Disasters and Ecosystems:

Resilience in a Changing Climate

SOURCE BOOK

Co-funded by the
European Union
First published in October 2019 by the United Nations
Environment Programme
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Citation: Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Nehren, U., Sandholz, S. and Doswald, N. (2019)
Disasters and Ecosystems, Resilience in a Changing Climate - Source Book.
Geneva: UNEP and Cologne: TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences.
Cover Image: © Philippa Terblanchè.
Photos: Unless otherwise credited, images in this report were taken by
United Nations Environment Programme staff.
Design and layout: Lynda Monk/Red Kite Creative Ltd.

UNEP promotes
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List of acronyms
CBD NOAA
Convention on Biological Diversity National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CCA OECD
Climate Change Adaptation Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development
COP
Conference of the Parties PAM
Protected Area Management
CI
Conservation International PEDRR
Partnership for Environment and Disaster
DRR
Risk Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction
SDGs
EbA
Sustainable Development Goals
Ecosystem-based Adaptation
SFDRR
Eco-DRR
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction
SPREP
GWP
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment
Global Water Partnership
Programme
ICZM
SREX
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Special Report on Extreme Events (IPCC)
IFM
UNCCD
Integrated Fire Management
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
IFRC
UNECE
International Federation of Red Cross
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
and Red Crescent Societies
UNDP
IPCC
United Nations Development Programme
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
UNFCCC
IUCN
United Nations Framework Convention on
International Union for the Conservation
Climate Change
of Nature
UNDRR
IWRM
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Integrated Water Resource Management
(formerly UNISDR)
MDGs
UNEP
Millennium Development Goals
United Nations Environment Programme
NbS
WBCSD
Nature-based Solutions
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
NGO
WMO
Non-Governmental Organization
World Meteorological Organization

1
Contents
List of acronyms 1 Chapter 6
Principles of ecosystem-disaster risk
reduction and adaptation 72
Executive summary 4
6.1 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation 73
Acknowledgements 5
6.2 Core elements of ecosystem-based
disaster risk reduction and adaptation 73
Chapter 1 6.3 Conclusions 81
The context and content of this source book 6
1.1 Introduction 7 Chapter 7
1.2 Structure of the book 11 Principles of systems thinking and using
natural systems for disaster risk reduction
and climate change adaptation 84
Chapter 2
Introduction to disasters, risk reduction 7.1 Principles of systems thinking 85
and climate change 14 7.2 Landscape systems, ecosystems
2.1 Hazard events and disasters 15 and disasters 89
2.2 Disaster risk reduction 26 7.3 Conclusions 90
2.3 Conclusions 29
Chapter 8
Managing resilience and transformation 92
Chapter 3
Disaster risk reduction, climate change 8.1 Resilience a key concept 93
adaptation and key international actors 32 8.2 Resilience, disaster risk and climate
3.1 Disaster risk reduction, climate change change adaptation 95
adaptation and international policy 33 8.3 Conclusions 98
3.2 The main international actors and
agreements relevant for disaster risk Chapter 9
reduction and climate change adaptation 36 Ecosystems management contributions
3.3 Conclusions 43 pre- and post-disasters 100
9.1 Ecosystem management and the
Chapter 4 disaster management phases 101
Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters 46 9.2 Ecosystem management and post-
4.1 The interlinkages between ecosystems, disaster recovery 102
natural hazards and disasters 47 9.3 Ecosystem management and
4.2 Socio-ecological systems 50 disaster prevention 107
4.3 Ecosystems can mitigate disaster risk 53 9.4 Conclusions 111
4.4 Conclusions 55
Chapter 10
Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments 112
Chapter 5
Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction 10.1 Vulnerability, hazard and risk assessments 113
and ecosystem-based adaptation 58 10.2 Common approaches to assessing
5.1 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction 59 vulnerability and risk 115
5.2 Ecosystem-based adaptation 61 10.3 Integrating ecosystems in risk assessment
and mapping 118
5.3 Similarities and differences between
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction 10.4 Conclusions 122
and ecosystem-based adaptation 63
5.4 The benefits of integrating ecosystem-
based disaster risk reduction and
ecosystem-based adaptation 68
5.5 Conclusions 70

2
Chapter 11 Chapter 15
Planning tools for ecosystem-based disaster Economic tools for ecosystem-based
risk reduction and adaptation 124 disaster risk reduction and adaptation 170
11.1 Spatial planning to reduce risks 15.1 Main economic tools used for decision-
from disasters 125 making on disaster risk reduction 171
11.2 Participatory rural appraisals for 15.2 Post-disaster needs assessments 173
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation 127 15.3 Cost benefit analysis in the context
of ecosystem-based disaster risk
11.3 Geographic information systems and reduction and adaptation 174
remote sensing for ecosystem-based
disaster risk reduction and adaptation 127 15.4 Ecosystem valuation 176

11.4 Environmental impact assessments 132 15.5 Payments for ecosystem services 179

11.5 Conclusions 136 15.6 Conclusions 181

Chapter 12 Chapter 16
Gender, disaster risk reduction and Principles of mainstreaming ecosystem-based
community-based tools for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation into
disaster risk reduction and adaptation 138 national policies, strategies, plans and projects 184

12.1 Disaster risk reduction and gender 139 16.1 Key entry points for integrating
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
12.2 Communities and natural resource and adaptation in policies, programmes
and risk management 144 and projects 185
12.3 Conclusions 146 16.2 Financial resources available for
mainstreaming ecosystem-based disaster
Chapter 13 risk reduction and adaptation 188
Sustainable land and water management 16.3 The challenges of mainstreaming
tools and approaches for ecosystem-based ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
disaster risk reduction and adaptation 150 and adaptation 189
13.1 Management tools and approaches for 16.4 Conclusions 190
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation 151
Chapter 17
13.2 An example of integrated water resource Approaches for operationalising resilience
management for disaster risk reduction for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation 156 and adaptation 192
13.3 Conclusions 158 17.1 Project development 193
17.2 The five factors of success of an
Chapter 14 ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
Ecological engineering for disaster risk and adaptation resilience-building project 201
reduction and climate change adaptation 160 17.3 Conclusions 202
14.1 Ecological engineering 161
14.2 The potentials and limitations of Chapter 18
ecological engineering 163 Conclusions – challenges and opportunties
14.3 Conclusions 167 for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation 204

3
 Executive summary
Disasters kill people, destroy infrastructure, damage ecosystems and
undermine development, and could increase in frequency due to climate
change. There is a need for increased awareness on the latest advances
in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA).
A significant advancement is a better understanding of ecosystem-based
approaches for reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate change.
This book explains the importance of ecosystems and their management
for DRR and CCA and provides guidance to plan and implement
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
(Eco-DRR/EbA).
DRR aims to work on reducing risk factors, by reducing exposure,
vulnerability and hazards. A number of things can contribute to increasing
risk in each of the risk factors, many of which are related either directly
or indirectly to poor environmental management. The international policy
field acknowledges the need to improve resilience through improving,
maintaining and managing ecosystem function with a number of
mentions and mandates in several important agreements, such as the
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR), the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Ecosystems provide important services that can address all risk factors.
They reduce exposure to hazards by buffering their impact, such as
mangroves attenuating waves or forests protecting against avalanches.
Well managed, they reduce hazards; indeed degraded ecosystems are
more prone to creating hazards such as landslides or desertification.
Finally, they can reduce vulnerability by providing food, water and
livelihoods to communities.
Eco-DRR is the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of
ecosystems to reduce disaster risk, with the aim to achieve sustainable
and resilient development (Estrella and Saalismaa 2013). EbA is the use
of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation
strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change
(CBD 2009). While these two approaches have some differences due to
REFERENCES being developed in silos, separately in the DRR and CCA communities,
CBD (2009). Connecting there is much overlap in practice.
Biodiversity and Climate Change
We hope that readers of this source book will retain a few key messages
Mitigation and Adaptation: Report
of the Second Ad Hoc Technical
about Eco-DRR/EbA and its core principles. These include: providing multiple
Expert Group on Biodiversity benefits and offering a no-regrets strategy. Furthermore, ecosystem-based
and Climate Change. Technical approaches to DRR/CCA are often more cost-effective over time than grey
Series No. 41. Secretariat of the infrastructure alone, although in some cases, grey-green infrastructure
Convention of Biological Diversity: combinations are the most optimal. And finally, gender-sensitive Eco-DRR/
Montreal. https://www.cbd.int/ EbA is fundamental to transformational resilience, or resilience which leads
doc/publications/cbd-ts-41-en.pdf
to sustainable reduction of disaster risks. Our book concludes that there are
Accessed: 24 July 2019.
still knowledge gaps and challenges to mainstreaming Eco-DRR/EbA, not
Estrella, M. and Saalismaa, N. the least being how to scale-up investments in ecosystems for DRR/CCA
(2013). Ecosystem-based disaster from a locally specific project to generalisable guidelines. This is indeed
risk reduction (Eco-DRR): An
one of the main challenges of Eco-DRR/EbA: for example, vegetation that
overview. In The role of ecosystems
in disaster risk reduction. Renaud.
reduces erosion in one locality may not work in another. Nevertheless,
F.G., Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Estrella, this book aims to provide answers to overcome some of these gaps and
M. (eds.). UNU Press, Tokyo, 25-54. challenges. It also challenges readers to engage in new research, find ways
http://collections.unu.edu/view/ to incorporate Eco-DRR/EbA in development planning and join the growing
UNU:1995 Accessed: 24 July 2019. community of practice working to advance this emerging field.

4
Acknowledgements
This Source Book stems from a collaborative project between the TH Köln –
University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany, the Centers for Natural
Resources and Development (CNRD), an international university network
based at TH Köln, and the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), Crisis Management Branch, Global University Partnership for
Environmental Sustainability (GUPES), with technical support from the
Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR).
Financial contributions were provided by TH Köln, UNEP, Eye on Earth
Programme, the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the EXCEED programme
and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to develop a
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Ecosystem-based Disaster
Risk Reduction.
For further information on our organisations and our MOOC, visit our
websites.
Authors:
Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Nehren, U., Sandholz, S. and Doswald, N.
Acknowledgement:
We would like to extend special thanks to a number of people who
contributed in various capacities to this manuscript, by alphabetical order:
Aya Aboulhosn, Teresa Arce Mojica, Niloufar Bayani, Brock Blevins, Rita
Cozma, Prim Devakula, Gesa Dickhoff, Marisol Estrella, Michelle Ford,
Sruthi Herbert, Ishrat Jahan, Harrhy James, Mike Jones, Molly Frances
Kellogg, Marwa Khalifa, Wolfram Lange, Toshihisa Nakamura, Sabine Plog,
Fabrice Renaud, Leila Rharade, Lars Ribbe, Nicole Rokicki, Meenakshi
Sajeev, Harald Sander and Guenther Straub.

With special thanks to our donors With financial support from the

Co-funded by the
European Union

5
Chapter 1
The context and content
of this source book

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/ UNEP

6
 The context and content of this source book
01
1.1 Introduction
Disasters kill people, destroy infrastructure, damage ecosystems and
undermine development. Climate change is expected to aggravate existing Partnership for environment
disaster risks in many regions of the world. There is a need for increased and disaster risk reduction
awareness amongst practitioners, policymakers and researchers on PEDRR is a global alliance
the latest advances in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change of UN agencies, NGOs and
adaptation (CCA). There is now a better understanding of ecosystem specialist institutes. PEDRR
based approaches for reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate seeks to promote and
change. Natural solutions are now more commonplace to providing scale-up implementation of
protective buffers and supporting food and water for increased resilience Eco-DRR/EbA and ensure
against disaster impacts. Ecosystem-based approaches for disaster risk it is mainstreamed in
reduction and climate change adaptation (or Eco-DRR/EbA) are considered development planning at
by the IPCC (2012) as a “no-regrets” strategy, providing multiple socio- global, national and local
economic benefits regardless of disasters, including carbon storage and levels, in line with the SFDRR.
sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and poverty alleviation.
For more information:
The promotion and uptake of so called ‘Nature-based Solutions’ (NbS) www.pedrr.org
for DRR and CCA has grown and gained attention internationally since
2007, after the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP). Conservation organisations,
such as the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) and The
Nature Conservancy (TNC), supported by some Member States, brought
forth in their submissions to the 14th UNFCCC CoP in 2008 the concept of
ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as an important element of the future
adaptation framework under the UNFCCC (Vignola et al. 2009).
In the field of DRR, the importance of ecosystems has been recognised
and discussed for some time prior to the push for EbA, and this recognition
is found in the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, mainly
through HFA Priority 4, to “reduce the underlying risk factors”. Contributing
to this evolution, the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk
Reduction (PEDRR) has been advocating for Eco-DRR to be mainstreamed
in disaster and development planning globally since 2008.

Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR)

Global target D
Global target C Damage to critical infrastructure
Economic loss/Global GDP and disruption
of basic services

Technical guidelines
Indicators relevant to green
infrastructure and ecosystems Provide support to define relevant

Indicator C5 Indicator D4
Direct economic loss resulting Number of other destroyed or Critical infrastructure
from damaged or destroyed damaged critical infrastructure • Protective infrastructure
critical infrastructure attributed units and facilities attributed • Green infrastructure
to disasters to disasters

and respective accounting methodology

used for indicator assessment in metadata
Figure 1.1
Indicators on green infrastructure and ecosystems in the SFDRR.
Source: Sebesvari et al. 2019. Redrawn by L. Monk

7
 Thanks to its advocacy, the post-2015 agenda of the SFDRR provides a
DEFINITIONS more explicit recognition of the role of sustainable ecosystem management
EbA: The use of biodiversity for reducing disaster risk and building resilience. Furthermore, the Sendai
and ecosystem services as Framework Monitor (SFM), which includes 38 indicators to monitor
part of an overall adaptation progress towards seven targets, has provision to report upon green
strategy to help people adapt infrastructure, under two indicators (Figure 1.1). However, to date no
to the adverse effects of government has reported on green infrastructure.
climate change (CBD 2009). The different terminology used to denote NbS, within different agreements
or documents, such as the ecosystem-based approaches mentioned
Eco-DRR: The sustainable
in the SFDRR and green infrastructure in the SFM, or used by different
management, conservation
organisations such as EbA in climate change discussions and Eco-DRR
and restoration of ecosystems
in DRR discussions, can create confusion and murkiness, which may
to reduce disaster risk, with
also impede uptake and reporting by governments. Ensuring clarity and
the aim to achieve sustainable communication is therefore important.
and resilient development
(Estrella and Saalismaa 2013). While the importance of environmental management is not new, and
one of the pillars of sustainable development, there is still a dominance
EbM: The use of ecosystems of technical and structural solutions to problems such as disasters and
for their carbon storage and climate change. Part of this reason is perhaps the lack of evidence,
sequestration service to aid understanding and guidance for the implementation for NbS. However,
climate change mitigation. thanks to policy developments and advocacy, as well as increased funding
for such projects, implementation of natural solutions, or ecosystem-
based approaches is increasing.
This is important because population and economic growth, particularly
in many developing and newly industrialised countries will put increasing
pressures on ecosystems and reduce their protective function against
hazard events. Landscape and ecosystem degradation, for instance of
mangroves, coastal dune systems, and mountain forests, can be observed
in many parts of the world, and will likely continue or even accelerate if no
suitable countermeasures are taken.

TERMINOLOGY
Several terms are used to denote the use of natural areas with other environmental features
ecosystems or natural elements in a landscape. designed and managed to deliver a wide range of
These terms are: ecosystem services such as water purification, air
Natural Solutions (NS) or Nature-based Solutions quality, space for recreation, climate mitigation
(NbS) are defined by IUCN as “actions to protect, and adaptation, and management of wet weather
sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified impacts that provides many community benefits”
ecosystems that address societal challenges (UNISDR, 2017: 96)
effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing Natural buffers: similar to green infrastructure.
human well-being and biodiversity benefits” (Cohen- Ecosystem-based approaches: includes Ecosystem-
Shacham et al. 2016). This is an umbrella term for based adaptation (EbA), Ecosystem-based disaster
all natural mangement approaches, including those risk reduction (Eco-DRR), and Ecosystem-based
undertaken for disaster-risk reduction or climate mitigation (EbM).
change adaptation.
Green and blue space: these terms are often used
Green-blue (or natural) Infrastructure (GI or NI): in urban climate change adaptation, and denote
This term is often used to oppose what is called the provision of “green” areas, such as green roofs,
“grey (or hard) infrastructure”, which refers to any parks, green corridors, and “blue” areas, such as
hard structure such as a sea wall or dyke and is ponds and water features, for urban cooling and
“a strategically planned network of natural and semi- water management.

