PreventionWeb’s “Ask an Expert”

PreventionWeb has now launched a new initiative called “Ask an Expert” through which partners in the disaster risk reduction community and public at large can get expert opinion.

Each week, thematic experts and thought leaders invite people from all over the world to ask key questions, share concerns and comments for their take on the issue.

This week, we are  ready to answer your questions relating to “Preparing for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and its first Preparatory Committee” (http://preventionweb.net/go/37946) by our expert Neil McFarlane (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction).

Ask you question or share at http://www.preventionweb.net

Some of the experts for upcoming sessions include:

– Giacomo Teruggi (World Meteorological Organization) on integrated flood management

– Julio Serje (United Nations Office for Disaster for Disaster Risk Reduction) on risk modelling and the use of past disaster data

– Gerardo Huertas (World Animal Protection) on disaster risk reduction applied to farming and animal stock

– Sam Johnson (Youth beyond Disasters) on engaging youth for disaster risk reduction

– Sushil Gupta (Risk Modeling and Insurance) on regional risk models

– Pedro Ferradas (Practical Action’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation programme -previously ITDG) on urban disaster risk management

– Rohit Jigyasu (Institute of Disaster Mitigation for Urban Cultural Heritage, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto) on disaster risk management of cultural heritage

Nominations for the 2015 Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction are now open

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction. Individuals, community groups, civil society organizations, government agencies at local or national level or private sector entities can be nominated for this award. The 2015 Sasakawa Award will have the theme “Shaping the Future.” The jury will be looking for distinguishing characteristics that include:

• Being agents of change
• Often acts ahead
• Shows willingness to tackle uncertainty
• Is skillful at managing resources
• Practices inclusiveness
• Listens to new voices

Deadline for nominations: 31 October 2014.

The winner will be announced on 17 March 2015 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.

Visit http://www.wcdrr.org/sasakawa/ to read more about the award and get tips on how to submit a nomination.

Asia Pacific Adaptation Network Forum, Oct. 1-3, 2014

The 4th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum 2014 is now open for registration. The Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) is organising its flagship Forum on 1-3 October 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the theme New Partnerships for Resilient Development: Government, Business and Society.

Forum themes

Mainstreaming and Transformative Change
1. Development and the Food-Water-Energy Nexus
2. Disaster Risk Reduction and human security
3. Forestry, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Change
4. Cities with an emphasis on coastal Development and Sea-Level Rise

To register and for more information on themes and the agenda, visit the Adaptation Forum 2014 website: http://www.asiapacificadapt.net/adaptationforum2014/

4th International Conference on Building Resilience – Reminder

8th – 11th September 2014
MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, UK,
http://www.buildresilience.org/2014

The conference will explore the concept of resilience as a useful framework of analysis for how society can cope with the threat of hazards, helping to understand attributes that enable physical, socio-cultural, politico-economic and natural systems to adapt, by resistance or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning.

Building coastal resilience to reduce climate change impacts in South Sulawesi

Botto village with its 2,144 inhabitants is located at the Gulf of Bone in Wajo district in South Sulawesi. The villagers face severe enviromental degradation in form of mangrove deforestation. Climate change impacts such an increased number of flood, high tides, sea level rise, high waves, long and strong winds especially affect the fishery.

CARE project staff and governmental and community representatives conducted a “Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis” to gain information on climate change impact on livelihoods and existing adaptation strategies in target communities. CARE applied participatory rural appraisal tools such as historical timeline, hazard map, vulnerability matrix, seasonal calendar and Venn diagram. Additionally CARE facilitated a “Village Vision Mapping” process in which the stakeholders identified the current situation in the village, developed an ideal state of their village and strategies to achieve these ideal conditions. Based on these findings, adaptation projects with communities and local government were designed. A feasibility study was conducted to ensure that interventions are climate smart. Additionally, local government was trained in budgeting to be able to integrate best adaptation practices into development plans. Experiences are shared among Indonesian and Thai stakeholders and CARE staff to increase knowledge

Read full article by Katrin von der Dellen on WeAdapt.

 

Adapting to a changing climate in Southern Africa: A film from the first Southern Africa Adaptation Colloquium

This short film captures the key messages and debates emerging from the first Southern Africa Adaptation Colloquium, held in November 2013 and co-convened by the University of Cape Town’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), the Cape Town Climate Change Think Tank (a partnership of the Mistra Urban Futures programme), the Adaptation Network, SANBI, the National Implementing Entity for the Adaptation Fund, the National Research Foundation, and the Western Cape Government.

Read full article by Anna Taylor, and view film.

Haiti’s current drought: An opportunity to build climate change resilience?

A new Oxfam research report highlights how Haiti can build resilience to climate change.
Source: Oxfam – America
Read full article.

IPCC Report WGII AR5 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Published

Climate change has already had a powerful negative effect on agriculture and food security for the world’s most vulnerable, and that impact will get worse, according to agricultural experts responding to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report at a conference in London. Read the full article…

The recently published IPCC report goes on to point out that despite all that has been learned about how to adapt, the world is still ill-prepared to deal with the risks of climate change.

Read the IPCC WGII AR5 summary for Policy Makers…

Preventionweb.Net – Promote your DRR work

Preventionweb.net is a platform to promote work in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and in the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. The platform provides information by country, theme or hazard, allows sharing of our progress and lessons learned, and connects over 125 networks.
To submit: http://www.preventionweb.net/submit

Has climate change adaptation lost its way?

Has climate change adaptation lost its way? By Megan Rowling. April 2014.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation, trust.org (TRF)

See related article: Kates, R., W. Travis, and T. Wilbanks. 2012. Transformational adaptation when incremental adaptations to climate change are insufficient.