Disaster Risk Reduction and Environmental Management

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TALKING NOTES FOR HON. BATILDA S. BURIAN, MINISTER OF STATE,

VICE PRESIDENTS OFFICE ENVIRONMENT DURING THE SECOND

MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (DRR) IN

AFRICA, 14-16 APRIL 2010, NAIROBI, KENYA

LINKAGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Risk and vulnerability in the context of climate change

Natural hazards by themselves do not cause disasters it is the combination of

an exposed, vulnerable and ill prepared population or community with a hazard event

that results in a disaster.

Climate change will therefore affect disaster risks in two ways, firstly through the

likely increase in weather and climate hazards, and secondly through increases in the

vulnerability of communities to natural hazards, particularly through ecosystem

degradation, reductions in water and food availability, and changes to livelihoods.Climate change will add yet another stress to those of environmental degradation and

rapid unplanned urban growth, further reducing communities abilities to cope witheven the existing levels of weather hazards.

Therefore, climate change and disaster risk reduction are closely linked. Moreextreme weather events in future are likely to increase the number and scale of

disasters, while at the same time, the existing methods and tools of disaster risk

reduction provide opportunity for adaptation to climate change and vice versa.

Practical examples of adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Environmental management:- Improving environmental management in areas of greatest risk from

weather hazards. Protecting ecosystems, such as coral reefs or mangrove

forests, that shield communities from coastal hazards;- supporting transitions of livelihoods away from those that degrade

environments and aggravate risk; and

- enforcing regulations concerning environmental malpractices.

Agriculture and food security

- Altering crop strains to enhance their drought and pest resistance,

changing planting times and cropping patterns, and altering landtopography to improve water uptake and reduce wind erosion.

- Diversification is an option, for example, by combining food crops,

livestock and agro-forestry.

Water sector

- Protecting water supply infrastructure and traditional water supplysources, developing flood ponds, water harvesting, improved irrigation,

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desalination, non-water-based sanitation and improved watershed and

trans-boundary water resource management. Integrated water resource

management (IWRM) provides the accepted framework for such actions.

Health sector

- Early warning systems and air-conditioning to address extreme weatherevents

- systematic action on water- and vector-borne diseases to raise public

awareness of watershed protection, vector control, and safe water- andfood-handling regulations;

- the enforcement of relevant regulations; and

- support for education, research and development on climate-related healthrisks.

Awareness raising and education:

- Curriculum development for schools;

- Dissemination of information to community groups and womensnetworks, radio and television programmes, public poster campaigns, and

leadership by national figures and celebrities;- Awareness-raising for strategic target groups such as teachers, journalists

and politicians and support to technical experts and groups are also

important.

Early warning systems:

- instituting specific means to disseminate warnings to affected people in atimely, useful and understandable way, and providing advice on

appropriate actions to take upon receiving warnings.

The benefits of a combined approach to climate change adaptation and disaster risk

reduction

Transforming productive livelihoods as well as protecting, and adapting tochanging climate conditions rather than simply reinforcing coping mechanisms.

Improving understanding of the root causes of poverty for particular people, permitting more effective targeting of vulnerability to multiple shocks and

stresses.

An enhanced role for research from both the natural and social sciences to informthe development and targeting of intervention measures in the context of the

burden of both geophysical/natural hazards and changing climate-related hazards.

A longer term perspective for environmental and disaster policies that takes into

account the changing nature of shocks and stresses.

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Selected National initiatives

a) Mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into National Environmental Policy (1997),Environmental Management Act (2004) and its Regulations

b) Institutional capacity building: The Environmental Management Act (Cap 191) of2004 has specific provisions addressing climate change and environmental

management measures that are of relevance to Disaster Reduction Measures and

requires Sector Ministries to establish Environment Units. In 2005, the VicePresidents Office undertook a broad-based capacity needs assessment for

implementing the Act, which culminated in a capacity building and implementation

programme for the Act. The Programme is supporting a total of 14 Sector Ministries

in building their capacity to address sectoral environmental challenges.

c) Government adopted a Strategy for Urgent Actions on Combating Land Degradation

and Conservation of Water Catchment Areas in 2006. The Strategy has been

successful in reviving vegetation growth in areas endangered by desertification; preserving water sources and catchments from drying up; controlling land

degradation and soil erosion; reducing conflicts between farmers and pastoralistswhich have occurred in a number of regions in the country; conserving the country's

biodiversity; and increasing public awareness and participation in environmental

management activities.

Concluding Remarks

Climate change threatens to heighten disasters in many areas, both by changing

the frequency and/or intensity of extreme events and by bringing changes in mean

conditions that may alter the underlying vulnerability of populations to hazards.

The effective reduction of vulnerabilities to current natural hazards and to climate

change requires coordination across different levels and sectors and the

involvement of a broad range of stakeholders. To strengthen the link betweendisaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change, it is also important to

understand when, and at what level, coordination is required, and who should take

the lead.

Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are of critical importance to

the security of millions of people. Approaches toward the adaptation to climate

change impacts also have to consider the reduction of human vulnerability underchanging levels of risk. A key challenge and opportunity therefore lies in building

a bridge between current disaster risk reduction efforts aimed at reducing

vulnerabilities to extreme events and efforts to promote climate changeadaptation.

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Disaster Risk Reduction and Environmental Management