8
 The context and content of this source book
01

Figure 1.2
Border between Haiti on left, Dominican Republic on right. © UNEP

Figure 1.2 is a striking illustration of the different levels of vegetation cover

between Haiti (left of road) and the Dominican Republic (right of road).
In Haiti, severe environmental degradation is one of the main underlying
risk factors – leading to increased vulnerability and risk to hazard events.
For example, the 2004 Tropical Storm Jeanne caused numerous mudslides
and over 1,600 causalities in Haiti especially in the city of Gonaïves. In
contrast, in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, the same storm caused
much less damage and only 18 casualties were reported (NOAA, 2014).
Another example of natural coastal protection is from Sri Lanka,
where human activities aggravated the impact from the Indian Ocean
tsunami in 2004. Figure 1.3 shows Yala National Park in Southern
Sri Lanka, which was hit hard by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
In the photo on the top, we barely distinguish a few green rooftops
of an ecotourism resort that was protected by sand dunes. There
the wave height was only 5 cm and there were no casualties. The
photo on the bottom shows the Yala Safari Resort which lies right by
the beach not far from the ecotourism resort, where the dunes had
been removed for better ocean views. Here the wave height reached
7 meters and 27 people died. This is a good example of how ecosystems,
such as sand dunes, can protect people and infrastructure against
coastal hazards. It also illustrates how a hazard, such as a tsunami, can
become a disaster when people are living in exposed places or degrade
their environments.

9
 Figure 1.3
Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
and nested ecotourism resort.
© B. McAdoo

Yala Safari resort, Sri Lanka.

© B. McAdoo

Most disasters or at least some of their severe impacts are preventable

and are often caused or aggravated by degraded environmental
conditions. Eco-DRR/EbA is an approach where ecosystems (for e.g.
mountain forests, wetlands and mangroves) are systematically harnessed
to prevent, mitigate or buffer against natural hazards and the impacts
of climate change, such as sea level rise. Eco-DRR/EbA recognizes that
ecosystems can provide DRR services as well as offer other ecosystem
services of productive, regulating and cultural value, which also contribute
to building local resilience to disasters and climate change. Investments
in Eco-DRR/EbA approaches thus provide multiple benefits – not only
for increasing resilience to DRR and CCA – but especially for supporting
livelihoods, human well-being and ecosystem health. However, just as
there are limitations to engineered structures, there are also limitations
to how much ecosystems, such as coastal sand dunes or mangroves,
can protect from a hazard event such as a tropical cyclone or tsunami.
This protection function depends on the health of the ecosystem and
the magnitude of the hazard event. There is however a growing body of
scientific evidence about the protective functions of ecosystems, upon
which this source book is based.

10
 The context and content of this source book
01
This book was written for disaster managers and practitioners, CCA
professionals, development planners, project implementers and policy
makers, students and leaders in the fields of DRR, CCA, development,
and natural resources management, including environmental engineering,
regional, urban and environmental planning, geography, ecology,
landscape ecology, agricultural sciences, and anybody else interested
in learning about new solutions to addressing increasing disasters and
climate risks.

1.2 Structure of the book

This book aims to provide readers with an understanding of the concepts
of DRR and CCA, explain the importance of ecosystems and their
management for DRR and CCA, and provide guidance and tools to plan
and implement Eco-DRR/EbA. However, this book can only give general
principles and overview of the issues. It cannot provide specific guidance
for specific conditions because each situation is unique and requires in
depth inquiry, and will depend on resources available for each context.
Nevertheless, it is hoped that this book and the resources that are given
at the end of some chapters can help towards mainstreaming Eco-DRR/
EbA and be a reference source for this emerging field.
Chapters 2-5 introduce the subject of disasters and risk reduction,
climate change and adaptation and the role of ecosystems and their
management for DRR and CCA. Chapter 2 provides an overview of
disasters and what is DRR, as well as how climate change impacts
disaster risk. This chapter also introduces gender issues in DRR, which
will be further elaborated upon in subsequent chapters. Being sensitive
to gender when planning DRR and CCA is extremely important, not only
due to the policy requirements for equity and equality, but also because
of the inherent vulnerability of more marginalised groups as well as the
contribution for long-term resilience that women and other minorities
can provide. Chapter 3 discusses the differences and convergence
between DRR and CCA as well as the main international agreements
and actors relevant for Eco-DRR/EbA. Chapter 4 introduces the link
between ecosystems and DRR, while Chapter 5 clarifies the differences
and commonalities between Eco-DRR and EbA and argues for integration
of both.
Chapters 6-8 develop on the principles of ecosystem-based approaches
for DRR and adaptation, system thinking and resilience. Chapter 6 provides
the core principles of Eco-DRR/EbA that can help to understand the
underlying paradigm and briefly discusses some of the implementation
challenges. Chapter 7 explains system thinking, and how it is important in
developing Eco-DRR/EbA measures. Chapter 8 looks at what is resilience,
which is a concept that is found in many of the international policy
agreements and project development aims in CCA and DRR. It provides
several ways at looking at resilience from short-term coping to longer-
term transformation.
Chapter 9 looks more concretely at DRR and the different disaster phases,
which can be categorised in four parts following an event: relief, recovery,
reconstruction, and prevention. The chapter provides some ideas as to
how to incorporate ecosystem and gender consideration into each phase.
Chapters 10-15 detail different tools for Eco-DRR/EbA: looking at risk
assessments, planning, gender and community-based tools, management
tools, ecological engineering, and finally economic tools. Risk assessments

11
 are introduced in Chapter 10 with some examples of projects that have
TERMINOLOGY included ecosystems in them. Chapter 11 gives a general overview of
USED IN THIS BOOK some planning tools from participatory rural appraisal, spatial planning
This book will be using using geographical information systems and environmental impact
terminology given by the assessments. Risk assessment and planning are integral parts of DRR
United Nations Office for and CCA implementation. Chapter 12 delves a bit more into gender
Disaster Risk Reduction – aspects of DRR and highlights how successful integration of gender into
UNDRR [formerly the United DRR can improve resilience. Moreover, involving the whole community
Nations International Strategy in planning and implementation of Eco-DRR/EbA is important for
for Disaster Reduction] sustainability and to address any conflict and find ways to cooperate for
(UNISDR) (2017)]. UNDRR a better future. Chapter 13 explains the main management tools, which
is the main UN agency are: Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), Integrated Coastal
that advocates for disaster Zone Management (ICZM), Sustainable Land Management, Integrated
reduction policies and Fire Management (IFM) and Protected Area Management (PAM). Chapter
practices. It should be noted 14 goes into more detail on using green infrastructure or hybrid green-
that there are however grey approaches that are collectively called ecological engineering. It
several different definitions gives examples as well as the potentials and limitations of the approach.
for many of these terms. Chapter 15 highlights the importance of finance and tools that can be used
The Intergovernmental Panel to inform decision-making, such as cost-benefit analysis and ecosystem
on Climate Change (IPCC) valuation. It also briefly introduces the concept of payment for ecosystem
definitions, for instance, are services, a mechanism which has originally been used in the climate
substantially different from mitigation/emissions reduction schemes but can also be important for
those used by the “disaster other ecosystem services tied to DRR/CCA.
risk reduction community”, The last three chapters aim to bring everything together. Chapter 16 looks
creating some confusions at key entry points for mainstreaming Eco-DRR/EbA. The chapter once
regarding terms. However, again highlights the importance of finance and financing Eco-DRR/EbA
significant efforts have been and provides examples of some national and international policy entry
made to consolidate the two points. Chapter 17 provides a general operational framework for Eco-DRR.
sets of terms: It gives a structure of five points/questions that need to be considered
http://www.preventionweb. when creating a project plan that aims for resilience. Finally, Chapter 18
net/english/professional/ wraps things up with the opportunities and challenges for Eco-DRR/EbA
terminology going forward.

12
 The context and content of this source book
01
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
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S. (2016). Nature-based Solutions to address global societal 24 July 2019
challenges. Gland: IUCN. https://portals.iucn.org/library/
Sebesvari, Z., Woelki, J., Walz, Y., Sudmeier-Rieux, K.,
sites/library/files/documents/2016-036.pdf Accessed:
Sandholz, S., Tol, S., Ruíz García, V. and Renaud, F. (2019).
24 July 2019.
Opportunities for Green Infrastructure and Ecosystems
IPCC (2012). Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and in the Sendai Framework Monitor. Progress in Disaster
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Vignola R., Locatelli B., Martinez C., and Imbach P. (2009).
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Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change: what role
D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach,
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10.1007/s11027-009-9193-6.
IPCC (2014). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation,
UNISDR (2017). Technical Guidance for Monitoring and
and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects.
Reporting on Progress in Achieving the Global Targets of the
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. https://www.
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
unisdr.org/files/54970_techguidancefdigitalhr.pdf Accessed
[Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken, K.J. Mach, M.D.
24 July 2019.
Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada,
R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken,
P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White (eds.)]. Cambridge and
New York, New York: Cambridge University Press.

13
Chapter 2
Introduction to disasters,
risk reduction and
climate change

Key questions
What is a disaster and how does a hazard
event become a disaster?
How does climate change contribute
to disasters?
What is disaster risk reduction?
What are the main actions undertaken
to reduce disaster risks?

14
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
2.1 Hazard events and disasters Natural hazards
For a disaster to be entered into the official database on disasters, EM-DAT, GEOPHYSICAL
the International Disaster Database, it must meet at least one of four criteria: Earthquakes
Ten (10) or more people reported killed. Volcanic eruptions
Hundred (100) or more people reported affected. Tsunamis
Landslides
Declaration of a state of emergency.
HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL
Call for international assistance.
Avalanches
In other words, natural hazard events, such as landslides, tropical cyclones, Floods
floods, avalanches, etc., become disasters if they exceed the capacity of Storm surges
a community or society to cope using its own resources. Even a severe Cyclonic storms
hazard event would not be declared disaster if no one is affected (directly Droughts
or indirectly). For example, an avalanche happening in some remote and
Heat waves
uninhabited area would not be considered a disaster. Thus, whether a
Wind storms
hazard event becomes a disaster depends largely on the magnitude of
Wild fires
the event but also on how well a society is prepared to cope with it. For
example, a flood of the same magnitude may not be considered a disaster
in a country such as Bangladesh which often experiences severe flooding
as compared to a country such as Sweden where large-scale flooding
is less common. Disasters can be classified in different ways although DEFINITION: DISASTER
the first distinction is between man-made1 disasters (chemical accidents, “A serious disruption of the
oil spills, industrial pollution) as caused by technological hazards versus functioning of a community or
disasters associated with natural hazards. a society involving widespread
human, material, economic
Natural hazards can be classified in several ways but are usually
or environmental losses
broken down into the two broad categories: geophysical and biological
and impacts, which exceeds
hazards (Burton et al. 1993). Figure 2.1 shows the classification used
the ability of the affected
in EM-DAT (2015). Landslides can be triggered either by earthquakes
community or society to cope
or most commonly by rainfall. Floods and wildfires can be related to a
using its own resources.”
combination of geological, hydrological and meteorological phenomena.
According to UNISDR (2009) a biological hazard can be defined as a UNISDR 2009
“process or phenomenon of organic origin or conveyed by biological
vectors, including exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms, toxins and
bioactive substances that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other
health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social
and economic disruption, or environmental damage.” In the 2015 Global
Assessment Report by UNISDR, natural hazards were referred to as
“physical hazards” although this definition has not yet replaced natural
hazards in the official terminology. This book addresses geophysical,
hydro-meteorological and climatological hazards as these are the hazards
that are the most common and can be attenuated to various degrees
through ecosystem management and restoration.
Figure 2.1
Disaster types.
EM-DAT 2015

1. In some instances the term “environmental disasters” is used to describe man-made or technological disasters

15
 Another important distinction is between sudden or slow onset
disasters, also referred to as intensive or extensive hazards
(UNISDR 2011). UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) defines the threshold
variables between intensive and extensive disaster losses in terms
of mortality and housing destruction. The thresholds are fixed at:
Mortality: less than 30 people killed (extensive); 30 or more killed (intensive);
Housing destruction: less than 600 houses destroyed (extensive); 600 or
more houses destroyed (intensive) (UNISDR 2015).
Earthquakes, tsunamis or sudden landslides are examples of intensive
hazards while, droughts and slow-moving landslides are examples of
extensive hazards (although a very sudden and intense drought could be
considered intensive). Extensive hazards also affect the vulnerability and
resilience of communities and will likely increase in some regions due to
climate change impacts (IPCC 2012).

DISASTER TRENDS AND STATISTICS

Disasters have become more frequent during the past 20 years
(Figure 2.2). While the number of people affected has decreased, only
partly explained by population growth, death rates on the other hand, have
increased over the same period, reaching an average of more than 99,700
deaths per year between 2004 and 2017.
This partly reflects the huge loss of life several mega disasters during
that time period: for example, the Asian tsunami in 2004, cyclone Nargis
Natural
in 2008catastrophes
and the earthquake1980–2017
in Haiti in 2010 (Figure 2.3).
Number
Althoughof relevant
countries have events
made quite some progress in reducing mortality
from intensive disasters through improved disaster management (early

Figure 2.2 Climatological Hydrological Overall number

Number of disasters 1980-2015 of events
Geophysical Meteorological
Munich Re NatCatSERVICE 2017

800 Number of relevant

loss events increasing

600

400

200

0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

16
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02

Figure 2.3
Mortality from disasters concentrated
warning systems, preparedness programs and evacuation plans), the
in a few intensive events.
increase in extensive risk demonstrates that countries have not adequately UNISDR 2015
addressed underlying risk drivers that are anchored in poverty and poor
governance (UNISDR 2015). Figure 2.4 shows how global processes
and underlying risk drivers affect the risk-poverty nexus. Decreasing the
underlying drivers of risk, which impact the vulnerability of people, would
help to decrease the magnitude of disasters.
This fact is further mirrored by the UNDRR statistic: almost 90% of the
Figure 2.4
mortality recorded since 1990 in internationally reported disasters has
The risk-poverty nexus.
UNISDR 2015. Redrawn by L. Monk

Underlying THE RISK-POVERTY NEXUS

risk drivers
Increasing hazard Extensive and intensive risks
Disaster loss
exposure of Exposure of vulnerable people
Mortality, damage to housing,
population and and assets to frequent
Global local infrastructure, morbidity,
economic assets low-severity and infrequent
livestock and crops
processes high-severity hazards
Lack of
Uneven economic accountability and
and territorial limited social
development cohesion
Rising social and
Everyday risks Poverty outcomes
Badly planned
economic inequality managed urban Food insecurity, crime, disease, Short and long-run impacts on
development pollution, accidents, lack of income, consumption, welfare
Collapsing sanitation and clean water and equality
planetary systems Vulnerable rural
and climate change livelihoods
Declining
ecosystems Multidimensional poverty
Weak social Economic poverty, powerlessness, Limited opportunities
protection exclusion, illiteracy, discrimination to access and mobilize assets

17
 occurred in low and middle-income countries (UNISDR/UNDRR 2015,
2019). According to EM-DAT, during the period 2004 and 2013, on average,
more than three times as many people died per disaster in low-income
countries (332 deaths) than in high-income nations (105 deaths). When
combining higher-income with upper-middle-income countries, 56%
of the countries experienced disasters but accounted for ‘only’ 32% of
deaths, while low- and lower-middle-income countries experienced 44%
of disasters but suffered 68% of deaths (EM-DAT 2015) (Figure 2.5).

Figure 2.5 Number of Deaths (thousand) Number of Deaths per event

Total number of deaths compared

500 350
to the average number of deaths per
disaster by income group 450
300
(1994-2013). 400
EM-DAT 2015. Redrawn by L. Monk
350 250

300
200
250
150
200

150 100

100
50
50

High income Upper middle Lower middle Low income

income income

As critical infrastructure, such as roads and hospitals, is constructed, the

expectation is that disaster-affected people will be provided with better
chances of avoiding and recovering from hazard events. Improved levels
of economic development should lead to advances in early warning
systems, ranging from more accurate monitoring of weather events to
vastly increased mobile phone access and real improvements in disaster
preparedness and response.
Figure 2.6 illustrates that Asia continues to be the continent with the greatest
Figure 2.6
number of disasters. According to EM-DAT, in 2018, 53% of disasters
Disasters worldwide by
continent 2000-2018. occurred in Asia and 85% of those affected by disasters were also in Asia.
EM-Dat 2019

18
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
The type of disaster caused by natural hazards that affects most people Figure 2.7
worldwide is weather-related, with drought, floods and storms being the Share of occurrence of disasters
leading cause of disasters (Figure 2.7). by type (2000-2018).
EM-DAT 2019
All types Earthquake Flood Storm Drought Epidemic

According to UNDRR (UNISDR 2015), absolute economic losses due to

disasters are rising, but in relative terms, the global increase in economic
loss from disasters is statistically not significant. However, whereas
absolute economic loss is concentrated in higher-income countries, in
relative terms, it remains a far greater problem for low income countries.
During the period 1994-2013, high income countries recorded losses of
an estimated US$ 1,660 billion dollars due to disasters, while low income
countries recorded only US$ 71 billion. In relation to GDP, this corresponds
to 0.3% losses for high income countries compared to 5.1% in low
income countries (Figure 2.8). As underreporting of economic losses is
especially common in low income countries the above statistics reflect a
disproportionate impact from disasters on low income countries.

