Data Improvement for Water Resources
Winpenny James; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - UNESCO, 2012 (UNESCO Side publications series-No. 02)Water makes a critical contribution to all aspects of personal welfare and economic life. However, global water resources are coming under increasing pressure. It is widely recognized that over the next few decades global drivers such as climate change, population growth and improving living standards will increase pressure on the availability, quality and distribution of water resources. Managing the impacts of these drivers to maximize social and economic welfare will require intelligent policy and management responses at all levels of collection, production and distribution of water. The go ...Crop yield response to water
Steduto Pasquale; Hsiao Theodore C.; Fereres Elias; et al. - FAO, 2012 (FAO irrigation and drainage paper-No. 66)Food production and water use are inextricably linked. Water has always been the main factor limiting crop production in much of the world where rainfall is insufficient to meet crop demand. With the ever-increasing competition for finite water resources worldwide and the steadily rising demand for agricultural commodities, the call to improve the efficiency and productivity of water use for crop production, to ensure future food security and address the uncertainties associated with climate change, has never been more urgent.IAEA Annual Report 2011
IAEA, 2012"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released its annual report for 2011. The report highlights, inter alia, its research activities on climate change issues in the oceans, isotope applications in hydrology and climate studies, and nuclear energy as a mitigation option.
The report indicates that the Agency strengthened its research activities to monitor radionuclides in the marine and terrestrial environment, and to study climate change issues in the oceans, in particular to study the impact of ocean acidification and climate change on oceanographic processes, ecos ...An evaluation of India's national action plan on climate change
This document evaluates the design of the eight missions of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which were created to advance India's development and define its approach to climate mitigation and adaptation: (i) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture; (ii) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency; (iii) National Mission for a Green India; (iv) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat; (v) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem; (vi) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change; (vii) National Solar Mission; and (viii) National Wate ...
SMOC, 160. Evaluación del Estado de Necesidades para Observaciones Climáticas en América del Sur 2003‐2011
Centro Internacional para la Investigación del Fenómeno de El Niño (CIIFEN); Organización Meteorológica Mundial (OMM); Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) - OMM, 2012La Secretaría del Sistema de Observación Climática Global (GCOS), junto con el Centro Internacional para la Investigación del Fenómeno de El Niño (CIIFEN) ha iniciado un proceso para organizar un taller de “Estrategia de Implementación” para los países de América del Sur. Para lograr esto, fue realizado un taller en el cual asistieron representantes de las instituciones involucradas, usuarios, aliados estratégicos y posibles donantes, con el fin de discutir acciones para continuar con la implementación GCOS Regional Action Plan for South America del 2004. La presente evaluación contiene inform ...Report on the workshop on equitable access to sustainable development
UNFCCC, 2012A workshop on equitable access to sustainable development (EASD) was organized by the secretariat, under the guidance of the Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA), and was held on 16 May 2012 in Bonn, Germany. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on EASD and equity in general, including on the following: the context for equity and EASD; the definition of equity; application of the equity principle; and possible next steps. Discussion points included the following: decoupling carbon dioxide emissions f ...The connection between climate change and recent extreme weather events
What do we know about the connection between climate change and recent extreme weather events, such as the heat waves, drought, and fires? This fact sheet summarizes scientists' statements that climate change has already primed the pump for extreme weather events.Perspectivas de investigación y acción frente al cambio climático en Latinoamérica
Briones Fernando; Red de Estudios Sociales en Prevención de Desastres en América (LA RED) - LA RED, 2012This report explores practical approaches to building urban resilience, focusing on tools and methodologies that can facilitate the use of risk information in public infrastructure investment and urban management decisions as integral elements of reducing disaster and climate risks. It demonstrates that risk-based methodology focused on building urban resilience can be implemented within a range of contexts, with risk assessments as crucial tools for decision-makers. It encourages national, local and city level governments to invest in geospatial risk information, as well as making risk inform ...Sea level rise and the Freely Associated States: addressing environmental migration under the compacts of free association
