WORKING SESSION
Disaster and Climate Risk: Accelerating National and Local Initiatives
Brief & Concept Note
Brief
1. Why is this topic important?
Climate change poses risk to sustainable development and to increasing losses associated
with disasters impact. Climate change is already impacting the nature of weather-related
hazards, leading to more frequent and intense extreme events, and will only further
exacerbate natural hazards in the coming decades as explained in IPCC-SREX and IPCC Fifth
Assessment Report. This has the potential to further increase the number of humanitarian
crises. The impacts of climate change are being felt now. Building resilient and sustainable
societies means addressing both climate and disaster risks, and integrating these risks, as well
as potential opportunities, into development planning and budgeting.
The year 2015 offers an opportunity for coherence in addressing disaster risk in the context of
climate change as the world considers a post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction,
new post-Kyoto Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The coherence can come through national and local level actions that will help to meet and
implement international agreements and guidance.
2. What gaps need to be filled?
There have been good and successful efforts in raising global awareness of the relevance of
disaster risk reduction concepts and tools, and the importance of the Hyogo Framework for
Action for climate change adaptation—and vice versa. Few countries, cities and sub-regions
started to develop (or consider developing) joint disaster risk reduction and climate change
adaptation plans and strategies. These efforts remain limited and dependent on financial
support to integrated planning and implementation at national and local level. It is critical
that the acknowledgment of the importance of integrating risk reduction and climate change
adaptation is manifested through national and local implementation plans, translating
commitments into actions, and adopting coordinated approaches by governments,
international and regional organizations, and stakeholders.
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There is a lot of value in coordinated disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
that translate into practical actions locally and nationally. This requires addressing few gaps
that include: (1) fragmented and un-sustained efforts to build capacities for tailoring climate
information to decision making (including lack of baselines for measuring progress); (2)
climate services insufficiently integrated into national and local adaptation plans, public and
private sector investments, local and national development and land-use plans; (3) the
absence of standards and guidance for systematic collection and analysis of climate related
data on disasters impacts, losses and damages at national and local level.
3. What commitments are expected?
This Working Session will outline practical approaches and measures to accelerate national
and local action on resilience building through disaster and climate risk management. An
essential aspect of building climate resilience of the communities is through enhanced
partnerships and coordinated approaches by governments, international and regional
organizations, and stakeholders implementing activities that contribute to enhanced
development and application of climate services. The Working Session will pay special
attention to both slow onset and extreme climate events. Discussion will focus on identifying
actions and commitments around the following:
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Commitment to strengthen coherence between disaster risk reduction and climate
change-related national and local institutions, including through risk management
planning, implementation, resourcing/financing and monitoring mechanisms for
enhanced accountability.
Identifying measures that increase joint and coherent actions on risk reduction and
climate change, including through the strengthening of delivery and accountability
mechanisms through partnerships for delivery.
Promoting more effective exchange of climate information across sectors for
operational planning and investment decisions with a more structured roll-out of the
commitments already made at the Climate Summit
Identifying delivery models that could enhance the sustainability – financial and
institutional – of climate information services, including public-private partnerships.
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Concept Note
Schedule
Tuesday 17 March 2014, 10:00-11:30
Room and Venue
Main Hall, Sendai International Conference Center
Organizing Team
UNISDR, WMO, UNDP, WFP, UNESCO, WHO, ITU, UNOPS, UNU, IPCC,
MunichRe
UNISDR Focal Point
Luna Abu- Swaireh (abu-swaireh@un.org)
Background and
Rationale
The linkages between disaster risk and climate change are well established
through IPCC reports, GARs, and other global and regional studies. In recent
decades, changes in the climate and weather patterns caused negative
impacts on lives and livelihood across all regions of the globe.
Governments at national and local levels are investing in risk management
and climate change adaptationto prevent potential disaster losses and
sustain development gains. Governments along with partners from the
private sector, academia, and civil society are working to deliver ambitious
action in building resilience.
As countries move to agree on accelerating action on climate change
including through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to
climate change, the implementation of a post-2015 framework on disaster
risk reduction will play an instrumental role in delivering resilience-building
action on the ground. The need to integrate disaster risk reduction in
addressing climate adaptation is well recognized and was recently further
emphasized at the Climate Summit 2014, where multi-stakeholder
commitments were declared in key areas that reduce disaster risk.
Commitments include improving access to and use of climate information to
address slow onset hazards and extreme events; increasing the financial and
technical support to cities in their efforts to build resilience; working with the
financial sector (public and private) to create new incentives for investing in
risk reduction and strengthening regional and global support for least
developed countries and small island developing states. Providing an
evidence base for implementation and monitoring of an integrated and
coordinated action on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
is essential.
Climate services offer science-based information and forecasts that empower
decision-makers to manage the risks and opportunities of climate variability
and climate change. Spearheaded by the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO), the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) is a globally
coordinated collective of the organizations engaged in producing and using
climate information and services. By promoting science-based decisionmaking, the GFCS is empowering governments, communities and companies
to build climate resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and adapt to impacts. GFCS
provides a solid framework for the integration between disaster risk
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reduction and climate change adaptation - building resilience and reducing
disaster risk in a changing climate.
Session Objectives
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To contribute to enhanced knowledge of partners and governments on
the linkages of climate change and disaster risk reduction in line with the
post-2015 framework..
To identify opportunities for coherent approaches in managing disaster
risk in a changing climate and in the context of sustainable development.
To explore approaches to scale up the use of disaster risk and climate
information for planning at various levels. Approaches will be discussed
with a view of enhancing governance mechanisms and incentives that
ensure scientists, policy makers and practitioners work together in these
fields.
To emphasize accelerating joint and integrated actions to support the
implementation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction
and related aspects of the climate change agreements and forthcoming
sustainable development goals.
To propose commitments and measures to address barriers to
accelerated implementation, including through enhanced readiness to
deliver through global financing mechanisms.
Discussion agenda
and structure
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Opening by the Chair (5 min)
Panel of speakers (6 speakers estimated at 7 minutes each) (45 min)
Open dialogue (30 min)
Summary of actions, commitments, wrap up and next steps (10 min)
Expected outcomes
Recommendations to partners and governments for advancing
implementation of climate risk management actions, utilizing climate
information, and encourage accountability to DRR related commitments
made by Heads of State at the Climate Summit.
Commitment /
special
announcement in
support of a post2015 framework for
DRR
To be confirmed
Expected number of
participants
Number of participants: 500-700 (Room Capacity is 1000)
Background
documents and
resources
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