Economic losses Economic losses as % of GDP Figure 2.8

(billion US$) %
Economic losses in absolute value
and compared to GDP 1994-2013.
1800 6
1659 EM-DAT 2015. Redrawn by L. Monk
1600 5.1
5
1400

1200 4

1000
3
800 678
0.2
600 2

400
0.6 173 1
200 0.3 71
0
High income Upper middle Lower middle Low income
income income

19
 DISASTERS AND GENDER
It is well understood that natural hazards do not discriminate, but people
do. When a natural hazard turns into a disaster affecting people, it can
affect people even within the same community differently. Various axes
of inequality – class, race, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion – all can affect
how disasters impact individuals and communities (Figure 2.9). This hints
at a gendered impact of disasters, whether due to the impact during or
in the aftermath of a disaster where social inequalities can be exposed
in terms of burden of impact, the help received or even in post disaster
violence that can ensue.

Figure 2.9
Flooding in Haiti 2007.
© UNEP

The gendered impact of disasters was investigated by Neumayer and

Plümper (2007). They analysed data relating to 4,605 disasters caused
by natural hazards between 1981 and 2002. Examining disaster mortality,
they show that the gender gap between life expectancy (generally more
for women than men) decreases during and in the aftermath of a disaster.
The stronger the disaster, the more severe its impact on female life
expectancy. From this study, they argue that it is the “socially constructed
gender-specific vulnerability of females built into everyday socioeconomic
patterns that lead to the relatively higher female disaster mortality rates
compared to men” (Neumayer and Plümper 2007:551). Their argument
about gender specific vulnerability due to pre-existing discriminations in
the social structure is bolstered by their finding that “the adverse impact of
disasters on females relative to men vanishes with rising socioeconomic
status of women” (Neumayer and Plümper 2007:562). However, the data
available preclude coming to any general conclusions applicable across
the board about the gendered impact of disasters.
Subsequent studies have shown that in several disasters women
frequently outnumber men in terms of casualties or being affected.
In Indonesia, in the four villages in the Aceh Besar district surveyed by
Oxfam in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami, only 189 of 676 survivors
were female. Male survivors outnumbered female survivors by a ratio of
almost 3:1. In four villages in North Aceh district, out of 366 deaths, 284
were females: females accounted for 77% of deaths in these villages. In
the worst affected village, Kuala Cangkoy, for every male who died, four
females died — or in other words, 80% of deaths were female (Oxfam
2005). In the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2012, Iwate, Miyagi and

20
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
Fukushima prefectures were the worst affected, with 8,363 female and
7,360 male casualties recorded in total (the gender of 63 further casualties
was not identified). Female casualties outnumbered male by around
1,000. The majority of these additional 1,000 female casualties were aged
70 years or older (Government of Japan 2014). Of course, an aspect not
necessarily revealed by some of these statistics is the proportion of men
to women within the community to begin with.
Field-work based observations and anecdotal accounts of practitioners
and experts reinforce this analysis of differential impact across genders
exacerbated by vulnerability. Some of the reasons that contribute to this
are well known: dress codes can restrict women’s ability to move quickly;
girls and women are not taught to swim or climb trees, which can affect
their chances of surviving floods; insufficient access to early warnings
affect women’s chances to leave disaster areas; domestic and caring jobs
that women do often make them less inclined to immediately leave a
disaster area.
Through her work in regions in Tamil Nadu, India affected by the 2004
Indian Ocean Tsunami, Pincha (2008) describes the impact of gender
norms. She writes,
“During the Tsunami in Tamil Nadu, strong internalized values of nudity and
shame prevented women from running to safety as their saris had been
removed by the sheer force of the waves. The women preferred to drown
rather than come out of waters without their clothes. Since the incident
many of them have started using inner wear as it will provide minimal cover
in case they have to discard or raise their sari and run.” (Pincha 2008:24)
There are circumstances where gendered social expectations can affect
men more. Gender roles within the prevailing social relations may also
lead to more men losing their lives in certain situations. For example,
it is estimated that more men than women were killed when Hurricane
Mitch struck Central America in 1998 (Bradshaw and UNECLAC 2004).
More recently in the floods of 2018 in Kerala, South India, it is reported
that of the 433 lives lost in the floods and landslides, 268 were men, 98
women, and 67 children , as men were expected to assist others during
the emergency (Government of Kerala 2018).
Gender aspects also play a crucial role in disaster recovery and
reconstruction. The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (see also Chapter
15) carried out after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal showed that
disaster impacts on infrastructure, social and production sector put a
huge strain on the ability of poor households to sustain their livelihoods,
thus promoting negative coping strategies, such as child labor, early
marriage, and sexual and gender-based violence. It increased the time
women and girls had to spend collecting water and firewood by another
three hours in some remote settlements. Social norms expecting females
to be responsible for these basic household supplies can thus result in
long-term negative impacts on girl education (Government of Nepal 2015).
These experiences with disasters show that our gendered social lives
increase women’s vulnerability in general, whereas social expectations of
bravery or risk-taking may cost men their lives.
Beyond the binary nature of men and women, other gender minorities can
find themselves more vulnerable during and after disasters especially if they
are already marginalised in society (Gorman-Murray et al. 2014). Studies
in various countries reveal that discrimination and access to assistance
can increase the impact of disasters on LGBTI (lesbian, gay, transgender
and intersex) communities, or other gender minorities, such as the bakla

21
 in the Philippines (Gorman--Murray et al. 2014; Gaillard et al. 2016). Other
disadvantages such as disability, being a religious minority or belonging
to any oppressed group – race/caste/class/religion – etc. could also
exacerbate the gendered impact of disasters. UN Department of Economic
and Social Affairs (2019) states that “Individuals with disabilities are
disproportionately affected in disaster, emergency, and conflict situations
due to inaccessible evacuation, response (including shelters, camps, and
food distribution), and recovery efforts.” Enarson and Fordham (2000
(200:50)) researching flood recovery in the US and UK found that “flooding
reflected and exacerbated economic, racial/ethnic and gender inequalities”.

EXPOSURE AS A MAIN DRIVER OF DISASTER RISK

Following the section on disasters and gender, this section explores
the importance of exposure as a driver of disaster risk. One of the
main messages of this source book is that most disasters are actually
preventable and mainly result from people living in hazard exposed places,
such as along coastlines, rivers and steep slopes (UNISDR 2011). It is
thus crucial to know how disasters of various types may be preventable
and what actions we need to undertake to reduce the occurrence of
preventable disasters. Figure 2.10 illustrates urban growth in a city in
eastern Nepal, where over 200 households settled by the banks of the river
over a time period of five years (2004-2009), mostly in shanty houses. A
large flood from the river in 2013 created massive damage to this section
of the city (in red).
What this example demonstrates is how exposure is a main driving factor
for disaster risk, not only in Nepal but worldwide.

Figure 2.10
Redrawn maps by Sabine Plog.
Left: Seuti Khola River, Dharan
Nepal in 2004;
Right: Seuti Khola River, Dharan
Nepal in 2009.
© Sudmeier-Rieux 2009

N N N N
POTENPOTEN
TIAL FLOOD
TIAL FLOOD
AREA AREA

Figure 2.11 compares the exposure of the population in different

categories of countries from 1980 to 2010. It differentiates between low-
income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income and OECD countries
worldwide. We clearly observe that people in low-income countries are
the most exposed with an almost linear increase from 1980 to 2010 and
a total increase of 250% since the baseline year 1970. In contrast, people
in OECD countries are the less exposed with a flattening growth.
The most at risk to disasters due to exposure and vulnerability are the
tropics and subtropics (Figure 2.12).

22
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
Figure 2.11:
Increase of exposure of populations
to hazard events from 1980 to 2010.
Source: UNISDR 2011

Figure 2.12
World risk index 2018.
Credit: 2019 Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft, NatCatSERVICE

23
 CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK
Climate change
The Special Report on Extreme Events (SREX) of the IPCC (IPCC 2012)
“Warming of the climate
was quite nuanced in its findings linking climate change with extreme
system is unequivocal, and
weather events and disaster occurrence. It presented its findings in
since the 1950s, many of
terms of various degrees of agreement and evidence among scientists
the observed changes are
as confidence levels (Table 2.1).
unprecedented over decades
to millennia. The atmosphere There is evidence from observations gathered since 1950 of change
and ocean have warmed, the in some extreme hazard events. Confidence in observed changes in
amounts of snow and ice extremes depends on the quality and quantity of data and the availability
have diminished, sea level has of studies analyzing these data, which vary across regions and for
risen, and the concentrations different extremes. Assigning «low» confidence in observed changes in a
of greenhouse gases specific extreme on regional or global scales neither implies nor excludes
have increased”. the possibility of changes in extremes. Extreme events are rare/infrequent,
which means there are few data available to make assessments regarding
IPCC 2013, SPM-3
changes in their frequency and intensity (IPCC 2012). Climate change
impacts in terms of extreme events vary according to the type of hazard
and across geographical locations.

PHENOMENA CONFIDENCE LEVELS

Models project substantial warming Virtually certain that increases in the frequency and magnitude
in temperature extremes by the end of of warm daily temperature extremes and decreases in cold
the 21st century extremes will occur in the 21st century.
Very likely that the length, frequency, and/or intensity of warm
spells or heat waves will increase over most land areas.

Frequency of heavy precipitation or Likely to increase in many areas of the globe. Particularly the
proportion of total rainfall from heavy falls case in the high latitudes and tropical regions, and in winter in
the northern mid-latitudes.

Average tropical cyclone maximum Speed likely to increase, although increases may not occur
wind speed and global frequency in all ocean basins. Global frequency likely to decrease or be
of tropical cyclones essentially unchanged.

Number of average extra tropical cyclones of them being reduced as averaged over
each hemisphere.

Intensification of droughts in the of them being intensified in some seasons

21st century due to reduced precipitation and areas
and/or increased evapotranspiration

Occurrence of floods of changes (limited evidence, complexity of

regional changes)

Coastal high water levels Likely to increase (mean sea level rise)

High mountain phenomena such as to increase due to changes in heat waves,

slope instabilities, movements of mass, glacial retreat, and/or permafrost degradation
and glacial lake outburst floods

Impact on large-scale patterns of natural climate of changes

variability (monsoons, ENSO)

Table 2.1

(Modified from IPCC 2012)

24
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) 2013-2014 compiles the current
state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. It is comprised
of Working Group (WG) reports and a Synthesis Report (SYR). The AR5
is divided into:
WG I: The Physical Science Basis
WG II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
WG III: Mitigation of Climate Change
The WG I report highlights in great detail the various impacts that climate
change is having on the natural spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere,
cryosphere, lithosphere, biosphere), discusses the climate models and
the extent to which observed changes are due to human activity.
The WG II report evaluates how patterns of risks and potential benefits
are shifting due to climate change. “It considers how impacts and risks
related to climate change can be reduced and managed through adaptation
and mitigation. The report assesses needs, options, opportunities,
constraints, resilience, limits, and other aspects associated with adaptation”
(IPCC 2014: 3).
The main findings of WG II are summarised below:
In recent decades, changes in climate have caused impacts on
natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans.
In many regions, changing precipitation or melting snow and ice are
altering hydrological systems, affecting water resources in terms of
quantity and quality ( ).
Many terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species have shifted
their geographic ranges, seasonal activities, migration patterns,
abundances, and species interactions in response to ongoing climate
change ( ).
Based on many studies covering a wide range of regions and crops,
negative impacts of climate change on crop yields have been more
common than positive impacts ( ).
At present the world-wide burden of human ill-health from climate
change is relatively small compared with effects of other stressors
and is not well quantified.
Differences in vulnerability and exposure arise from non-climatic
factors and from multidimensional inequalities often produced
by uneven development processes ( ). These
differences shape differential risks from climate change.
Impacts from recent climate-related extremes, such as heat
waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and wildfires, reveal significant
vulnerability and exposure of some ecosystems and many human
systems to current climate variability ( ).
Climate-related hazards exacerbate other stressors, often with
negative outcomes for livelihoods, especially for people living in
poverty ( ).
Violent conflict increases vulnerability to climate change (medium
evidence, high agreement).
(IPCC 2014)

The IPCC 6th Assessment Report is currently underway and is due in 2021.

25
 DEFINITION: 2.2 Disaster risk reduction
DISASTER RISK Disaster risk has become shorthand for the risk of a disaster occurring.
“The potential disaster losses It refers to the potential disaster losses – in lives, assets, livelihoods,
– in lives, assets, livelihoods, etc. – which could occur to a particular community or society over some
etc. – which could occur to specified future time period. The term disaster risk is used to distinguish
a particular community or from other types of risk, such as financial risk. Risk refers to the probability
of future losses.
future time period” Risk is often expressed in terms of three factors (Hazard, Vulnerability and
UNISDR 2009 Exposure), which are sometimes represented as an equation:

Risk = Hazard * Vulnerability * Exposure

It is important to distinguish between these three factors as they require
DEFINITIONS different sets of actions and policies in order to reduce disaster risk. This
RISK COMPONENTS risk formula (and its numerous variations) is used differently depending
on the context, whether political or for measuring risk, i.e., developing risk
Hazard
maps for determining dangerous areas for human settlement.
“A dangerous phenomenon,
substance, human activity or Vulnerability is composed of several components, including physical,
condition that may cause loss social, economic and environmental. Vulnerability is often considered the
of life, injury or other health most difficult component of risk to assess and evaluate because there
impacts, property damage, are many different ways to interpret vulnerability. For example, a geologist
loss of livelihoods and may measure vulnerability as the degree of loss of infrastructure due to a
services, social and economic landslide, while an economist may measure vulnerability in terms of per
disruption, or environmental capita GDP or household income, and a social scientist may use literacy
damage.” rates or social status.
Exposure A number of things can contribute to increasing risk in each of the risk
“People, property, systems, factors, many of which are related either directly or indirectly to poor
or other elements present in environmental management (Figure 2.13). Indeed, environmental issues,
hazard zones that are thereby governance, social factors and lack of awareness or preparedness
subject to potential losses.” contribute to creating hazards and increasing exposure and vulnerability.
Vulnerability Addressing these factors is therefore important to reduce disaster risk.
“The characteristics As stated earlier, working on exposure gives the most immediate potential
and circumstances of a to reduce the risk from disasters. Working on hazard and vulnerability
community, system or asset reduction are longer term processes that can be more challenging
that make it susceptible to the because they span multiple sectors and the organisation of societies.
damaging effects of a hazard.“
UNISDR 2009
HAZARD VULNERABILITY EXPOSURE

Reduced natural Poverty, Lack of urban

protection from environmental planning
ecosystems due to degradation and processes
degradation hazardous living
conditions Inappropriate
Climate change settlement
impacts on certain Poor governance locations, e.g. on
hazards and and lack of steep slopes and
regions preparedness to along rivers or
hazard events coasts

Figure 2.13 Social inequalities, Lack of evacuation

Some examples of the factors marginalization plans or early
leading to increased disaster risk and low coping warning systems
for each component of risk. capacities
Source: authors

26
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
WOMEN AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
As seen earlier, women may be affected differently by disasters. Clearly,
when women’s vulnerability is reduced, it can have a great impact on DRR.
This can be done by addressing the following:
Hazards – In some places, women’s roles as stewards of natural
resources means they have the potential to reduce environmental
degradation and the likelihood of hazards. UN WOMEN (2016) notes
that women are “change agents, leaders and innovators. In devising
climate responses, including those relating to adaptation and
capacity-building, women should not be passive recipients but play
an active role in identifying solutions.” (UN WOMEN 2016:3)
Exposure – Women can be more exposed than men to certain
natural hazards due to their gender specific roles and responsibilities;
although sometimes the opposite can be true. Women may be
involved and affected differently at each phase of the DRR cycle
(Figure 2.14) – both in the pre-disaster phase starting from the
risk and vulnerability assessment to risk reduction, to disaster
preparedness, as well as in the post-disaster phase including relief,
early recovery/transition, reconstruction, and development and
ongoing risk reduction. Women need to be kept informed about
evacuation procedures, early warning systems in order to reduce their
and their family’s exposure. When empowered, women may also have
different influence at each phase of the cycle. This view is echoed
by UNDRR in their 2008 report on how gender perspectives can be
integrated into DRR (UNISDR 2008). The report notes that “when
women are supported to be active participants in preparedness and
response efforts, their role within families and communities has been
used to great advantage. Women’s responsibilities in households,
communities, and as stewards of natural resources, position them
well to develop strategies for adapting to changing environmental
realities.” (UNISDR 2008: v)
Vulnerability – As discussed above, gender cuts across poverty
and other forms of inequalities and more women than men are
considered to be vulnerable. This is due to a host of factors,
including socio-cultural norms, economic factors and gender-biased
perspectives of policy makers and practitioners. Since there is a
demonstrable link between vulnerability and the likelihood of being
affected by disasters, it is imperative that DRR measures specifically
address gender considerations. Therefore, it is necessary to address
gender-based inequalities with a focus on how they intersect with
one’s class, sexual orientation, ethnicity, minority, disability, and
displacement, marital status, among other factors.