Dema Briana - Columbia Law School, 2012This paper is concerned with rising sea levels that have the potential to submerge coastal regions and displace millions of people. It reports on how current international legal frameworks applicable to refugees and immigrants will offer little protection to citizens of Freely Associated States (FAS) displaced by rising sea levels. The FAS are sovereign nations (Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau) that have negotiated Compacts of Free Association with the United States, under which the U.S. provides the states with certain types of assistance. It addresses how current refugee and immigrat ...Explaining extreme events of 2011 from a climate perspective
Peterson Thomas C.; Stott Peter A.; Herring Stephanie; et al. - U.S. Government printing office, 2012This report focuses on a way to foster the growth of explaining the causes of specific extreme disaster events in near-real time. It provides an assessment on causes of historical changes in temperature and precipitation extremes worldwide to provide a long-term perspective for the events discussed in 2011. It encourages the development of an objective criteria for defining extreme weather and climate events ahead of time, and applying predetermined methodologies to minimize risk. This report should help develop the means of communicating assessments of the extent to which natural and anthropo ...Information for climate change adaptation: lessons and needs in South Asia
This wokring paper aims to identify barriers to information use for climate adaptation in South Asia. It serves as background for a South Asian regional workshop that will bring together adaptation information users and producers to inform likely new investments in the information base for climate adaptation. This paper aims to support progress toward the regional workshop's objectives by: (i) identifying barriers to effective information production, access, and application in the South Asian region; (ii) posing a practical vocabulary for characterizing relevant information types; (iii) articu ...Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation (HARITA) quarterly report: October 2011–December 2011
Swiss Re, 2012This report discusses the Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation (HARITA) project, which is an integrated risk management framework to enable poor farmers in drought-prone areas of Ethiopia to strengthen their food and income security through a combination of improved resource management (risk reduction), insurance (risk transfer), and microcredit (prudent risk taking). It addresses the critical need to build rural resilience for climate change adaptation to address global poverty, focusing on farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. It specifically demonstrates how cash-p ...Annual disaster statistical review 2011: the numbers and trends
In 2011, 332 natural disasters1 were registered, less than the average annual disaster frequency observed from 2001 to 2010 (384). However, the human and economic impacts of the disasters in 2011 were massive. Natural disasters killed a total of 30 773 people and caused 244.7 million victims worldwide (see Figure 1). Economic damages from natural disasters were the highest ever registered, with an estimated US$ 366.1 billion [...]Adapting to climate-change induced water stress in the Nile basin
This summary report addresses the need for national and intergovernmental projects to reduce the impact of climate change on the Nile River basin. It indicates that any future changes in water quantity and quality caused by climate change will have a negative impact on economies, environment, and livelihoods in the Nile region. Provided in this summary report is information to help governments decide a better course of action for dealing with high population growth and rising levels of water scarcity, such as creating measures that will have both a local effect and positively impact countries. ...
Technical Report Series, 01. Climate and Meteorological information requirements for water management : a review of issues
In providing better understanding between climate and water management, this review will, where relevant, adopt the approach of a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). As well as some recent initiatives noted in the preceding section, the basic data requirements and methods for water management are covered in the WMO Guide to Hydrological Practices (Ref. 7). In Volume I, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 deal with the climate observations required for water management, whilst Volume II deals with applications and management activities. Table II.4.1 from that publication is a part ...Accessing International Funding for Climate Change Adaptation - A Guidebook for Developing Countries
Noragric Report, 66. Management for adaptation to climate change : Mid-term review of a project implemented by Total Land Care, Malawi
The Management for Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) project in Malawi is implemented by Total Land Care (TLC) with funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Malawi and a 5 years time frame from 2008 to mid 2013. The key objectives of the project are to reduce deforestation, to improve household food security and incomes, and to develop rural-based enterprises. The review team found the project in line with Malawian as well as Norwegian development policy. TLC also has an extensive and good cooperation with Malawian NGOs as well as with international organisations, both in Malawi and abroa ...State of Arab cities 2012
UN-Habitat, 2012This report, the first report in the UN-Habitat series on the state of cities to focus on the Arab world, highlights issues of environmental and natural disasters, risk and vulnerability, within a collective picture of urban conditions and trends in each of four Arab regions - Maghreb, Mashreq, Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) and Southern Tier. It provides a discussion of the similarities, differences and linkages between these countries in the context of a larger Arab region.Socially just adaptation to climate change
