Climate Risk Management
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Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Bureau for Development Policy/ Energy and Environment Group Climate Risk Management Climate-related hazards, including drought, floods, due to global warming are accompanied by changes in cyclones, sea-level rise and extreme temperatures, the frequency and intensity of these extreme events. have enormous impact on the socio-economic Exposure to climate-related hazards, coupled with development of a society. The frequency, conditions of vulnerability and insufficient capacity to magnitude and duration of damaging climate reduce or respond to damaging consequences, results conditions are changing. It is now widely in disasters and losses. Managing climate-related risks, understood that efforts to address the impacts of therefore, is a key enabler of development. Identifying adverse climatic conditions on human development and reducing risks associated with climate-related must be undertaken within the context of a longer- hazards can help to protect people, livelihoods and term vision of development. UNDP is supporting a assets, thereby promoting the achievement of wide range of countries to manage risks related to development goals. climate variability and change through the Climate Risk Management Technical Assistance Support WHAT IS CRM? Project (TASP). With climate change, it is likely that assumptions concerning the frequency and severity of climate- CLIMATE RISKS AND DEVELOPMENT related hazards derived from historical experience may Risk itself is a disincentive for development. For no longer be a reliable basis for evaluating near-term example, populations in high-risk areas, who risks. Despite growing awareness of climate risks, experience frequent loss of life, destruction of assets national institutions are often inadequately prepared to and other negative effects on physical, mental and respond to and prevent risks related to multiple and social well-being, become risk-averse. They avoid new hazards across different sectors. In addition, risking the investments of livelihood resources needed responsibilities for managing disaster risks, on the one to advance economically, because these investments hand, and climate change, on the other, may be are all too often lost in the next disaster. Recurrent and distributed across various agencies and departments, expensive disaster relief, recovery and reconstruction with inadequate clarity on mandates and an unclear operations drain away resources that could otherwise division of labour. be used for the development of the country. UNDP’s CRM approach takes into account both the risks triggered by current climate variability and projected climate change trajectories. CRM focuses on climate-related development sectors that are sensitive to both climate variability and change, such as agriculture, water resources, food security, health, the environment and livelihoods. For UNDP, managing and preventing climate risks implies the rethinking of Droughts can lead to water and food scarcity as well as increased tensions between communities (! UN Photo/Martine Perret). “business-as-usual” development paths, policies and institutional frameworks. It also entails strengthening Protecting development in areas affected by climate local, national and regional capacities for designing and variability and change involves managing risks implementing risk management measures, through associated with climate-related hazards. Variability coordination of a wide range of stakeholders, including within the climate system generates extreme events the UN system, national governments, non- such as floods and wave surges, storms and extreme governmental organizations, civil society organizations temperatures. Changes in regional climatic averages and members of the scientific community. FAST FACTS • Over the last decade, 3,852 disasters killed more than 780,000 people and affected more than 2 billion others, at a cost of approximately US$ 960 billion. • After earthquakes, storms (22 percent of dead) and extreme temperatures (11 percent of dead) were the most deadly disasters over the last decade. • The most deadly climate-related disasters of the decade were Cyclone Nargis (2008), which killed 138,366 people in Myanmar; and the heat waves in Europe (2003), causing 72,210 casualties. CRM AT WORK Figure 1. The CRM approach is the focus for UNDP’s Climate Risk Management TASP, jointly developed by UNDP’s CLIMATE ANALYSIS Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) and This step compiles what is known about the current the Bureau for Development Policy’s Energy and climate in a particular location, including climate Environment Group (BDP-EEG). CRM TASP aims to variability and trends, the degree of climate predictability over various time frames, and how the build in-country capacity to analyze, prevent and climate might change. manage risks related to climate variability and change, ! and define risk management solutions. The CRM TASP entails working with national governments, recognizing RISKS AND IMPACT IDENTIFICATION their priorities, and helping them build the necessary This step establishes the actual and potential impact capacity to manage climate risks over short- and of climate variability and change at present (based on longer-term time scales. CRM TASP aims to generate historical information), in the medium term (based on evidence-based climate risk management solutions and current situation and observed trends), and over the priorities for each country, drawing on information long term (based on projections and predictions). about current and future risks from three planning ! horizons: a) historical and current patterns of climate- DECISION ANALYSIS AND SUPPORT related hazards; b) observable trends creating new This step supports specific decision makers to make patterns of risks; and c) predicted climate change specific decisions with relevant scientific information scenarios. about climate variability and change. The decision analysis, combined with the institutional, policy and CRM TASP approach considers the whole spectrum of capacity analyses, identify sectors, geographic areas in which CRM is a priority. climate risk-related activities, from disaster prevention, preparedness and management, to broader climate ! change adaptation (CCA) strategies. UNDP believes INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY RESEARCH that preventing disasters and protecting development This step clarifies governance and institutional through CRM requires a programmatic approach that aspects of CRM policies, identifies responsibilities can be broken down into a series of analytical steps across government agencies and sectors, through that, in turn, support the formulation of a set of stakeholder analysis and stakeholder-driven institutional, policy and programmatic responses. (See research. Figure 1.) ! CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT The first phase of the CRM TASP was implemented in This step provides an assessment of the required Armenia, Ecuador, Indonesia and Mozambique during capacities – in light of assessed risks, development 2009-2010 by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center priorities, and desired institutional and policy changes (ADPC), in collaboration with UNDP country offices and – providing a basis for capacity development to meet national and regional partners. identified challenges. The first phase of the project has been successful in Management identifying climate risks and risk management measures • Community-based Climate Risk Management in and solutions by linking scientific data, institutional Latin America analysis and participatory approaches. In response to a • Climate Risk Management Training Module need among sectoral and development agencies to enhance the integration of climate risk information, the CRM ACTIVITIES project has also developed tools for factoring in extreme UNDP provides an integrated support package to help climate events into development planning processes. governments recognize climate-related risks and Furthermore, country reports prepared in collaboration identify opportunities for addressing them within existing with national stakeholders captured these findings for a development portfolios. At national and regional levels, wider audience. UNDP disaster reduction advisors and climate change advisors work together to assess existing climate risks The second phase of CRM TASP includes an additional for particular countries, help build and develop national 20 countries and is currently implemented by ADPC and expertise, and provide technical support. Specific the International Institute for Sustainable Development. activities at the country level include: The primary stakeholders of the project include Identifying risks and assessing CRM needs representatives of governments, local and regional Assessing climate risks, vulnerabilities and exposure is experts, representatives from UN and UNDP country essential for effective and sustainable CRM offices, and other partner agency staff working at interventions. UNDP, in cooperation with its national regional and national levels. Other local actors and and local partners, undertakes climate risk identification partners are determined through the development of including hazard mapping and vulnerability analysis; country-level work plans. carries out institutional, policy and capacity needs assessments; and enhances capacities of key partners CRM TASP project is one of the components of the by providing training for vulnerability and risk wider UNDP integrated CRM practice, comprising the assessments,