27
 DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MEASURES
EXAMPLES:
NON-STRUCTURAL There are several phases to DRR (Figure 2.14), and actions are usually
divided into two main categories of measures:
AND STRUCTURAL
HYBRID MEASURES 1) Structural measures, which relate to any physical construction to
reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards;
Non-structural measures:
2) Non-structural measures, which relate to knowledge, policies,
Emergency drills, early
laws, public awareness raising, training and education for disaster
warning and monitoring,
prevention and preparedness.
training search and rescue
teams, stocking up on These measures are implemented at different times of the disaster
emergency supplies... management cycle. The actors involved in these types of measures range
Land use planning/zoning to from government agencies to local communities.
reduce exposure, developing
guidelines on what to do
during an emergency...
Structural/hybrid measures:
Building seawalls, dykes,
dams, and raising houses to
avoid flooding...
Ecological engineering by
restoring wetlands, forests
on slopes...

Figure 2.14
Disaster management cycle
Redrawn by L. Monk

The disaster management cycle comprises of four categories (see

Chapter 9 for a more in-depth discussion). It typically starts at the event,
i.e. as soon as a disaster hits. This is the state of emergency and response
needs to be immediate focusing on saving lives. The second phase
starts the process of recovery where restoration and reconstruction take
place. The third phase is mitigation, decreasing vulnerability and building
capacity. Finally, preparation is important so that if there is another
disaster, plans are in place to reduce the impact of the disaster. These
phases will be revisited in later chapters with an emphasis on prevention
by reducing vulnerability.

28
 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
2.3 Conclusions
Disasters affect a large number of women and men with an unequal
distribution worldwide of hazard events and impact and therefore disaster
risk. There are different types of disasters and some are more devastating
than others, either due to their sudden and wide impact (e.g. earthquakes,
storms and tsunamis) or due to their length and difficulty to cope with
(e.g. drought) because they impact so many vital systems over time.
Exposure and vulnerability are two key factors that need to be understood.
In some cases, disaster risk could more easily be mitigated if people did not
settle in exposed areas such as in proximity to flood-prone rivers. Reducing
exposure also involves measures such as seawalls or early warning
systems and evacuation plans, which reduce exposure at least temporarily.
Vulnerability is tied to underlying drivers such as poverty, environmental
degradation, governance and preparedness amongst others and requires
multidisciplinary interventions to reduce vulnerability. Sustainable
development and its goals, such as reducing poverty and increasing
and coping capacities, is an important avenue to tackle vulnerability
(UNISDR 2015a).
DRR involves working through different phases following and prior to
a disaster event to reduce risk and increase preparedness. It includes
a wide range of structural and non-structural measures. The phases of
disaster risk and the types of measures undertaken will be addressed in
further chapters.
Climate change increases disaster risk and is an additional component
that needs to be taken into account when working through DRR measures,
not only because climate change may increase the frequency of hazards,
but also because climate change can potentially impact the sustainability
of measures implemented. For example, if temperature conditions change
and the current building materials or green infrastructure do not cope with
different temperature ranges, these could undermine the DRR measures.
DRR and CCA are undertaken within a policy landscape both at the
international and national levels that are important to understand.
The next chapter will discuss the policy landscape for both DRR and CCA.

29
 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
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Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi,
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Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy,
(ECLAC) (2004). Socio-economic impacts of natural
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DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8306.2007.00563.x.
Catholique de Louvain – CRED, D. Guha-Sapir – Brussels –
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EM-DAT (2015). The Human Cost of Natural Disasters 2015:
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A global perspective. International Centre for Research on
the Epidemiology of Disasters. Louvaine: CRED. Pincha, C. (2008). Gender sensitive disaster management:
a toolkit for practitioners. Mumbai: Oxfam America.
Enarson, E., and Fordham, M. (2000). Lines That Divide,
https://www.fsnnetwork.org/gender-sensitive-disaster-
Ties That Bind: Race, Class, and Gender in Women’s Flood
management-toolkit-practitioners Accessed 24 July 2019.
Recovery in the US and UK. The Australian Journal of
Emergency Management, 15(4), 43–52. UN Women (2016). Gender-responsive climate policy with a
focus on adaptation and capacity-building, and training for
Gaillard, J. C., Sanz, K., Balgos, B. C., Dalisay, S. N. M.,
delegates on gender issues. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/
Gorman-Murray, A., Smith, F., and Toelupe, V. (2016).
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Beyond men and women: a critical perspective on gender
and disaster. Disasters, 41(3), 429–447. DOI: 10.1111/ UNISDR (2005). Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015:
disa.12209. Building Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.
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Gorman-Murray, A., Morris, S., Keppel, J., McKinnon, S.
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resilience. LES Online, 6 (1), 4-20. UNISDR (2008). Gender perspectives: integrating
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Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/
Assessment Floods and Landslides - August 2018. https://
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PDNA_2018_Executive_Summary.pdf Accessed . Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.
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24 July 2019.
Government of Japan, G.E.B. (2014). Natural Disasters
and Gender Statistics: Lessons from the Great East Japan UNISDR (2013). Disaster Statistics. https://www.unisdr.org/
Earthquake and Tsunami: from the “White Paper on Gender we/inform/disaster-statistics Accessed 24 July 2019.
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Government of Nepal National Planning Commission publications/42809 Accessed 24 July 2019.
(2015). Nepal Earthquake, Post-Disaster Needs Assessment.
UNISDR (2015a). Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
Vol A: Key Findings. Kathmandu: Government of Nepal.
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Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.unisdr.org/files/46052_
A%20Final.pdf Accessed 24 July 2019.
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IPCC (2012). Managing the risks of extreme events and March 2019.
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UNDRR (2019). Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk
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Reduction. Geneva: UNDRR. https://gar.unisdr.org/sites/
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default/files/reports/2019-05/full_gar_report.pdf Accessed
D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach,
24 July 2019.
G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)].
Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. World Bank (2010). Natural Hazards, Unnatural Disasters,
The Economics of Effective Prevention. Washington,
IPCC (2014). Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change
D.C.: World Bank. https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/
2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global
publications/15136. Accessed 24 July 2019.
and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to

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 Introduction to disasters, risk reduction and climate change
02
DATABASE RESOURCES Disaster/climate data
EM-DAT website: NOAA, USA uses space technology for hurricane and
tropical storm predictions:
DesInventar database website:
PREVIEW Global data on disasters and risk:
NatCatService – Munich Re:

USGS, USA monitors earthquake activity around the work

and other geological phenomenon:
World Meteorological Organisation:
IPCC:

31
Chapter 3
Disaster risk reduction,
climate change adaptation
and key international actors

Key questions
What are the links between CCA and DRR?
Who are the main international actors and
what are the main policy agreements for DRR
and CCA?

© UNEP

32
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
3.1 Disaster risk reduction, climate change
adaptation and international policy
As seen in Chapter 2, the number of disasters and people affected are
increasing, largely driven by more people living in exposed areas. However,
climate change is accelerating the number of disasters. DRR and CCA are
two approaches, with some similar goals and activities but that operate in
different policy landscapes. Internationally DRR is the province of UNDRR,
while CCA is the province of UNFCCC.
These two spheres, DRR and CCA are separate largely because of
the policies and institutions involved in each. However, international
agreements relating to both CCA and DRR reference each other, although
it is clear that the mandates of each are separate. Despite this, there is
some cross-over between CCA and DRR (as well as some differences)
which has resulted in calls for and signs of convergence between these
two spheres.
In this chapter we will define CCA, look at the similarities and differences
between the CCA and DRR, and then provide an overview of the
international agreements and actors related to CCA and DRR.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

CCA is defined as “the process of adjustment to actual or expected
climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate
or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities” (IPCC 2014:118). CCA
is based on the notion of vulnerability, which includes the factors of
exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, stemming from the 4th IPCC
Assessment Report (AR4). As can be seen this representation is different
to the DRR configuration of risk. However, the 5th IPCC Assessment
Report (AR5), which had input from SREX (IPCC 2012) uses the DRR
equation, although it includes within the vulnerability factor, sensitivity and
adaptive capacity (Figure 3.1). The assessment methodology undertaken
for DRR and CCA are therefore sometimes quite different depending on
the factors used. We will come back to assessments in a later chapter.

Figure 3.1
Climate signal Comparison of the components
Exposure of climate change vulnerability
Hazard
Direct physical impact (AR4) and climate risk (AR5).
Environment Source: Adaptationcommunity.net.
Redrawn by L. Monk
Sensitivity Environment

Sensitivity
Potential Vulnerability
impact Exposure Capacity
(coping,
adaptive)

Adaptive
capacity
Society
Society

Vulnerability Risk

33
 Aside from terminology and understanding of factors creating risk or
vulnerability in DRR and CCA, there are other differences and similarities.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE

ADAPTATION AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
1. The type of hazard in focus. CCA generally focuses on hydro-
meteorological hazards; while DRR encompasses different types
of hazards.
2. Timeframes. CCA generally takes a longer term approach (projecting
into the future), incorporating notions of uncertainty, while DRR
generally focuses on preventing hazards in the short-to-medium time
frame.
3. The range of activities. DRR encompasses a wider range of risk
management from early warning to response and reconstruction,
rehabilitation and recovery. CCA usually covers prevention and
mitigation and sometimes also preparedness, while it has less to offer
for emergencies, disaster response, recovery and reconstruction. CCA
has certainly gone further in modeling and predicting future events,
with data that can assist in disaster prevention.
4. Types of actors and institutions involved. Although the two domains
are very much overlapping, two parallel sets of actors, institutions and
agreements have evolved. This will be discussed in more detail later.
5. CCA and DRR have used quite different types
of terminology, with vulnerability being one of the terms with most
differences. However, there is growing convergence towards DRR
terminology.
Table 3.1 provides an overview of the main differences and signs of
convergence. According to Mitchell and van Aalst (2008), DRR originates
in humanitarian assistance and experience following a disaster event,
while CCA originates in scientific theory. The authors enumerate a number
of points of differences as well as signs of convergence.
The IPCC AR5 WG II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
(2014) highlights the adaptation experiences, adaptation choices, future
risks and opportunities for adaptation. The report stresses a number
of ecosystem-based approaches, which are already part of CCA, such
as coastal zone and water management, environmental protection and
land-use planning, integrated water resource management, agro-forestry,
community management of natural areas, protected areas management
and coastal reforestation of mangroves.
Recommendations for adaptation to future climate change include:
Reducing vulnerability and exposure to present climate variability by
protecting vulnerable groups, by supporting economic diversification,
and by providing information, policy and legal frameworks, and
financial support.
Supporting actions with co-benefits for other objectives and providing
incentives such as public-private finance partnerships, loans,
payments for environmental services, improved resource pricing,
charges and subsidies, norms and regulations, and risk sharing and
transfer mechanisms.

34
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
DIFFERENCES SIGNS OF
DRR CCA CONVERGENCE

Relevant to all hazard types: Addresses climate related Both focus on increased climate-related
geological, hydro-meteorological, hazards, but also looks at hazards, and climate extremes
climatic, biological, as well as additional gradual effects of (e.g. floods, storms, landslides,
technological/industrial climate change (e.g. sea level droughts), although DRR is also
hazards rise, air temperature increase, increasingly addressing gradual climate
snowmelt, biodiversity loss) change impacts e.g. sea level rise

Timeframe: immediate Timeframe: long-term. DRR is increasingly forward-looking.

to medium-term. Most concerned with the future, Existing climate variability is an entry
Most concerned with the i.e. addressing uncertainty/ point for CCA
present, i.e. addressing new risks
existing risks

Origin and culture Origin and culture N/A

in humanitarian assistance in scientific theory
following a disaster event

Actors: traditionally coming Actors: traditionally from the Both DRR and CCA are increasingly
from humanitarian sectors scientific and environmental multi-disciplinary and reliant on multiple
and civil protection community stakeholders across sectors
(e.g. engineering, water, agriculture,
health, environment, etc.)

Activities generally more Activities generally more DRR and CCA typically overlap in
wide-ranging, from disaster restricted to prevention, the area of disaster preparedness
preparedness (early warning, mitigation, preparedness and and prevention/mitigation, although
contingency planning, etc.), building adaptive capacities, there is growing attention towards
prevention, mitigation to typically excluding post-disaster mainstreaming climate change
post-disaster including activities considerations in post-disaster recovery
disaster response, recovery, and reconstruction
rehabilitation and reconstruction

Full range of established and Limited range of tools Increasing recognition that more
developed tools under development adaptation tools are needed and
must learn from DRR

Often low to moderate New, emerging agenda, Climate-related disasters events

political interest high political interest are now more likely to be analysed and
debated with reference to
climate change

Table 3.1
Comparison between Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)
Source: Doswald and Estrella 2015. Modified from Mitchell and van Aalst 2008

Supporting the co-benefits and synergies between mitigation and

adaptation, such as:
i) improved energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources, leading to
reduced emissions of health-damaging climate-altering air pollutants;
ii) reduced energy and water consumption in urban areas through
greening cities and recycling water;
iii) sustainable agriculture and forestry; and
iv) protection of ecosystems for carbon storage and other
ecosystem services.

35
 The above suggested CCA solutions seem very similar to solutions put
forward for DRR (see previous chapter). So what are the main differences?
As discussed above, CCA may refer to longer term impacts, or chronic,
slow on-set change requiring human systems to adapt to new contexts
over the long term, at the global scale and with considerable uncertainty.
DRR impacts are often acute but can result from either extreme events
or smaller, cumulative events, which are often underestimated although
equally devastating to livelihoods. Although disaster impacts may take
years for full recovery, they are often considered short-term as compared
to climate change impacts and are usually locally specific because
societies will have differing capacities to cope and recover from a
hazard event. However, in reality and at the local level there are actually
very few differences in addressing CCA versus DRR. Communities are
more often not likely to make any distinction, although governments and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have more often unfortunately
divided their mandates and activities related to CCA and DRR. Figure 3.2.
summarises the main differences and similarities between CCA and DRR.

Figure 3.2
A comparison between CCA and DRR
in terms of time frames, types of
hazards, focus, goals and measures.
Credit: W. Lange and S.Sandholz.
Design: S.Plog

In the following chapters, we will be exploring in more detail how ecosystem-

based management approaches (i.e., IWRM, ICZM) address both CCA
and DRR, acting as a de facto bridge between CCA and DRR; Doswald
et al. 2017.

3.2 The main international actors and

agreements relevant for disaster risk reduction
and climate change adaptation
One of the main issues is that the actors coordinating DRR and CCA issues
reside within separate agencies with different mandates from different
international agreements and are often using different terminology
related to DRR and CCA. Fortunately, there has been significant effort to
streamline the terminology and improve coordination between agencies
(Table 3.2).
In the following sections, we list the most important international
organisations and agreements that address DRR and CCA. We also list
environmental conventions and initiatives that have included CCA and
DRR elements, highlighting the importance placed on ecosystems and
their management. Although there is still a long road ahead toward
mainstreaming environment and ecosystem-based approaches in CCA
and DRR, in recent years there has certainly been progress in this direction.

36
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
CCA DRR
Organisations United Nations Framework Convention United Nations Office for Disaster
and institutions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Partnership for Environment and
Change (IPCC) Disaster Rsk Reduction (PEDRR)
The two other Rio Conventions: International Federation of Red Cross
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
and the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Academic research institutions International, national and local
civil society organisations
National environment and National civil defense authorities (and
energy authorities environment authorities for Eco-DRR)
Conservation non-governmental Conservation NGOs for Eco-DRR
organisations (NGOs)
International Conference of the Parties World Conference on Disaster
conferences (CoP) Risk Reduction
Strategies National communications UN International Strategy for Disaster
to the UNFCCC Risk Reduction (ISDR)
National Adaptation Plans for Action for Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Least Developed Countries (NAPAs) Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR)
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Sendai Framework Monitor
Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs)
Funding Special Climate Fund National civil defense/
emergency response
Least Developed Countries Fund International humanitarian funding
Adaptation Fund Multi-lateral banks
Green Climate Fund Bi-lateral aid
Multi-lateral and Bi-lateral funding Multi-lateral and Bi-lateral funding

Table 3.2
Main actors, agreements, strategies and funding of CCA and DRR.
Source: Doswald and Estrella 2015 SENDAI FRAMEWORK
PRIORITIES FOR ACTION
Priority Action 1:
THE SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION Understanding disaster risk;
2015-2030 (SFDRR)
Priority Action 2:
The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was the key international Strengthening disaster risk
agreement to reduce disaster risk during the period 2005-2015. It was governance to manage
adopted by 168 governments in 2005 at the United Nations’ World disaster risk;
Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Preceded
by the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, the United Priority Action 3:
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) was adopted by Investing in disaster risk
the UN General Assembly in 1999, to ensure implementation of the HFA reduction and resilience;
and its renewal. Various UN agencies, the World Bank as well as many Priority Action 4:
international NGOs and inter-governmental groups are involved in DRR Enhancing disaster
and support governments in the implementation of DRR strategies. preparedness for effective
Currently, the SFDRR is the major agreement for 2015-2030. It is the responses and to “Build
follow-up to the HFA and aims to reach targets which the HFA did not Back Better” in recovery,
accomplish. SFDRR was adopted by 187 UN member states at the rehabilitation and
Third UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which took place 15 to reconstruction.