This study explores how far social justice is considered in local adaptations to climate change impacts across the UK. It was undertaken just as the UK Government increased its commitment to the adaptation agenda – at the same time as public-sector funding cuts reduced the scope and scale of climate change activities at the local level. Its findings are relevant for all bodies operating at this level whose climate change adaptation activities impact on vulnerable communities. The study provides a wealth of insights into how social justice can be incorporated into adaptation planning. It was in ...Down to earth: territorial approach to climate change - Green, Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Development Strategies at the Sub-national Level, 2012 update
UNDP, 2012This guidebook provides background information on Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and sets out processes for assessing the capacity and needs at community levels to further identify future steps to improve ECD in DRR. Furthermore, it addresses the vulnerability faced by children and the efforts to mitigate underlying causes of these vulnerabilities. Beyond national and international, policy and political issues, DRR occurs within communities and at the programme level. DRR processes and activities have the potential to address the special needs of young chi ...Climate change: is the UK preparing for flooding and water scarcity? : (Adaptation sub-committee progress report 2012)
CCC, 2012This progress report assesses how well the United Kingdom is preparing for climate change. According the report, four times as many properties are at risk of flooding in England without action on climate change. The report uses a set of national indicators to help assess adaptation progress on two of the largest risks to the English regions: flooding and droughts. The report analyses and provides advice to the government for its upcoming adaptation programme.Climate change education for sustainable development in Small Island Developing States : report and recommendations
UNESCO, 2012This report summarizes the key outcomes of a three-day meeting which discussed and reflected on the challenges that climate change poses to education systems in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and on the role that education must play in adaptation to climate change. Acknowledging that SIDS are already confronted with the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and changes in weather and climate extremes such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones/hurricanes, it considers the need for them to reduce their vulnerability to climate change by strengthening their adaptive c ...A risk management approach to decision making in the Caribbean
This knowledge brief addresses the Caribbean community's concern about the impacts of climate change and the importance of implementing a risk management approach in the region. It encourages Caribbean countries to begin a transformational approach by piloting projects in disaster risk reduction, coastal zone management, and national strategic and budgetary planning. The brief describes an implementation plan that promotes a culture of risk assessment and management in order to guide government decision makers through the perplexity of environmental, social and economic challenges that lie alo ...Food security and climate change: a report by the high level panel of experts on food security and nutrition of the committee on world food security
FAO, 2012This report analyses the connected problem of food security and climate change. It observes that a social vulnerability lens is essential to understand why certain individuals, households or communities experience differences in food insecurity risks, even when they are in the same geographic region. Examples of strategies for community-based adaptation include improving water management practices, adopting practices to conserving soil moisture, organic matter and nutrients, and setting up community-based seeds and grain banks. The report includes the following recommendations: integrate food ...CDP Background Paper, 15. Climate change vulnerability and the identification of least developed countries
This paper reviews the role of climate change vulnerability in identifying least developed countries (LDCs). Taking a sustainable development perspective, it argues that climate change should be seen as an aggravating factor of existing handicaps and many indicators used to identify LDCs already capture relevant structural vulnerabilities to climate change. However, the paper proposes some refinements in the LDC criteria to better capture vulnerabilities from natural disasters and in coastal areas. These refinements affected the vulnerability ranking in the recent triennial review, but had no ...Rainfall variability, occupational choice, and welfare in rural Bangladesh
This study investigates the choice of occupational focus versus diversification between household members in rural Bangladesh as an autonomous and proactive adaptation strategy against ex ante local rainfall variability risks. The analysis combines nationally representative household level survey data with historical climate variability information at the Upazila level. The authors note that flood prone Upazilas may face reduced risks from local rainfall variability as compared with non-flood prone Upazilas. They find that two members of the same household are less likely to be self-employed i ...The Millennium Development Goals Report 2012
United Nations, 2012Three important targets on poverty, slums and water have been met three years ahead of 2015, says this year’s Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, is possible ─ but only if Governments do not waiver from their commitments made over a decade ago.
