Disaster Risk Reduction and
Climate change adaptation
by: Genesis D. Bedico
Disaster Risk
Reduction
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a systematic
approach to identifying, assessing and
reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to
reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to
disaster as well as dealing with the
environmental and other hazards that trigger
them.
Disaster Risk
Reduction
DRR is a part of sustainable development, so it must involve every part
of society, government, non-governmental organizations and the
professional and private sector. It therefore requires a people-centred
and multi-sector approach, building resilience to multiple, cascading
and interacting hazards and creating a culture of prevention and
resilience. Consequently DRM includes strategies designed to:
• avoid the construction of new risks
• address pre-existing risks
• share and spread risk to prevent disaster losses being absorbed by
other development outcomes and creating additional poverty
Four Phases of
Emergency
Management
Emergency managers think of disasters as
recurring events
with four phases: Mitigation
● Preparedness
● Response
● Recovery
Mitigation
01
This phase includes actions taken to prevent or reduce the
cause, impact, and consequences of disasters. Examples of
hazard mitigation incl ude:
• Tying down homes or barns with ground anchors to
withstand wind damage
• Digging water channels to redirect water and planting
vegetation to absorb water
02 Preparedness
This phase includes planning, training, and
educational
activities for events that cannot be mitigated.
● Developing disaster preparedness plans for what to
do, where to go, or who to call for help in a disaster
● Exercising plans through drills, tabletop exercises,
and full-scale exercises
● Creating a supply list of items that are useful in a
disaster
● Walking around a farm and identifying possible
vulnerabilities to high winds
03 Response
The response phase occurs in the immediate aftermath of a
disaster. During the response phase, business and other
operations do not function normally. Personal safety and
well_x0002_being in an emergency and the duration of the response
phase
depend on the level of preparedness.
Examples of response activities include:
● Implementing disaster response plans
● Conducting search and rescue missions
● Taking actions to protect yourself, your family, your animals,
and others
● Addressing public perceptions about food safety
04 Recovery
During the recovery period, restoration efforts occur
concurrently with regular operations and activities. The
recovery period from a disaster can be prolonged. Examples of
recovery activities include:
• Preventing or reducing stress-related illnesses and excessive financial
burdens
• Rebuilding damaged structures based on advanced knowledge obtained
from the preceding disaster
• Reducing vulnerability to future disasters
Climate change adaptation
• Climate change adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate
change, while taking advantage of potential new opportunities.
• It involves adjusting policies and actions because of observed or expected changes in
climate.
• Adaptation (responding to climate impacts) and mitigation (reducing GHG emissions) are
necessary complements in addressing climate change.
• Mitigation is necessary to reduce the rate and magnitude of climate change, while
adaptation is essential to reduce the damages from climate change that cannot be
avoided.
Here are seven ways communities are adapting to
climate change.
1. Prepare for longer, more intense fire seasons
2. Rise to the challenge of sea-level rise
3. Ensure disaster and public health plans
account for more severe weather
4. Protect farms and the food supply from
climate impacts
5. Protect air quality
6. Prioritize climate justice
7. Prepare for managed retreat
We must now focus on prevention
and break the cycle of disaster,
response and recovery.
—Amina J. Mohammed
Thank you!