37
 18 March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. It was the product of three years of
stakeholder consultations and inter-governmental negotiations. UNDRR
is the main agency which will support the implementation, follow-up,
and review of this new framework. The agreement spans until 2030,
is voluntary and non-binding, and recognizes states as having the
main responsibility in reducing disaster risk. This framework makes
the link between environment and DRR clear, and includes ecosystem-
based approaches to DRR policy, actions and activities. This focus on
environment in the SFDRR is, in part, thanks to the advocacy of the
Partnership on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR).
The SFDRR is guided by the desired outcome of reducing risk as well as
economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental losses caused by
disasters – from the local to the national level. It has outlined seven global
targets and four priorities which guide the framework:
Priority Action 1: Understanding disaster risk;
Priority Action 2: Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage
disaster risk;
Priority Action 3: Investing in disaster risk reduction and resilience;
Priority Action 4: Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective
responses and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation
and reconstruction.
The SFDRR identifies poor land management, unsustainable use of
natural resources and degrading ecosystems as underlying risk drivers
that need to be tackled. Furthermore, reference is made to the inclusion
of ecosystems in risk assessments (Priority 1), risk governance and
planning (Priority 2) and investing in resilience (Priority 3). Environment
will thus underpin achievement of outcomes across the SFDRR seven
global targets.
The SFDRR mentions climate change and adaptation within the
agreement. However, it amends its involvement by stating “The climate
change issues mentioned in this Framework remain within the mandate
of the UNFCCC under the competences of the Parties to the Convention”.
The Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) comprises of a set of 38
indicators over seven targets, which were recommended by an Open-
ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group and will track progress
in implementing the seven targets of the SFDRR as well as its related
dimensions reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 11
and 13.

What is PEDRR?
“Formally established in 2008, risk reduction and ensure it is management for disaster risk
the Partnership for Environment mainstreamed in development reduction (DRR) and climate
and Disaster Risk Reduction planning at global, national change adaptation (CCA)”.
(PEDRR) is a global alliance and local levels in line with the Its objective is to pool expertise
of UN agencies, NGOs and SFDRR. It provides technical and advocate for policy change
specialist institutes. As a and science-based expertise and best practice in ecosystem
global thematic platform of and applies best practices management for DRR and
the International Strategy for in ecosystems-based DRR CCA, based on science and
Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR), approaches. PEDRR is guided practitioners’ experiences.”
PEDRR seeks to promote and by its vision of “Resilient See: http://pedrr.org/
scale-up implementation of communities as a result
ecosystem-based disaster of improved ecosystem

38
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
The seven targets are:
The Sendai Framework
a) Substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to
Monitor and Green
lower the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade
2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015;
Infrastructure
In the Technical Guidance
b) Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030,
for Monitoring and Reporting
aiming to lower the average global figure per 100,000 in the decade
on Progress in Achieving
2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015;
the Global Targets of the
c) Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross SFDRR (UNISDR 2017),
domestic product (GDP) by 2030; green infrastructure is
d) Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and referred to as a category
disruption of basic services, among them health and educational of possibly damaged or
facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030; destroyed infrastructure.
e) Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local Green infrastructure is thus
disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020; relevant to targets C and D.
Indeed, the indicators under
f) Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing
Target C5 focus on “direct
countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement
economic loss resulting from
their national actions for implementation of the present Framework
damaged or destroyed critical
by 2030;
infrastructure attributed to
g) Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi- disasters” and Target D4
hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and on “the number of other
assessments to people by 2030. destroyed or damaged
Each target has between three and eight indicators for monitoring critical infrastructure units
progress towards the target. At the national level, custom indicators can and facilities attributed to
be created to measure progress towards the four priority areas of the disasters”, have a footnote,
SFDRR. They are based on the priorities of respective countries and will which denotes that “green
be reflected in the national DRR reports of the countries. infrastructure should be
included where relevant”.
Ecosystems and green infrastructure can be considered in indicators D-4
and C-5 of the SFM (see box). That opportunity is however not a very Despite this reporting
practical or straightforward one. Custom targets and custom indicators option, countries have
according to countries’ needs within the SFM might open up a more not yet considered green
intuitive opportunity to report on both ecosystem losses and progress infrastructure in their
made on Eco-DRR (Sebesvari et al. 2019). reporting efforts to date.
Understanding of green
UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE infrastructure and guidance
In 1992, the world’s governments adopted the UN Framework Convention on how to monitor it would
on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Five years later, in December 1997, be of help to change this
the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. This protocol legally binds developed situation as well as providing
countries to emission reduction targets. The first commitment period of platforms for information
the Kyoto Protocol was from 2008 to 2012. The second commitment sharing and capacity building.
period began in 2013 and will end in 2020. Key international actors in
CCA include the IPCC, which is the leading international body for the
scientific assessment of climate change. The IPCC was established by
United Nations Environment and the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) in 1988 to provide a clear and up-to-date view on the current state
of knowledge relevant to climate change and its potential socio-economic
and environmental impacts. Adaptation to climate change first appeared
in the 2007 report (AR4). The AR5 is an important landmark report for
providing scientific evidence and guidance to governments on CCA. The
AR6 is due in 2021.

39
 With the Kyoto Protocol’s commitment period coming to a close, the
Paris Agreement was drafted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP
21) of the UNFCCC which took place 30 November to 12 December 2015
in Paris, France. The agreement was adopted on December 12th 2015,
and was opened for signature in New York on the 22nd of April 2016
(which, symbolically, is also Earth Day). This agreement is a consensus
between 195 countries on the need to reduce global greenhouse gas
emissions. The Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016.
The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts
through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen
these efforts in the years ahead. NDCs embody efforts by each country
to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
This includes requirements that all Parties report regularly on their
emissions and on their implementation efforts.
Some of the key elements of the agreement include: a goal to keep global
warming “well below 2 degrees Celsius” and to strengthen the ability to
deal with the impacts of climate change, which includes provisions for
developed nations to support developing nations in adapting to climate
change through climate financing; and a focus on loss and damages
(UNFCCC 2015).
The Paris Agreement has implications for DRR and the environment,
but it does not directly mention DRR or the SFDRR. Article 8 of the
Paris Agreement asks parties to “recognize the importance of averting,
minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse
effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow
onset events, and the role of sustainable development in reducing
the risk of loss and damage” and appoints the Warsaw International
Mechanism to promote implementation of approaches to address loss
and damage, including giving guidance on early warning, preparedness
and risk assessment and management (UNFCCC 2015). The Warsaw
International Mechanism was established at the 19th COP in Warsaw in
November 2013.

OTHER RELATED AGREEMENTS AND INITIATIVES

Also related to DRR and CCA is the UN Convention to Combat
, which entered into force in 1996 with
the goal to mitigate desertification and the effects of drought and
drought risk through long-term strategies.
The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most
comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation
CBD, Conference of the Neutrality (LDN) in order to restore the productivity of vast expanses
Parties, 2016 of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion
people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations.
“Encourages Parties, other
Governments and relevant The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered in to force in
organizations to integrate 1993 and has three main objectives: 1) the conservation of biological
ecosystem-based approaches diversity, 2) the sustainable use of the components of biological
to climate change adaptation diversity, and 3) the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising
and mitigation, and disaster out of the utilization of genetic resources.
risk reduction, into their In 2010, at the 10th COP to the CBD, Parties adopted a decision
strategic planning across linking biodiversity and ecosystems to climate change adaptation
sectors” and disaster risk reduction (Decision X/33. para. 8). The CBD COP
CBD, Decision XIII/4, para 4 13, held in Cancun, Mexico upheld Decision X/33 and expanded on
ecosystem-based approaches for CCA and DRR in decision XIII/4.

40
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Protection adopted the
“Resolution on wetlands and disaster risk reduction” at its 12th RIO+20
Meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Punta del Este, Uruguay “Rio+20” is the short name
(from 1 to 9 of June 2015). This resolution clearly relates the way in for the United Nations
which we use and manage water resources and wetlands is central Conference on Sustainable
to sustainable DRR. It recognises the role of healthy wetlands as Development which took
natural buffers to hazards such as storm surges – making protection, place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
management, and restoration of wetlands a key ecosystem-based in June 2012 – twenty years
solution to disaster risk. after the landmark 1992
DRR and CCA have also been mentioned as part of the United Earth Summit in Rio.
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention The primary result of the
on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and conference was the document
International Lakes. This convention is related to DRR and CCA “The Future We Want”. One
because it aims to protect and sustainably manage cross-border of the main outcomes of
water ecosystems, and in doing so, reduce risk of disasters (such the Conference was the
as drought) and facilitate CCA. The convention entered into force in agreement by member
1996, but an amendment (which went into effect 2013), made this States to launch a process to
convention a legally-binding framework for transboundary develop a set of Sustainable
water cooperation. Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an important www.un.org/futurewewant
initiative in the global DRR and CCA policy agenda. In the outcome
declaration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
with the SDGs at its core, the Rio+20 conference called for explicit
linkages between DRR, CCA and sustainable development. Of all
the above international agreements, it is one of the most influential
because it can be considered an umbrella agreement into which
many of the above agreements are linked. The SDGs replaced the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015 and cover a set of
17 international sustainable development goals, including aspects
of DRR and CCA. The SDGs which especially relate to DRR and CCA
include: Goal 1: No Poverty; Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; Goal
7: Affordable and Clean Energy; Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure; Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; Goal 13:
Climate Action; Goal 14: Life Bellow Water; and Goal 15: Life on Land.
Finally, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) provides information and implements various projects on
DRR and CCA. In 2014, its World Parks Congress featured a number
of high-level events on the importance of protected areas for DRR
and CCA. It generated the “Promise of Sydney, to scale up protection,
especially in the oceans, and involve all of those who govern and
manage the world’s protected and conserved areas; to inspire all
people to experience the wonder of nature through protected areas;
and to invest in nature’s solutions to halt biodiversity loss, mitigate
and respond to climate change, reduce the risk and impact of
disasters, improve food and water security, and promote human
health and dignity”.

41
 Figure 3.3
Environmental forum in Sudan on
women’s role in environmental and
climate change action
© UNEP 2017

GENDER IN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND RELEVANCE

FOR DRR AND CCA
The Gender and Development (GAD) approach grew out of the Women
in Development (WID) and Women and Development (WAD) moving
away from focusing on exclusively on women to the social construction
of gender. GAD brings in an analysis of power and the use of the term
‘empowerment’ which is now seen as a crucial component of successful
programs and policies. Empowerment refers to the “processes by which
those who have been denied the ability to make choices acquire such
an ability. In other words, empowerment entails a process of change”
(Kabeer 1999: 2). As such, it does not view addressing gender concerns,
as the WID and WAD does, as reallocating economic resources. Instead,
gender concerns necessarily involve redistributing power and the current
policy climate reflects this in their goals (Figure 3.3). With the GAD, gender
minorities, such as the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, trans and intersex), can also
be taken into account within the policy sphere. However, there is a lack of
translation into policies and actions, as one finds more focus on women
than other sexual and gender minorities (Gaillard et al. 2016).
The current understanding on mainstreaming gender within development
is reflected both in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as
well as in the SFDRR. SDG 5 is about achieving gender equality and
empowering all women and girls. The SFDRR specifically calls for a gender,
age, disability and cultural perspective to be integrated in all policies and
practices relating to disaster risk reduction, and to promote leadership of
women and youth (United Nations 2015). It has been specifically noted
that “Women and their participation are critical to effectively managing
disaster risk and designing, resourcing and implementing gender-sensitive
disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programmes; and adequate
capacity building measures need to be taken to empower women for
preparedness as well as to build their capacity to secure alternate means
of livelihood in post-disaster situations” (United Nations 2015 :23).

42
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
UNCCD and CBD also include mandates on women’s rights and gender
equality. The UNFCCC originally did not, being focused solely on emission
reductions, but since 2001, it has included mandates on gender across
multiple decisions and programmes (Aguilar et al. 2015). The need for
CCA and its impact on women has driven gender issues up the agenda
since perhaps the findings from a UN report (United Nations 2009)
that “women have high exposure to climate-related risks exacerbated
by unequal rights, and that women’s empowerment and the reduction
of discriminatory practices has been crucial to successful community
adaptation and coping capacity”. Thus in the UNFCCC, to date, decisions
on adaptation have the most robust gender-sensitive language integrated.
The gender dimension of DRR and CCA is thus increasingly recognised
in principle but the translation of policies into adequate practices
remains scarce.

3.3 Conclusions
Reducing disasters has received broad political consensus from different
policy angles, has been guided by its own UN agency, and is not restricted
by a legal framework as is climate change mitigation and adaptation
(Hannigan 2012). Climate change action, on the other hand, through the
UNFCCC and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements is receiving
more financial and political attention. Convergence between DRR and CCA
is occurring although it is not embraced by all, especially among those DRR
academics who consider the adaptation and resilience discourse to be
something like a band-aid, rather than addressing main underlying causes
of risk, rooted in poverty, poor governance and structural inequalities
(Hannigan 2012). According to Pelling (2011), conventional approaches
to CCA are too conservative as they rarely embrace the transformational
change that DRR academics advocate in order to address underlying
risks factors.
Within the climate change community, mitigation remains the priority,
but since the Paris Agreement which acknowledged the necessity of
adaptation, the emphasis of CCA in international development cooperation
is rising. The transformational change discussion is entering CCA from
various sources, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF was set
up in 2010 as part of the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism. The GCF aims
to catalyze a flow of climate finance to invest in low-emission and climate-
resilient development, driving a paradigm shift in the global response to
climate change.
There is a significant amount of overlap between DRR and CCA, especially
when it comes to working with weather-related hazards. While CCA may
focus more on long-term and slow onset hazards than DRR, the distinction
is clearer in the future prospective lens of CCA. However, since the impacts
of climate change are being felt now, CCA and DRR could work more hand
in hand. However, Doswald and Estrella (2015) conclude that although
there is significant overlap between the two fields, there is an artificial
division often leading to a “silo approach” and unnecessary division
of budgets and actions and ecosystem-based approaches: notably,
Eco-DRR/EbA can act as natural bridges to connect the two (Doswald
et al. 2017). We will learn more about this in following chapters.

43
 KEY INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND RELEVANT
INSTITUTIONS
Convention on Biological Diversity (https://www.cbd.int/)
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (http://www.ramsar.org/)
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (http://www.unisdr.
org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework)
Sustainable Development Goals (www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(www.unfccc.int) and the Paris Agreement (https://unfccc.int/sites/
)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (www.ipcc.ch)
United Nations Convention on Combatting Desertification
(http://www.unccd.int).
United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (www.unisdr.org)
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (www.iucn.org)
and World Park Congress (www.worldparkscongress.org).
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses
and International Lakes (www.unece.org/env/water.html)

44
 Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and key international actors
03
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Aguilar, L., Granat, M., and Owren, C. (2015). Roots for Mitchell, T and van Aalst, M. (2008). Convergence of Disaster
the future: The landscape and way forward on gender and Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. A Review
climate change. Washington, DC: IUCN and GGCA. https:// for DFID. https://www.preventionweb.net/files/7853_
genderandenvironment.org/roots-for-the-future/ Accessed ConvergenceofDRRandCCA1.pdf Accessed 24 July 2019.
24 July 2019.
Pelling, M. (2011). Adaptation to Climate Change:
Doswald, N. and Estrella, M. (2015). Promoting ecosystems From Resilience to Transformation. London and New
for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: York: Routledge.
opportunities for integration. Geneva: UNEP. https://www.
Sebesvari, Z., Woelki, J., Walz, Y., Sudmeier-Rieux, K.,
preventionweb.net/publications/view/44969 Accessed
Sandholz, S., Tol, S., Ruíz García, V. and Renaud, F. (2019).
24 July 2019.
Opportunities for Green Infrastructure and Ecosystems
Doswald, N., Estrella, M. and Sudmeier-Rieux, K. (2017) in the Sendai Framework Monitor. Progress in Disaster
Ecosystems’ Role in Bridging Disaster Risk Reduction Science, 2,
and Climate Change Adaptation. In: Kelman, I., Mercer, J.
100021 DOI: 10.1016/j.pdisas.2019.100021. UNISDR
and JC Gaillard. The Routledge Handbook of Disaster Risk
(2005). Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building
Reduction, including Climate Change Adaptation.
Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.
Gaillard, J. C., Sanz, K., Balgos, B. C., Dalisay, S. N. M., https://www.unisdr.org/2005/wcdr/intergover/official-
Gorman-Murray, A., Smith, F., and Toelupe, V. (2016). doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-action-english.pdfwww.
Beyond men and women: a critical perspective on gender preventionweb.net Accessed 24 July 2019.
and disaster. Disasters, 41(3), 429–447. DOI: 10.1111/
UNISDR (2011). Global Assessment Report, Revealing Risk,
disa.12209
Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.
Hannigan, J. (2012). Disasters Without Borders. Cambridge: unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/19846 Accessed
Polity Press. 24 July 2019.
IPCC (2012). Managing the risks of extreme events UNISDR (2017). Technical Guidance for Monitoring and
and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. Reporting on Progress in Achieving the Global Targets of
IPCC Special Report on Extreme Events, Summary for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Geneva:
Policymakers. Special Report of Working Groups I and II UNDRR https://www.preventionweb.net/files/54970_
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Field, techguidancefdigitalhr.pdf Accessed 24 July 2019.
C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi,
United Nations (2009).
M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M.
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge and New York:
relationship between climate change and human rights.
Cambridge University Press.
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/HRAndClimateChange/
IPCC (2014). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change Pages/Study.aspx Accessed 24 July 2019.
2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global
United Nations (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster
and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to
Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.
the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
preventionweb.net/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.
on Climate Change [Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken, K.J.
pdf Accessed 24 July 2019.
Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi,
Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, UNFCCC (2015). The Paris Agreement. https://unfccc.int/
S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White (eds.)]. process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-
Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1-32. agreement Accessed 24 July 2019.
Kabeer, N. (1999). Resources, Agency, Achievements:
Reflections on the Measurement of Women’s
Empowerment. Development and Change, 30(3), 435–464.
DOI: 10.1111/1467-7660.00125.