UN system task team on the post-2015 UN development agenda: disaster risk resilience
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) - UN/ISDR, 2012This thematic think piece addresses the insufficient emphasis that disaster risk and resilience received in the original Millennium Development Goal agenda, despite the relationship between disasters and development. The think piece focuses on how reducing the risks of disasters for predictable events such as major severe weather impact conditions helps to protect both human and economic assets. Issues addressed: (i) disasters and disaster risk are a development challenge, in particular the challenge posed by climate change and weak governance; (ii) how science can inform effective decisions o ...Strategies and on the ground options for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management in the Pacific
This report addresses the challenge to reach a consensus on the contours of an agenda that adequately identifies the development needs of present and future generations, and is capable of crystallizing these priorities in clear sustainable development goals that will help guide coherent policy action at the global, regional and national levels. Issues addressed: (i) growing environmental footprints; (ii) governance and accountability deficits; (iii) transformative change towards inclusive, people-centered sustainable development; (iv) environmental sustainability; and (v) inclusive economic de ...Heat waves and climate change
A report about the current scientific understanding of the connection between climate change and the recent increase in extreme temperatures, as reported in peer-reviewed research articles published through May 2012. Issues addressed: (i) heat waves: the details; and (ii) heat waves and wild fires.
DRR-Factsheet. Climate Information for Disaster Risk Reduction
Every year natural hazards cause significant loss of life, and erode or destroy devel¬opment gains. From the ten most commonly reported disasters, nine are directly or indirectly related to weather or climate. Vulnerability to disasters is increasing as more people and assets locate in areas of high risk. Since 1970, the world’s population has grown by 87 per cent. During the same time, the proportion of people living in flood-prone river basins increased by 114 per cent and on cyclone-exposed coastlines by 192 per cent. Rapid urbanization and the growth of megacities will increase exposure to ...Municipal ICT Capacity and its Impact on the Climate-Change Affected Urban Poor: the case of Mozambique
World Bank, 2012Climate change, vulnerability and human mobility: perspectives of refugees from the east and Horn of Africa
This study aims to understand the extent to which refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) have perceived, experienced and responded to climatic variability and long-term negative climatic change in the east and Horn of Africa. The report is based on discussions with 150 IDPs and refugees from Ethiopia and Uganda, many of whom were farmers and pastoralists from Eritrea, Somalia and eastern Sudan. Key findings include: many of the refugees interviewed had perceived discernible shifts in weather in their home countries over the past 10 to 15 years; where movement away from homelands was ...Safer Communities Through Disaster Risk Reduction (SC-DRR) in Development
The issue of climate change is set to increase the frequency of extreme weather events. Countries, therefore, are required to undertake adaptive measures to ameliorate the impact of such events; Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is an important element of such measures. This report, published by the United Nations Development Program and the Government of Indonesia, presents findings from the final evaluation of the Safer Communities through Disaster Risk Reduction (SC-DRR) project. The project aimed to improve safety in Indonesia by considering the ways in which DRR can be integrated into the cou ...Weathering Uncertainty: Traditional Knowledge for Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation
UNESCO, 2012This report provides an overview of the published scientific literature (primarily peer-reviewed, but also grey) relating to the contribution of traditional/indigenous knowledge to our understanding of global climate change: observations, impacts and opportunities for adaptation. It focuses in particular on post-AR4 literature and also includes inputs from the international expert meeting ‘Indigenous Peoples, Marginalized Populations and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation and Traditional Knowledge’, held from 19–21 July 2011 in Mexico City, Mexico.Thematic debate of the 66th session of the General Assembly on disaster risk reduction: President's summary
United Nations, 2012This document reports on the informal thematic debate on disaster risk reduction convened by the President of the 66th Session of the General Assembly to support and advance the dialogue already under way on how best to integrate the disaster risk reduction approach within the Rio+20 outcome. It summarizes the two interactive panel discussions on: (i) addressing urban risk through public investment; and (ii) increasing resilience to disasters through climate adaptation and risk reduction; as well as (iii) the side event on comprehensive action to sustainably reduce vulnerabilities.The decade of Latin America and the Caribbean, a real opportunity
This book takes a unique look at the current economic and social development trends in Latin America and the Caribbean and the region’s challenges for the future, including those of climate change and 'natural' disaster mitigation. It calls on cities to integrate the management of the possible impacts of climate change as well as the obvious disaster risks into urban planning, and to prepare action plans focused on adaptation methods that include an analysis of the added dangers faced by the urban population, adequate land-use planning, effective water resource management, risk management, the ...Climate change adaptation: a priorities plan for Canada
CCAP, 2012This document is the final report of the of the Climate Change Adaptation Project (CCAP), which was designed to identify and operationalize practical, meaningful and cost-effective adaptation solutions to the most challenging impacts of climate change facing Canada. It outlines a "Priorities Plan for Canada" based on the CCAP’s work to date.
The document identifies eight priority areas (city infrastructure, biodiversity, freshwater resources, aboriginal communities, agriculture, insurance and building codes adaptation for climate change, insurance and tools for the promotion of ...A Workbook on Planning for Urban Resilience in the Face of Disasters: Adapting Experiences from Vietnam’s Cities to Other Cities
This comprehensive work book provides tips on urban adaptation drawn from efforts to boost climate resilience in cities in Vietnam. It has been produced by the World Bank Group and is intended to assist policymakers in developing countries plan for anticipated impacts of climate change. The work book is designed to provide a user-friendly, step-by-step approach to national, provincial and local planning. It is argued that the potential impacts of natural disasters and climate change should be considered in nearly every aspect of urban planning and development.Forests and Climate Change Adaptation in Asia
FAO, 2012This policy brief examines the role of forests for climate change adaptation in the region of Asia. It is organized into several sections. Firstly, anticipated changes to precipitation and temperature in Asia under a low and a high emissions scenario, between 2010 and 2039, are outlined. Following on from this, the key elements of Forest-Based Adaptation (FBA) are discussed and the current status of FBA in Asia is highlighted. Finally, recommendations aimed at moving forest-based adaptation forward are made. The following suggestions are made: FBA should be integrated into wider sustainable fo ...Status Report on The Application of Integrated Approaches to Water Resources Management
UNEP, 2012Over 80 per cent of countries have reformed their water laws in the past twenty years as a response to growing pressures on water resources from expanding populations, urbanization and climate change.
In many cases, such water reforms have had positive impacts on development, including improvements to drinking water access, human health and water efficiency in agriculture.
But global progress has been slower where irrigation, rainwater harvesting and investment in freshwater ecosystem services are concerned.
These are among the findings of a United ...
Sustainable development: Perspective of the World Meteorological Organization
This position paper outlines how, through the Global Framework for Climate Services experts from various disciplines and regions will work together to develop science-based climate and environmental information tailored to end-users’ needs for the purpose of increasing agricultural productivity to improve food security and reduce hunger; Improving and optimizing management of water resources to provide sustainable access to freshwater for drinking, irrigation and household use; Reducing the risk of disasters and other climate hazards, the cost of which often burdens developing and least develo ...Climate change, disaster risk, and the urban poor: cities building resilience for a changing world
Baker Judy L. - World Bank, 2012This study study examines the inter linkages between climate change, disaster risk, and the urban poor. This study calls on cities to take a lead role in proactively addressing the risks of climate change and natural hazards at the local level, with a focus on populations at highest risk. It suggests a number of actions that cities can take to build resilience, beginning with mainstreaming pro-poor risk reduction policies into urban planning and management.Environmental extremes: disaster risk management - addressing climate change
This publication addresses climate change and disaster management issues in South Asia, and more particularly in India. It builds on the theme chosen by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for the world environment day, "Safeguard the environment for disaster risk reduction," which reflects the pressing need for arresting environmental degradation and improving management of ecosystems and natural resources for achieving disaster risk reduction and adapting to climate risks. It is intended to be used as a reference for the local policy makers and planners, and in general for p ...Our Planet, Our Health, Our Future - Human health and the Rio Conventions : biological diversity, climate change and desertification
WHO, 2012The report, Our Planet, Our Health, Our Future
Human health and the Rio Conventions: biological diversity, climate change and desertification, reviews the scientific evidence for the linkages between health and biodiversity, climate change and desertification, the representation of health in the corresponding Rio Conventions, and the opportunities for more integrated and effective policy.Acting today for tomorrow: a policy and practice note for climate and disaster resilient development in the pacific islands region
World Bank, 2012This Policy and Practice Note grows out of extensive consultations with countries, regional organizations, and donors and other development partners, and it is addressed primarily to high-level policymakers and decision makers within them. Its analysis and recommendations are meant to inform DRR and CCA planning across a range of institutions at all levels. Specifically, they are intended to inform the design and implementation of the joint Roadmap towards a Post 2015 Integrated Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, as well as preparation ...The Climate and Development Challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean: Options for Climate Resilient Low Carbon Development: executive summary
IDB, 2012Climate change will have broad impacts on human activities and ecosystems during this century. The likely consequences are of such magnitude that the simultaneous need to adapt to the new climate conditions and reduce the carbon footprint to prevent further damage will likely become one of the main driving forces for the global community. Specifically, a rise of 2C over pre-industrial levels is now seen as unavoidable with significant negative effects in economic activities, social conditions and on ecosystems.