45
Chapter 4
Linking ecosystems
and humans to disasters

Key questions
What are the interlinkages between
ecosystems, natural hazards and disasters
and how do they emerge?
What are ecosystems and how do humans
interact with them?
How can ecosystems mitigate disaster risk?

© UNEP

46
 Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters
04
4.1 The interlinkages between ecosystems,
natural hazards and disasters
Ecosystems provide a variety of goods and services upon which people
directly or indirectly depend (Christensen et al. 1996). The Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment (2005) defines four main categories of ecosystem
services: supporting (e.g. nutrient cycling, pollination), provisioning
(e.g. food, timber), regulating (e.g. erosion control, carbon storage and
climate regulation) and cultural services (e.g. recreation, spirituality), that
support human well-being (Figure 4.1). Hazard mitigation is considered
a regulating service, which directly contributes to human well-being by
increased disaster security. Thus, healthy ecosystems serve as buffers
and provide the basis for the use of provisioning, regulating and cultural
services. As we know, during the past decades many efforts have been
made to reduce negative impacts on the environment that have led to
various global environmental problems. Nevertheless, the Earth system
is moving towards an increasingly critical state.

Figure 4.1
Linkages between ecosystem
services and human well-being.
Credit: Nehren 2014, modified from
MA 2005. Redrawn by S. Plog

In 2009, a group of scientists led by Johan Rockström from the Stockholm

Resilience Centre and Will Steffen from the Australian National University
constructed a new framework to define a “safe operating space for
humanity” (Rockström et al. 2009), known as the planetary boundaries
concept. The concept is based on nine main Earth system processes:
climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion,
biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen), global freshwater use,
change in land use, biodiversity loss, atmospheric aerosol loading, and
chemical pollution. For each of these processes a threshold is defined,
which is called planetary boundary.
According to Rockström et al. (2009) “transgressing one or more of
these planetary boundaries may be deleterious or even catastrophic
due to the risk of crossing thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt
environmental change within continental- to planetary-scale systems”
(Rockström et al. 2009:1). In 2009, three of nine planetary boundaries
were already overstepped, namely climate change, biodiversity loss,
and the nitrogen cycle as part of biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus
and nitrogen).
Recently, Steffen et al. (2015) presented a new study based on the same
processes as in 2009, but with slightly modified names for two of the
processes and considering a large number of recent scientific publications.
Moreover, regional-level boundaries have now been developed for
biosphere integrity (formerly biodiversity loss), biogeochemical flows, land-
system change and freshwater use. As a main result, the authors state
that in addition to the three boundaries that have already been crossed
in 2009, the land-system change boundary has now been overstepped

47
 as well. According to the lead author of the study, transgressing a
boundary could have nefast consequences on the Earth’s state for human
well-being.
When we take a closer look to the nine main Earth system processes
of the planetary boundaries concept, we see close linkages to the state
of ecosystems. It is for instance obvious that ecosystem loss and
degradation due to land-system change affect biodiversity integrity and
also reduce carbon storage and sequestration.
There are many other interlinkages, which are less obvious, such as those
between ecosystems, natural hazards and disasters. The term natural
hazards indicates that these types of hazards are natural occurrences,
such as earthquakes, storms, floods, or droughts. However, natural does
not mean that humans do not have any impact on the frequency and
intensity of some of these hazards. SREX (IPCC 2012), for instance, states
that climate change has an impact on the frequency and intensity of some
types of hazards, such as heat waves, extreme coastal high water levels,
and mass movements in high mountain areas. Taking into account that
ecosystem loss and degradation significantly contribute to anthropogenic
climate change, we see that there is an indirect link between ecosystem
loss and degradation and the frequency and intensity of certain types
of natural hazards. When people are exposed to these hazards and the
hazard overwhelms their capacity to cope with the effects, the hazard can
become a disaster.
However, there are also direct interlinkages between ecosystem loss and
degradation, natural hazards and disasters (Figure 4.2). Environment
and disasters interact with each other in a number of ways. Disasters
cause massive damage to the environment, while degraded environments
exacerbate disaster impacts. Climate change will likely exacerbate
disaster impacts and also impacts on the environment in numerous
ways (e.g. changes in seasons and changes in habitat suitability of
species). Furthermore, responding to disasters often leads to additional
environmental impacts, due to emergency procedures and lack of
environmental contingency plans. Investments in sound environmental
management, especially in disaster prevention and post-disaster recovery
stages, can reduce disaster risks and thus contribute to more resilient
and sustainable development. Furthermore, environmental management
solutions are increasingly being applied for adaptation to climate change
because of these interlinkages between society, environment and
ecosystem services that can be used to help people adapt.
Figure 4.2
Interlinkages between
environment and disasters.
Source: S. Sandholz and U. Nehren,
In: CNRD-PEDRR 2013. Degraded environment Disaster response
Redrawn by L. Monk can exacerbate disaster Possible additional
impacts environmental impacts

ENVIRONMENT DISASTERS

Sound environmental
Can cause Climate
management
massive damage to change impact
Reduce disaster risk, the environment Likely to exacerbate
adapt to climate change,
disaster impacts
enhance resilience

48
 Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters
04
These different interactions can be illustrated with two coastal Figure 4.3
ecosystems: coastal dunes and mangroves. Removing sand from coastal Left: Fore dunes in Chile that serve
dunes for construction purposes or destroying dunes to build settlements as buffers and protect from wind
and waves. These fore dunes have
and tourism infrastructure can reduce the buffer function against high
been partly removed to create space
waves (including tsunamis) and storms (Figure 4.3). Settlements and for coastal infrastructure. The new
infrastructure located behind the dunes, which were previously protected infrastructure will now be directly
due to the buffering function of the coastal dune system are now exposed exposed to storms and waves and
to the impact of wind and waves. This means that conservation and even tsunamis that occur along the
sustainable use of the dune system would have been the appropriate way central Chilean coast.
to reduced disaster risk and adapt to climate change. Right: Destruction of coastal dunes
in central Chile. © U. Nehren

Mangroves are important breeding grounds and nurseries for coral reef
fish and other marine animals. But apart from their numerous biological
functions, mangroves also buffer against storms and waves and protect
from coastal erosion. Destroying them can reduce the natural coastal
protection and increase the risk of coastal erosion from cyclones and
storm surges. This happened for instance in Java Island, Indonesia
(Figure 4.4). To counteract further coastal erosion, in some affected areas
mangroves have been restored with the support of researchers, NGOs,
and the local communities.

Figure 4.4
In summary, ecosystem degradation can directly and indirectly contribute Left: Close to the city of Semarang
to a natural hazard becoming a disaster. Or, in other words according to on the North coast of Central Java,
the 2012 World Risk Report: “Not all storms and other natural hazards Indonesia, mangroves have been
need to turn into disasters“ (Alliance Development Works 2012). This is a replaced by agricultural systems and
settlements, which, in combination
crucial point which is often not considered in decisions on DRR. Ecosystem
with other factors, resulted in
conservation, sustainable management and restoration should therefore increased coastal erosion.
be taken into account as suitable measures to reduce disaster risk. Right: During the last ten years,
mangroves have been restored to
counteract further coastal erosion
and protect the coastal zone.
© U. Nehren

49
 Anthropocene 4.2 Socio-ecological systems
“The Anthropocene is The CBD defines an ecosystem as a “dynamic complex of plant, animal
an informal geologic and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment
chronological term for the interacting as a functional unit” (United Nations 1992). There are other
proposed epoch that began definitions of ecosystems, some of which explicitly include humans as
when human activities had a part of ecosystems. The term socio-ecological system (SES) is often
used and denotes the intertwining of humans and nature into a complex,
the Earth’s ecosystems” dynamic and interacting system (Figure 4.5). The SES can be defined as
(Redman et al. 2004):
Crutzen and Stoermer 2000
A coherent system of biophysical and social factors that regularly
interact in a resilient, sustained manner;
A system that is defined at several spatial, temporal, and
organisational scales, which may be hierarchically linked;
Figure 4.5 A set of critical resources (natural, socioeconomic, and cultural)
Socio-ecological system. whose flow and use is regulated by a combination of ecological and
Redrawn and adapted from a generic
social systems; and
SES framework presented in Collins
et al. 2010. Redrawn by L. Monk A perpetually dynamic, complex system with continuous adaptation.

External Drivers

Climate; governance; management; policy

Social Dimension Interactions Ecological Dimension

Human Behaviour Impacts and Stressors Biodiversity Outcomes

Land-use, migration, Forest loss, land-cover change, fire, logging, Species turnover,
population dynamics multiple degradation events, hunting diversity and abundance

Ecosystem Services Ecosystem Function

Human Outcomes Provisioning: agricultural production, extraction Primary productivity,
Well-being, health, of timber and nontimber forest products maintenance of soil
development condition, water quality
Regulating: carbon sequestration,
water quality and stream flow and nutrient cycling

Cultural: species conservation, ecotourism

and scientific discovery

Our interactions through history with the environment have changed

dramatically and thus the SES is a different landscape to what it was.
Taking a look at these changes is important to understand the current
SES. Such a systemic understanding of SES allows for linking human
action to ecosystem change. Our impact on ecosystems has become so
strong that the meteorologist Paul Crutzen and the ecologist Eugene F.
Stoermer suggested to even proclaim a new geological epoch, called the
Anthropocene (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000).

50
 Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters
04
A proposal was presented to the Stratigraphy Commission of the
Geological Society of London, suggesting that from the beginning of the
industrial revolution in the late 18th century be taken as the starting point
of this new epoch. Since that time carbon emissions to the atmosphere
have increased significantly, as have plant and animal extinction rates. This
means with respect to the impact on our planet, we became a geological
factor. The discussion on the exact definition of the Anthropocene is still
ongoing and there are also other suggestions for its delimitation ranging
from the Neolithic Revolution around 12,000 years ago to the first nuclear
explosion on 16th July 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States.
If we take a closer look at human-nature interactions over the course
of evolution, we see that these interactions changed dramatically
(Figure 4.6). While our early ancestors of the genus Australopithecus in
Africa had to rely on their environment and adapt to the natural conditions,
tribes of Homo habilis who lived around 2.33 to 1.44 million years ago Figure 4.6
already developed tools such as choppers and hand axes (Hartwig 2004). Human interaction with nature.
Around 400,000 years ago Homo erectus then made controlled use of We see that nature is the basis for
fire (Bowman et al. 2009). These inventions can be seen as initial steps human life and that humans make
use of nature in several ways.
for conquering, occupying and partly destroying the natural environment.
During human evolution human-
However, the effects from that time must be seen as rather limited due to nature interactions have changed
low population density and limited geographical expansion. This is what from purely adapting to respecting
we can also observe when we take a look at the few hunter-gatherer tribes and managing nature.
that survived into modern times. Design: Hoang and Nehren.
Redrawn by L. Monk

NATURAL BASIS FOR LIFE INTERACTIONS WITH NATURE MAN’S USE OF NATURE

Reliance
Energy Food
Agriculture
sources supply
Tourism
Adapting
Herbs and and recreation
medicine
Conquering/
Shelter Occupying Industry

Air to
breathe Forestry
Destroying
Natural
resources for
industrial Settlements and
products Respecting
infrastructure
Spiritual and
religious basis
Managing
Water
Fishery
to drink

Source for
creation and
recreation Water use
... ...

51
 With the Neolithic Revolution (also called Agricultural Revolution) that
started around 12,000 years ago, humans settled down and systematically
used the land for agriculture and livestock farming (Barker 2009). This led
to a fundamental land cover change in many regions of the world. It was
also the trigger for urbanisation and population growth. The next stage of
human-nature interaction started with the industrial revolution. It is, among
others, characterised by a rapid transition from hand production methods
to machines, chemical manufacturing and iron production processes
that affected almost all aspects of daily life. According to Lucas (2002),
the impact of the Industrial Revolution was such that for the first time
in history, the living standards of the masses of ordinary people began
to undergo sustained growth. However, the Industrial Revolution was
also a major turning point in human-nature interactions because it was
accompanied by massive environmental degradation at the global scale.
Today we are experiencing the highest life expectancies and living standards
in human history, at least for the majority of the world’s population (UNDP
2014). At the same time we are facing severe environmental, social and
economic challenges, as already stated almost 50 years ago in the highly
regarded report “The Limits to Growth” by the Club of Rome (Meadows et
al. 1972). More recent publications on global environmental challenges
include among others the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report
(MA 2005), the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC (IPCC 2014), the
Global Assessment Report 2019 (UNDRR 2019), and the IPBES’ Global
Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 2019).
The global challenges for humanity are also addressed in international
development agendas, in particular in the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). These concepts and international agreements aim at respecting
and managing nature to secure human-well-being for future generations
under the guiding principle of sustainable development.

Figure 4.7
Examples of ecosystem types in
reducing hazard occurrence.

Mountain forests and vegetation on hillsides can Wetlands and riverine ecosystems are important for
reduce the risk of landslides, rock fall, avalanches flood control as they store water and slowly release
and soil erosion. Moreover, forests store water and it, reducing speed and volume of runoff. Coastal
can reduce the runoff after rainfall events. Thereby wetlands tidal flats, deltas and estuaries can reduce
they can reduce the risk of floods and droughts. the height and speed of storm surges and tidal waves.
Photo: Mountain forest in Brazil Photo: Wetland in Nicaragua © U. Nehren
(Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro) © U. Nehren

52
 Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters
04
4.3 Ecosystems can mitigate disaster risk
As many ecosystems in the world are already highly degraded, we try to
conserve, sustainably manage or even restore ecosystems to improve
the ecological status of our planet. In so doing we can decrease the
vulnerability caused by ecosystem degradation and therefore reduce
disaster risk. Furthermore, ecosystems provide important services
that are necessary for well-being and can also mitigate certain types of
natural hazard.
Indeed, in many cases ecosystem-based approaches can reduce the
impact of all three components of the disaster risk equation: exposure,
vulnerability and hazard. We consider that healthy ecosystems reduce
exposure in certain cases, for example along coastlines where green belts
act as natural buffers. Ecosystems also reduce vulnerability because
they provide many ecosystem services for supporting livelihoods and
human well-being. Last, healthy ecosystems can reduce the impact
of hazards by acting as natural buffers. Examples are provided in
Figure 4.7. Table 4.1 provides an overview of the hazard mitigation
functions of different ecosystems. However, we must also say that not all
hazards can be effectively mitigated by ecosystems, which is for instance
the case for earthquakes, and that the magnitude of the hazard can be a
limiting factor, such as in the case of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and
the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan where coastal forests
provided only limited protection.

Coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, Dryland ecosystems can reduce the risks of
saltmarshes, mangroves and sand dunes, can serve droughts and desertification, as trees, grasses
as natural buffers against tropical cyclones, storm and shrubs conserve soil and retain moisture.
surges, flooding, other coastal hazards and to some Shelterbelts, greenbelts and other types of living
extent tsunamis. Moreover, coastal wetlands buffer fences act as barriers against wind erosion and
against saltwater intrusion and adapt to sea-level rise. sand storms.
Photo: Corals in Indonesia © S. Sandholz Photo: Dry forest in Kenya © U. Nehren

53
Table 4.1
Hazard mitigation functions of different ecosystems (adapted from Estrella and Saalismaa 2013).

ECOSYSTEMS HAZARD MITIGATION

Mountain forests, Vegetation cover and root structures Catchment forests, especially primary forests,
vegetation on protect against erosion and increase slope reduce risk of floods by increasing infiltration
hillsides stability by binding soil together, preventing of rainfall, and delaying peak floodwater flows,
landslides.1 except when soils are fully saturated.3
Forests protect against rockfall and stabilise Forests in watersheds are important for water
snow, reducing the risk of avalanches.2 recharge and purification, drought mitigation
and safeguarding drinking water supply.4

Wetlands, Wetlands and floodplains control floods Coastal wetlands, tidal flats, deltas and
floodplains in coastal areas, inland river basins, and estuaries reduce the height and speed of storm
mountain areas subject to glacial melt.5 surges and tidal waves.6
Peatlands, wet grasslands and other Marshes, lakes and floodplains release wet
wetlands store water and release it slowly, season flows slowly during drought periods.
reducing the speed and volume of runoff
after heavy rainfall or snowmelt in springtime.