This study, a joint IDB-ECLAC-WWF effort, addresses key topics related to th ...The State of the world's refugees 2012 - Chapter 7: Displacement, Climate Change, and Natural Disasters
UNHCR, 2012This chapter examines the international response to the displacement linked to climate change and natural disasters. It begins by describing the displacement challenges linked to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, and then describes a potential normative gap in the protection of people displaced across borders owing to these phenomena. It concludes that protection gaps need to be addressed by the international community, and that solidarity will be tested by the impacts of climate change.Energy Resources Development Series, 41. Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific
UNCTAD, 2012he report explores the opportunities that a low carbon green growth path offers to the region. It articulates five tracks on which to drive the economic system change necessary to pursue low carbon green growth as a new economic development path.
In particular, the “visible structure” of the economy, comprising such physical infrastructure as transport, buildings and energy systems, together with the “invisible structure”, which encompasses market prices, governance, regulations and lifestyles, have to be re-oriented towards resource efficiency. The Roadmap provides policymakers ...Community disaster preparedness guide
This document contains practical information on preparing and recovery from the effects of disaster events which may affect the British Virgin Islands. It includes hazard-specific safety tips and information on personal, family, business and community preparedness and protection. It considers the following hazards: flood, hurricane, including tides and surge, earthquake and tsunami, extreme heat and drought, as well as climate change.
This document is a revision of the 2005 Community Disaster Preparedness Handbook with updated information, pictures and with more colour. Its pro ...Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils
World Bank, 2012The purpose of this report is to improve the knowledge base for facilitating investments in land management technologies that sequester soil organic carbon. While there are many studies on soil carbon sequestration, there is no single unifying volume that synthesizes knowledge on the impact of different land management practices on soil carbon sequestration rates across the world. A meta-analysis was carried out to provide soil carbon sequestration rates in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This is one important element in decision-making for sustainable agricultural intensification, agro-ecosy ...Adaptation to climate change in semi-arid environments: experience and lessons from Mozambique
FAO, 2012 (Environment and Natural Resources Management-No. 19)Southern Africa and Mozambique are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The region is frequently exposed to droughts, floods, variable rainfall and heat, which are expected to worsen, and sensitivity to such exposure of the natural resource-based livelihood system is very high. The project area is remote and highly underdeveloped and the population is poor, food insecure, and not resilient to the impact of climate shocks. Due to water scarcity, not sufficient for humans and livestock except in a few communities along the Limpopo River, livelihood options are limited. Livelihoods ...Disaster risk reduction : a global advocacy guide
IFRC, 2012This study provides an analysis of the current level of integration of DRR and CCA in the region, with an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment. The report outlines some of the barriers to integration and makes recommendations on how they can be addressed. The analysis presented includes seven PICs (Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu).The countries analysed are typical in terms of the current low level of integration of DRR and CCA.This report also explores how and why the fields of DRR and CCA have developed in parallel globally as well as in the Pacific, ...Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Pacific : an institutional and policy analysis
Hay John E.; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR); et al. - UN/ISDR, 2012This study provides an analysis of the current level of integration of DRR and CCA in the region, with an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment. The report outlines some of the barriers to integration and makes recommendations on how they can be addressed. The analysis presented includes seven PICs (Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu).The countries analysed are typical in terms of the current low level of integration of DRR and CCA.This report also explores how and why the fields of DRR and CCA have developed in parallel globally as well as in the Pacific, ...Current knowledge on relevant methodologies and data requirements as well as lessons learned and gaps identified at different levels, in assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change : technical paper
UNFCCC, 2012Drawing on existing relevant work and documents, this technical paper aims to provide an overview of existing methodologies and tools for assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change. In particular, the paper assesses 18 selected approaches, methods and tools in terms of their data and information requirements, strengths, weaknesses, lessons learned, gaps at different levels and relevance for social and environmental impacts, as well as discussing capacity needs for applying risk assessment methods in developing countries. It also considers risk a ...Tackling exposure: placing disaster risk management at the heart of national economic and fiscal policy
As a follow-up to a first paper A preliminary analysis of flood and storm disaster data in Viet Nam, this Quang Binh case study provides a more in-depth disaster profile of one particular province in Viet Nam, including specific temporal and spatial distribution patterns while using district aggregated data. It also looks deeper into the relationship between disasters and poverty through analysis of various indicators: number of deaths, impact on housing and agricultural produce, poverty rate and the percentage of poor households.