Coastal Coastal ecosystems protect against Coastal wetlands buffer against saltwater
(Mangroves, hurricanes, storm surges, flooding and other intrusion and adapt to (slow) sea-level rise by
saltmarshes, coastal hazards – a combined protection trapping sediment and organic matter.9
coral reefs, from coral reefs, seagrass beds, and sand
Non-porous natural barriers, such as sand
barrier islands, dunes/coastal wetlands/coastal forests is
dunes (with associated plant communities)
sand dunes) particularly effective.7
and barrier islands, dissipate wave energy
Coral reefs and coastal wetlands, such and act as barriers against waves, currents,
as mangroves and saltmarshes, absorb storm surges and tsunamis, depending on
(low-magnitude) wave energy, reduce wave the magnitude.i.10
heights and reduce erosion from storms
and high tides.8

Drylands Natural vegetation management and Maintaining vegetation cover in dryland areas,
restoration in drylands contributes to and agricultural practices, such as use of
ameliorate the effects of drought and control shadow crops, nutrient enriching plants and
desertification, as trees, grasses and shrubs vegetation litter, increases resilience
conserve soil and retain moisture. to drought.11
Shelterbelts, greenbelts and other types of Prescribed burning and creation of physical
living fences act as barriers against wind firebreaks in dry landscapes reduces fuel loads
erosion and sand storms. and the risk of unwanted large-scale fires.

1 Dolidon et al. (2009), Peduzzi (2010), Norris et al. (2008).

2 Bebi et al. (2009), Dorren et al. (2004).
3 Krysanova et al. (2008).
4 World Bank 2010.
5 Campbell et al. (2009).
6 Batker et al. (2010), Costanza et al. (2008), Ramsar (2010), Zhao (2005).
7 Badola et al. (2005), Batker et al. (2010), Granek and Ruttenberg (2007).
8 Mazda et al. (1997), Möller (2006), Vo-Luong and Massel (2008), Narayan et al. (2016).
9 Campbell et al. (2009).
10 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (2009), UNEP-WCMC (2006).
11 Campbell et al. (2009), Krysanova et al. (2008).

54
 Linking ecosystems and humans to disasters
04
4.4 Conclusions
There are indirect and direct linkages between ecosystems and disasters.
It is known that ecosystem degradation feeds into disaster risk and
interventions within the socio-ecological system can either negatively or
positively influence disaster risk. Ecosystem-based approaches can be
effective tools in reducing disaster and climate risks and one of the few
approaches to reduce all three components of the risk equation: buffering
and mitigating hazard impacts, reducing vulnerability by providing
ecosystem services to reduce vulnerability and reducing exposure when
natural infrastructure is established in highly exposed areas.
However, depending on the magnitude of the hazard there are limitations
to how much protection ecosystems can provide, just as there are
limitations to engineered structures (Vosse 2008). Exactly how much
protection an ecosystem can provide may be locally specific, requiring
the expertise of ecologists working together with disaster risk managers
and engineers to design risk protective systems that work with nature,
rather than against it to the extent possible. Furthermore, ecosystem-
based solutions often require a lot of land which may not be available
(Doswald and Osti 2011).
Nevertheless, working with ecosystems can reduce disaster risk and help
adapt to climate change. Furthermore, they provide a number of benefits
stemming from the services they provide. Due to this, ecosystem-based
approaches have emerged in both the DRR and CCA community as natural
solutions. The following chapter explores Eco-DRR and EbA in more detail
and discusses differences and similarities between them.

55
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Chapter 5
Ecosystem-based
disaster risk reduction
and ecosystem-based
adaptation

Key questions
What is Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk
Reduction (Eco-DRR) and Ecosystem-based
Adaptation (EbA) and what are the
similarities and differences between them?

Eco-DRR and EbA?

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/UNEP

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 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05
5.1 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction DEFINITION: Eco-DRR
The idea of Eco-DRR is relatively simple. It entails combining natural “Ecosystem-based disaster
resources management approaches, or the sustainable management risk reduction (Eco-DRR) is
of ecosystems, with DRR methods, such as early warning systems and the sustainable management,
emergency planning, in order to have more effective disaster prevention, conservation and restoration
reduce the impact of disasters on people and communities, and support of ecosystems to reduce
disaster recovery. disaster risk, with the aim
Well-managed ecosystems, such as wetlands, forests and coastal to achieve sustainable and
systems, act as natural infrastructure that reduce physical exposure to resilient development”.
many hazards and by increasing socio-economic resilience of people Estrella and Saalismaa 2013
and communities by sustaining local livelihoods and providing essential
natural resources such as food, water and building materials (Renaud et
al. 2013, Renaud et al. 2016). Ecosystem management also generates a
range of other social, economic and environmental benefits for multiple
stakeholders, which in turn feed back into reduced risk.

CASE STUDIES

In Switzerland, protection forests are a main component of its disaster

risk reduction program in the Alps in order to protect critical infrastructure
from frequent hazards, such as rock fall, avalanches or shallow landslides
(Figure 5.1). The Swiss government spends over $120 million annually on
the management of its protective forests to achieve a balance between
young and old trees and a mix of species to keep forests healthy and strong.
The government forest office manages the protection forests even if
they are owned privately. In some cases, the local government will even
financially compensate private land owners in the case that they have lost
income from logging. Local people prefer to have forests for protection
because they also provide places for recreation, are more aesthetic and
appear less threatening than avalanche barriers or rock nets.
Protection forest planning has a time span of 50-100 years and is based
on public willingness to maintain their forests. There are a number of
scientific studies, forest management guidelines and cost-benefit
analyses that demonstrate that protection forest cost 5-10 times less than
structurally engineered structures over time (Wehrli and Dorren 2013).

Figure 5.1
Protection forest, Davos,
Switzerland.
© UNEP

59
 The alternative to maintaining protective forests are engineered solutions,
such as avalanche barriers that are frequently found in the Alps,
especially in areas where the protection forest have been cut. The past
years, however, have seen a shift back to the non-engineered protective
measures – wherever possible – because the public often prefers
protection forests for the many additional benefits they get as compared
to avalanche barriers. However in some cases, it is useful and necessary
to have both.

One of the worst weather-related disasters in Brazilian history took place

in January 2011 in the municipalities of Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis,
Petrópolis and São Jose do Vale do Rio Preto in the State of Rio de Janeiro.
After a 24 hour rainfall event between the 11th and 12th January, the Santo
Antonio River level increased dramatically and many areas around the
state reported floods, land and mudslides (Figure 5.2). According to the
Government of Brazil, more than 900 fatalities were reported, the material
damage was above $1.2 billion, more than 345 persons were missing,
and in the end more than 35,000 people were left homeless (SBF 2011).
Most of the areas affected by landslides were riverbanks showing some
level of human intervention (for example for agricultural or residential
purposes). Landslides that occurred in areas covered by natural
ecosystems or with well-conserved native vegetation were of lower
magnitude when compared with landslides that occurred in disturbed
areas. Landslides in terrains covered with native vegetation were always
located in the proximity of areas affected by human activities (SBF 2011).
Brazilian governmental authorities, like the Brazilian Ministry for
Environment (MMA) and the Government of Rio de Janeiro State, are using
the concept of resilient landscapes as the basis to reduce vulnerability and
disaster risk and adapt to climate change.
In order to reduce risks of landslides, mudslides and flooding, different
measures were implemented by a number of actors: the government of
the Rio de Janeiro State, the municipalities and also by the communities.
These developments and the implementation of these measures started
before the 2011 event but were accelerated after the catastrophe.

Figure 5.2
Brazil landslides in 2011.
© S. Sandholz

60
 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05
In order to restore the areas affected by the landslides and mudslides
and to mitigate hazards, the Government of Rio de Janeiro State is DEFINITION:
mainly investing in structural engineered measures. However, to a certain EbA
extent ecosystem-based approaches are considered as well, including “Ecosystem-based Adaptation
slope stabilization measures, river parks and reforestation of riparian (EbA) is the use of biodiversity
areas and the construction of natural channels for water infiltration. and ecosystem services as
However, government reports reference several barriers in implementing part of an overall adaptation
DRR measures, some of which are related to institutional coordination, strategy to help people adapt
bureaucracy and even corruption (Sandholz et al. 2018). to the adverse effects of
For more detailed information on both the Swiss and Brazil example, climate change “
as well as other examples from The Netherlands, Guatemala/Mexico, CBD 2009
Burkina Faso/Niger and the USA, please refer to the “Eco-DRR Case
Study Source Book” (Nehren et al. 2014).

5.2 Ecosystem-based adaptation

EbA has emerged in international climate policy for a as a “new” approach
and is “the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall
adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate
change” (CBD 2009). The EbA concept stems from a long history of using
environmental management to adapt to climatic variations, for example
changing planting dates, as well as reducing risks from natural hazards
as stated above for Eco-DRR. EbA is currently growing with interest in
policy arenas with inclusion in the IPCC AR5 and with the production of
catalogues of case studies, research, and development of guidelines and
tools (IPCC 2014). A number of institutions have produced criteria and
guidelines for EbA (IUCN 2016, FEBA 2017).

CASE STUDIES

A World Bank funded project “Natural Resources Management in a

Changing Climate in Mali” states its aim to expand the adoption of
sustainable land and water management practices in targeted communes
in Mali. This objective is achieved through the implementation of
capacity building, biodiversity conservation and support to poverty
reduction activities through an ecosystem-based adaptation approach.
It is an integrated approach to conservation, restoration and sustainable
management of territories to enable people adapting to climate change,
and ultimately increase their resilience (World Bank 2013).

The UNEP/UNDP/IUCN “Mountain EbA” projects in Uganda, Peru and

Nepal aimed to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to climate
change through EbA (UNDP 2015). Methodologies for assessing the
vulnerability to climate change and decision tools for EbA were developed
and implemented at the ecosystem level. In pilot sites in each country, EbA
measures were implemented contributing towards ecosystem resilience
and reduction of livelihood vulnerability in the face of climate change
impacts (Figure 5.3).

61
 Figure 5.3
The Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape
Reserve in Peru.
© UNDP

Recent IPCC studies (2012, 2014) have highlighted the importance of

ecosystem-based measures as part of necessary adaptation and lists
protection of ecosystems as one of several elements providing significant
co-benefits and synergies between mitigation and adaptation.
The IPCC (2014) in fact lists some ecosystem-based measures being
undertaken around the world, including:
“Adaptation planning integrated into coastal and water
management, into environmental protection and land planning,
and into disaster risk management;
Mainstreaming climate adaptation action into subnational
development planning, early warning systems, integrated water
resources management, agroforestry, and coastal reforestation
of mangroves;
Ecosystem-based adaptation including protected areas,
conservation agreements, and community management of natural
areas is occurring. Resilient crop varieties, climate forecasts, and
integrated water resources management are being adopted within
the agricultural sector in some areas”.
(excerpted from IPCC 2014: 8-9)

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 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05
5.3 Similarities and differences between
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and
ecosystem-based adaptation
While environmental management undertaken to tackle climate variability
and climatic hazards is not new and much evidence exists as to the
effective use thereof (Doswald et al. 2014), many EbA, Eco-DRR and hybrid
EBA/Eco-DRR projects are either embryonic or currently underway. Thus,
complete information on these is lacking. Therefore, juxtaposing theory
with practice will be useful to highlight differences and commonalities
between the fields of practice. Understanding the two is important for
project development and integration.
In a UNEP discussion paper (Doswald and Estrella 2015), 34 ecosystem-
based projects/initiatives were reviewed and analyzed. They were
classified into EbA, Eco-DRR and hybrid Eco-DRR/EbA projects to
understand how EbA and Eco-DRR projects are undertaken in practice and
to find key integration points. The following similarities and differences
between EbA and Eco-DRR are drawn from this discussion paper.

OBJECTIVES OF ECOSYSTEM-BASED DISASTER RISK

REDUCTION AND ECOSYSTEM-BASED ADAPTATION
EbA and Eco-DRR both aim to achieve their goals using similar measures:
sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems.
EbA, however, because of its connection to the CBD (see CBD 2009)
perhaps, has more emphasis on ecosystem services and biodiversity than
Eco-DRR. Indeed, some EbA projects primarily focus on maintaining and
increasing the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem services as a way
to help people adapt.
Eco-DRR projects usually do not have such a focus (at least in the stated
aims) to protect biodiversity per se. Instead, the focus is on increasing
resilience of people or reducing risks from hazards using environmental
management or utilizing ecosystem services. UNEP’s Eco-DRR project
in The Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, aims to strengthen
community capacity to maximise the ecosystem service benefits provided
by the Lukaya river catchment, including its potential to regulate floods and
for water pollution mitigation (UNEP 2016). Proper terrace management is
another way of reducing erosion issues and can contribute to Integrated
Water Resource Management (IWRM) (Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.4
Terracing in DR Congo.
© UNEP

63
 Hybrid EbA/Eco-DRR projects often aim to reduce risk or increase
resilience and apply adaptive measures often in broad terms. For
example, the Partnership for Resilience’s project in Ethiopia aims “to
reduce vulnerability of the community to current hazards, but also
incorporate measures that help people prepare for the future and adapt to
climate change”.
However, differences between EbA and Eco-DRR project objectives are
not always clear. The difference often depends on the implementing
institution. When biodiversity conservation organizations are involved, a
more ecosystem-focus is applied. This is not to say that one approach
is necessarily right or wrong because ultimately the focus is on
helping people to adapt or reduce risk through the use of biodiversity
and ecosystems.
In Figure 5.5, we give the example of watershed management, which is a
way of managing water resources on the scale of a watershed. The main
goal is to manage water, whether too much - to prevent flooding, or too
little - to prevent the likelihood of future drought. It meets both the goal
of CCA and DRR.

Figure 5.5
Ecosystem-based management
approaches, such as watershed
management can be used to
manage flooding and drought.
© W. Lange and S. Sandholz,
redrawn by S. Plog

POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS

At the policy level, the importance of including ecosystem management
for CCA and DRR is recognized. The UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement invites
parties to engage in adaptation action, which may include “building
resilience of socioeconomic and ecological systems” (UNFCCC 2015),
while the SFDRR recognizes environmental degradation as a major
contributing factor to disaster risk. Environment will thus underpin
achievement of outcomes across the SFDRR’s seven global targets (see
chapter 3). In parallel to EbA, Eco-DRR is emerging as a field of practice as
well as in the policy arena. In Chapter 3, we discussed the various policies
where Eco-DRR has been mentioned. These include the SFDRR (2015);
the UNFCCC Paris Agreement (2015); a number of SDG targets and
several CBD decisions (e.g. decision X/33).
Figure 5.6 illustrates the major international framework agreements
passed in 2014 and 2015, which include priorities and decisions on
Eco-DRR/EbA.

64
 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05
Figure 5.6
Eco-DRR/EbA major priorities
and decisions with regards to
major international framework
agreements. Green arrows illustrate
various levels of ecosystem
services (ES), red arrows highlight
the main provisions of each
agreement related to Eco-DRR/
EbA. Source: Renaud et al. 2016,
Copyright permission granted.
Source: Renaud et al. 2016.
Redrawn by L. Monk

Both Eco-DRR and EbA projects almost always involve implementation

by environmental agencies or environmental/conservation NGOs,
given their clear emphasis on the environment. One special case is the
Partnership for Resilience whose Eco-DRR/EbA projects involve working
with humanitarian and disaster management organisations, such as the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),
Cordaid and CARE.
Eco-DRR and EbA projects would also generally partner with environmental
ministries as well as with actors from key development sectors, such as
agriculture, water, and urban development. Both recognise the importance
of mainstreaming Eco-DRR and EbA into national and local development
policies, programmes and plans. Hence, Eco-DRR, EbA and hybrid Eco-
DRR/EbA projects all recognize the importance of bringing together and
working with different government ministries and other stakeholders,
including civil society, universities, and businesses and the private sector.
EbA projects also work within specific policies. For example, in Europe,
some EbA projects are undertaken under the EU water framework
directive. EbA projects are also working to develop guidelines/policies for
land management and population (e.g. CI’s EbA project in South Africa and
the GEF-funded project in Colombia). An exception is perhaps the case
of CI’s EbA project in South Africa, which includes EbA as an integral part
of the DRR strategy locally and is working nationally to influence policy
(Bourne 2013). Aside from the South African example, there is not enough
information on the projects to know whether EbA projects generally try to
work with national DRR policies.
Eco-DRR projects, on the other hand, aim to work and influence both
DRR and environmental policies. The UNEP Eco-DRR project in the
Democratic Republic of Congo aimed to work with the Ministry of Social
and Humanitarian Affairs to ensure that environment was part of their
disaster management framework and strategies (Figure 5.7). However,
this remains challenging given the marginal roles played by environmental
ministries within DRR.

65
 Figure 5.7
Creating national mechanisms
to mainstream Eco-DRR, Lukaya,
Democratic Republic of Congo.
© H. Partow/UNEP

Just as CCA and DRR overlap, so do EbA and Eco-DRR, and perhaps even
more so given their common focus on ecosystem-based approaches.
Furthermore, there are “hybrid projects” that integrate CCA and DRR
using an ecosystem-based approach. Yet, due to the largely different
policy and institutional contexts of CCA and DRR, EbA and Eco-DRR tend
to operate in separate silos. Moreover, hybrid projects tend to have either
an EbA or Eco-DRR “slant” depending on the experts involved in the project
(Figure 5.8).