The first part of this paper examines the disas ...Learning lessons: intense climate-related natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific
ADB, 2012This synthesis addresses the global increase in frequency of intense floods and storms in Asia and the Pacific amid the spectre of climate change, and points to the need for better mitigation and adaptation to natural disasters. It presents the lessons drawn from evaluations of information sourced from publicly available databasesApplication of ICTs for climate change adaptation in the water sector : developing country experiences and emerging research priorities
As a follow-up to a first paper A preliminary analysis of flood and storm disaster data in Viet Nam, this Quang Binh case study provides a more in-depth disaster profile of one particular province in Viet Nam, including specific temporal and spatial distribution patterns while using district aggregated data. It also looks deeper into the relationship between disasters and poverty through analysis of various indicators: number of deaths, impact on housing and agricultural produce, poverty rate and the percentage of poor households.
The first part of this paper examines the disas ...Sustainable low-carbon city development in China
Cities contribute an estimated 70 percent of the world's energy-related greenhouse gases (GHG). Their locations, often in low-elevation coastal zones, and large populations make them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. But cities often take steps, even ahead of national governments, to reduce GHG emissions. So it is with China's cities, which are well placed to chart a low-carbon growth path to help reach China's national targets for reducing the energy and carbon intensity of its economy. China's cities will need to act on multiple fronts, in some cases scaling up elemen ...Ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction
This book is intended to provide an overview of the concept of ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), natural resource management and disaster linkages, incorporating Eco-DRR concepts in various phases of disaster management, including post disaster recovery in wide range of human and natural environmental settings. The case studies cover coastal, mountain and urban ecosystems and specific hydro-meteorological risks like floods, forest fire, epidemics and landslides.Taking Stock of Durban: Review of Key Outcomes and the Road Ahead
UNDP, 2012The Durban Climate Conference in December 2011 represented a significant step forward for the United Nations climate change process. Although its outcomes continue to be debated, the Durban Conference could prove to be a game-changing conference for the climate negotiations. Governments adopted a comprehensive package of decisions—including an agreement to initiate a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol and the "Durban Platform" to negotiate a long-term, all inclusive future mitigation regime that includes a process to address the "ambition gap" for stabilizing average global temper ...Uganda: NAPA project profile
UNFCCC, 2012This paper outlines 9 National Action Plan for Adaptation (NAPA) priority projects in Uganda: 1. Community Tree Growing Project 2. Land Degradation Management Project 3. Strengthening Meteorological Services 4. Community and Water Sanitation Project 5. Water for Production Project 6. Drought Adaptation Project 7. Vectors, Pests and Disease Control Project 8. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and Natural Resources Management Project 9. Climate Change and Development Planning ProjectLe Karakorum, glacier de l'Himalaya qui ne fond pas: In lemonde.fr
2012Les glaciers de l'Himalaya fondent lentement, mais une partie d'entre eux sont dans un état stable, voire regagnent légèrement du volume : c'est ce qui ressort de deux articles scientifiques parus dans les revues Science du 20 avril et Nature Geoscience du 15 avril.Training Guide for Gender and Climate Change Research in Agriculture and Food Security for Rural Development
Together, both women and men play a significant role in safeguarding food security. It is important to understand their respective roles and responsibilities to ensure that they benefit equally from climate-smart agriculture practices. However, insufficient research has been undertaken to understand how they are adapting to climate change, mitigating emissions and maintaining food security. To address the gap, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security have jointly come up with this training guide. Its ...
PWS, 23. Proceedings of the WMO Regional Association VI Conference on Social and Economic Benefits of Weather, Climate and Water Services
The Conference provided material, and, in particular, a number of studies which are contained in these proceedings and which will be used in the development of guidelines on undertaking the analysis, assessment and demonstration of socio-economic benefits of meteorological and hydrological services. These guidelines will complement the development of demonstration and pilot projects and capacity-building and training activities on this subject. These proceedings represent the collection of abstracts of papers delivered at the Conference.
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