Figure 5.8
Starting points for EbA versus
Eco-DRR with a large zone of
overlapping common measures.
© S. Sandholz, W. Lange,
redrawn by S. Plog

TYPES OF HAZARDS AND ECOSYSTEMS COVERED IN PROJECTS

Droughts, floods, storms, landslides, erosion and fires were the hazards
addressed by both EbA and Eco-DRR projects. Eco-DRR also dealt with
hazards, such as tsunamis, earthquakes, dust storms and avalanches,
while EbA also dealt specifically with sea-level rise and broad (potential)
changes to temperature and rainfall patterns. Hybrid Eco-DRR/EbA projects
also included glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) (see Figures 5.9).

66
 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05

More differences could be observed in the types of impacts addressed Figure 5.9
by both approaches. While Eco-DRR mainly addressed impacts in terms EbA, Eco-DRR and Hybrid Eco-DRR/
of loss of livelihoods, lives, food security, water security and health, EbA EbA projects and hazard types
addressed.
also addresses long-term impacts such as biodiversity loss, changes
Source: Doswald and Estrella 2015.
within ecosystems (e.g. coral bleaching and habitat suitability changes) Redrawn by L. Monk
and potential increase in disease/pest outbreaks, alongside issues dealt
by Eco-DRR such as livelihoods, food and water security.
Projects equally covered drylands, marine, mountain, forest, inland waters,
as well as marine and urban ecosystems. Urban projects tend to label their
actions more as adaptation (i.e. EbA2) than disaster risk reduction (Eco-
DRR). However, this is more likely due to the current political prominence
of climate change (Mercer 2010) than a real difference.

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY ECOSYSTEM-BASED

ADAPTATION AND ECOSYSTEM-BASED DISASTER RISK
REDUCTION PROJECTS
Both Eco-DRR and EbA will undertake a risk/vulnerability assessment and
decide on what measures to undertake. Vulnerability assessments for EbA
will try to incorporate future climate change scenarios/maps to determine
future vulnerabilities; however, local climate models are not often finescale
enough for detailed planning and therefore general trends on climate will
be taken into account. Eco-DRR tends to focus more on past and current
hazards in their risk assessments. These are often also taken into account
in EbA but the depth of analysis may not always be the same.
EbA projects often address how to restore ecosystems or assist
communities to better adapt to changing climate conditions, including
protected area management (PAM), or strengthening biodiversity and
wildlife corridors. Often the focus may be on biodiversity issues and the
long-term impacts of climate change on ecosystems and people. Eco-DRR
projects may include typical aspects of DRR: early warning, evacuation
plans, etc. in combination with ecosystem-based measures. Common
measures include forest management, mangrove restoration, wetland
restoration or using an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)
approach, which takes into account natural watershed boundaries and a
more holistic approach to addressing water and climate issues.

2 The term “ecosystem-based adaptation” is not used by these projects.

They mostly refer to CCA in conjunction with green infrastructure or solutions.

67
 5.4 The benefits of integrating ecosystem-
based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-
based adaptation
As we have seen, ecosystems and their services are central, though not
primary, to the discussion of CCA and DRR. Indeed, the environment is at
the same time the context, the problem and the solution to many hazards
facing society. Environmental conditions can either increase or reduce
vulnerability and risk to disasters.
As we know, ecosystems are vulnerable to current anthropogenic
pressures and are being degraded, as outlined in the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment (MA 2005). The capacity of ecosystems to provide these
services may be further undermined by climate change or hazard impacts,
as well as by the unsustainable measures undertaken under CCA or DRR.
Strategic management of ecosystems, therefore, is necessary to ensure
provision of services that are important to society in the face of climate
change and natural hazards. However, it is important to state that solely
ecosystem-based solutions may not always be effective and practicable
(Figure 5.10).

Figure 5.10
The relationship between
ecosystems, society and climate
change adaptation (CCA) and
disaster risk reduction (DRR). The

on ecosystems and society from

different scenarios of planned
adaptation strategies: solely
technical or structural (blue), solely
ecosystem-based (green), and an
integrated framework containing
both strategies (purple). The green
arrows indicate positive impacts;
the red arrows negative impacts; One of the additional arguments to using ecosystem-based approaches
and the yellow arrows both positive within CCA and DRR, aside from their capacity to decrease hazard impacts,
and negative impacts. The impact is the fact that they provide multiple social, economic and cultural benefits
on society from the two measures for local communities.
in isolation is positive and negative;
negative in this instance is due to There are numerous case studies and scientific publications that show the
cost and feasibility. benefits of ecosystem-based approaches, especially with respect to CCA
Source: Doswald and Estrella 2015. (i.e. EbA). Furthermore, studies show that its use is mainstreamed within
Redrawn by L. Monk many sectors (e.g. coastal protection, agriculture and forestry, urban areas)
albeit the term EbA is not explicitly used (Doswald and Osti 2011). It is worth
pointing out, however, that there is a cross-over in terms of case studies that
have been used to advocate for EbA and Eco-DRR (ProAct Network 2008,
Doswald and Osti 2011, Renaud et al. 2013, Renaud et al. 2016). Interest
from the international arena is one of the reasons that these case studies
have been subsequently “labelled” as EbA rather than Eco-DRR.
In many of the available case studies, there is a focus on ecosystems in
relation to addressing climate-related hazards as well as other climate
change impacts, such as sea-level rise and salinization in coastal zones.
This is so because ecosystem-based approaches are not widely applied for
non-climatic hazards, such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, although
several studies have shown how re-vegetation and forest management

68
 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation
05
Figure 5.11
Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
© UNEP

can reduce risk of rock falls or landslides triggered by earthquakes (e.g. in

the case of protection forests in Switzerland; see Peduzzi 2010).
There are important opportunities for bringing together different actors
and sectors at sub-national or local levels, for instance working with
provincial or municipal governments, as illustrated in the case of UNEP’s
Eco-DRR project in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan (Figure 5.11), in the
case of PfR’s Eco-DRR/EbA project in Orissa, India or in CI’s EBA project
in South Africa.
Some of the national mechanisms for bringing together different
stakeholders around Eco-DRR/EbA issues may include: National Platforms
or Committees on Disaster Risk Reduction or Climate Change Adaptation
(where they exist and/or are functional), humanitarian clusters, working
groups, devolved municipal or local-level adaptation planning committees,
etc. The challenge remains in ensuring that such national mechanisms
or platforms integrate ecosystem-based considerations in their DRR or
CCA agendas.
Despite clear efforts within Eco-DRR, EbA and Eco-DRR/EbA projects
to bring together different stakeholders across different sectors, there
remains a general tendency to work in parallel but separate tracks at the
policy level, depending on whether the project is more oriented towards
DRR or CCA. Nonetheless, significant opportunities exist in focusing
advocacy efforts towards more integrated Eco-DRR/EbA policies and
overcome the policy divide between DRR and climate change communities.
In this regard, the role of environmental ministries in government as well
as environmental/conservation national NGOs become all the more
critical in promoting ecosystem-based approaches to bridge the gap
between DRR and CCA. Moreover, national coordination and planning
mechanisms for DRR or CCA also provide key entry points for promoting
and mainstreaming integrated Eco-DRR/EbA approaches.
While efforts towards collaboration at the national level is crucial, at the
local level, the formation of informal/formal groups or networks to either
work collaboratively and/or to share knowledge is important not only
for the long-term viability of projects but also for increasing resilience to
climate change and hazards. Moreover, it has been found that community
involvement from the outset in projects is important for their success
(e.g. one of the lessons learned from Columbia’s integrated national
adaptation project).

69
 5.5 Conclusions
We have examined the differences and similarities between Eco-
DRR and EbA. While there are key differences in overall approach and
implementation especially at the theoretical level, practice shows that
often it is a question of differences in discourse than a real difference.
Indeed, in many cases one can substitute “risk reduction” by “adaptation”
and vice-versa (though not always). This is seen especially at the level of
project implementation, where for all intent and purposes EbA and Eco-
DRR activities are virtually indistinguishable from one another.
Nevertheless, EbA and Eco-DRR are generally undertaken by very separate
communities due to different policy and funding tracks. Hybrid Eco-DRR/
EbA projects are emerging as communities converge due to mutual needs
for integration. However, hybrid projects tend to be still more recognisable
as either Eco-DRR or EbA depending on who is involved in the project
as well as factors such as data availability and outcomes sought
(i.e. weather-related hazards or extreme events play more of a role than
general climatic change).
Reducing disasters has received broad political consensus and is guided by
an internationally endorsed global framework on DRR (i.e. SFDRR) but is not
restricted by a legal framework, as is the case in CCA (i.e. Paris Agreement)
(Hannigan 2012). CCA, on the other hand, receives much more financial
and political attention. Convergence between DRR and CCA is occurring
although it is not embraced by all, especially among DRR academics who
consider the adaptation and resilience discourse to be more like a band-aid
solution instead of a real remedy for addressing the main underlying causes
of disaster risk that are rooted in poverty, poor governance and structural
inequalities (Hannigan 2012). According to Pelling (2011), conventional
approaches to CCA are too conservative as they rarely embrace the
transformational changes needed to truly reduce underlying vulnerabilities
and address climate risks. In a similar context, resilience has also been
regarded as a band-aid approach by many (academics and practitioners);
nonetheless, wide acceptance of the concept of resilience is providing clear
opportunities for DRR and CCA integration.
Synergies between both DRR and CCA communities should be maximized
in order to avoid mal-adaptation and/or increase risk, as well as avoid
duplication in efforts. The EbA discipline is still growing and could benefit
from Eco-DRR knowledge. Potentially, Eco-DRR could help EbA in decision-
making in the face of uncertainty of climate change impacts through
its focus on reducing disaster risk. EbA in turn could help provide more
adaptive management that is sensitive to climatic and environmental
changes and thus ensure long-term sustainability of Eco-DRR projects.
Given that policy, institutional and funding tracks are likely to stay separate,
integration is more likely to be achievable at the project level.
Fostering collaboration at the project level would provide good lessons
for future practice and facilitate the integration of CCA and DRR through
ecosystem-based approaches. This would then promote the development
of much needed integrated multi-level governance tools for CCA and
DRR, integrated multi-hazard and climate change assessments, as well
as community-based approaches for both strategies. Gaps in knowledge
in both communities should be filled through dedicated research and
appropriate monitoring and evaluation frameworks that support learning
and knowledge.

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05
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District municipality: learning exchange among municipalities adaptation: are we reinventing the wheel? Journal of
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Lets’ Respond Workshop. 30-31 October 2013. Workshop Peduzzi, P. (2010). Landslides and vegetation cover in the
Summary. Arlington: Conservation International. 2005 North Pakistan earthquake: a GIS and statistical
Bourne, A., Donatti, C., Holness, S. and Midgely, G. (2012). quantitative approach. Natural Hazards and Earth System
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Africa. Conservation South Africa. Arlington: Conservation Pelling, M. (2011). Adaptation to Climate Change: From
International. Resilience to Transformation. London and New York: Routledge.
CBD (2009). Connecting Biodiversity and Climate Change ProAct Network (2008). The role of environmental
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Chapter 6
Principles of ecosystem-
based disaster risk
reduction and adaptation

Key questions
What are the core elements of
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation?
What are the challenges of
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation?

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/UNEP

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 Principles of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation
06
6.1 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation
As seen in the previous chapter, integrating Eco-DRR and EbA or hybrid
projects into DRR and CCA strategies and projects can be very beneficial.
It is also possible to mix structural measures, i.e. grey measures, such
as dykes, seawalls, etc. with these green measures (Eco-DRR/EbA).
Indeed, such green-grey (hybrid) measures are usually very helpful since
ecosystem-based approaches may not always be applicable nor enough.
There exists much literature on EbA that has been generated via
different organisations such as IUCN, WWF, CI, UNEP, just to name a few.
Handbooks, guidelines and guides for various aspects of EbA exist. The
AdaptationCommunity.net is a useful resource for those interested in EbA.
Not as much exists for Eco-DRR and in the following section and chapters
the focus will be on Eco-DRR but much can also be applicable for EbA or
hybrid projects.

6.2 Core elements of ecosystem-based disaster

risk reduction and adaptation
The following principles constitute the core elements of Eco-DRR/EbA
and guidance to better the understanding the role of ecosystems in DRR
and CCA.
1. Ecosystems provide multiple functions and services, including
protection from hazard events.
2. Eco-DRR/EbA is a “no-regrets” strategy.
3. Green infrastructure is often more cost-effective over time than grey
infrastructure for DRR/CCA.
Additionally:
4. Eco-DRR and EbA is anchored in sustainable livelihoods and
development.
5. Proper environmental management is critical to addressing the risks
associated with climate change and hazard events.
6. Integrating environmental approaches into disaster risk management
and CCA requires multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration,
all while involving local stakeholders in decision-making.
7. Eco-DRR/EbA has limitations and might have to be combined with
other strategies.

1. ECOSYSTEMS PROVIDE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS AND

SERVICES, INCLUDING PROTECTION FROM HAZARD EVENTS
One of the main components of Eco-DRR/EbA that distinguishes it from
structural engineering measures is the multiple benefits ecosystems
provide (Figure 6.1). In addition to the main targets of disaster prevention
and recovery, hazard mitigation, and CCA, ecosystems contribute to
sustainable livelihoods by providing goods such as clean water, food
and fibre. This way ecosystems support poverty reduction in developing
countries as they are often the strongest base for livelihoods. Often
ecosystems also support heritage conservation and local identities, e.g.
when attaching sipirital values to mountains, forests or springs (Sandholz
2016). Services related to water and soil protection are closely linked
to hazard mitigation, as for instance reforestation in upper watersheds
reduces the risk of landslides and flooding.

73
 Figure 6.1

U. Nehren 2014, modified from

Estrella and Saalisamaa 2013

However, there are several other services such as erosion control, soil
fertility maintenance and water purification. Healthy ecosystems also
stabilise the regional climate and, depending on the type of vegetation,
contribute to climate change mitigation by storing and sequestering
carbon (Lal 2004, Grenier et al. 2013). Finally, certain ecosystems can
have high biodiversity value, providing greater robustness during periods
of stress (Thompson et al. 2009, Willis et al. 2010).
The physical risk reduction capacity of ecosystems depends on their
health and structure, and the intensity of the hazard event. Ecosystems
can reduce physical exposure to common natural hazards, namely
landslides, flooding, avalanches, storm surges, wildfires and droughts, by
serving as natural infrastructure, protective barriers or buffers (Renaud et
al. 2013, 2016) (Figure 6.2, Figure 6.3).

Figure 6.2 Figure 6.3

Coastal dunes in Valparaíso Region, Central Chile, Mangrove forest, Semarang, Indonesia.
are an effective natural coastal barrier. © U. Nehren
© U. Nehren

74
 Principles of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation
06
Several studies of coastal forests along Japan’s coasts determined
that during the 2011 tsunami, coastal vegetation provided some natural
protection by catching large debris (e.g. boats) as tsunami waves retreated
inland (Tanaka 2012). As a result, the Japanese government is expanding
its national park system along Japan’s coast with strict land use guidelines
for moving critical infrastructure inland (Onishi and Ishiwatari 2012).
Also in Chile the protective role of coastal dunes against tsunami
impacts has been recognized (Nehren et al. 2016), and restoration of
dune vegetation for tsunami mitigation has been included for instance
in Puerto Saavedra in the province of Araukaria, which suffered from the
largest earthquake ever measured (magnitude 9.5) and a tsunami in 1960
(Acevedo 2013).
Several countries in Europe, such as Germany, the Netherlands, the UK,
Switzerland, and cross-border initiatives from the countries bordering the
Danube River aim to mitigate floods through “making space for water” by
removing built infrastructure, like concrete river channels, and restoring
wetlands and rivers to improve their water retention capacity. For
example, The Netherlands invested €2.3 billion to re-establish floodplains,
resulting in reduced flood risk for 4 million people along its main rivers
(Deltacommisie 2008) (Figure 6.4). In addition to risk reduction, these
initiatives consistently pursue integrated landscape and ecosystem
approaches which consider values of the wetlands in particular for
biodiversity conservation, tourism, and recreation.
Another good example are mangroves, which can significantly reduce
the impact of tropical cyclones and storms surges (Das and Vincent
2009). It is, however, controversial to what extent they can mitigate the
impact of tsunamis (Danielsen et al. 2005; Kerr and Baird 2007; Alongi
2008; Cochard 2008). At the same time, mangroves provide various other
services, such as supporting fisheries and tourism activities, providing
important wildlife habitats, storing high amounts of carbon, and improving
coastal water quality (Saenger 2002, Wicaksono et al. 2016, Nehren and
Wicaksono 2018).

Figure 6.4
Nederrijn River Rhenen, Netherlands.
© M. van Staveren

75
 2. ECO-DRR/EBA IS A “NO-REGRETS” STRATEGY
ECO-DRR and EBA
The “no-regrets” refers to the multiple benefits that investment in ecosystem
approaches bring. Interestingly, the IPCC SREX (IPCC 2012) also refers to
Ecosystems can prevent or “no-regrets” and actions for improving adaptation and reducing disaster
mitigate hazards risks, including investing in ecosystem management. In other words,
Ecosystems can reduce investing in a green belt, for example, is a “no-regrets” strategy because it
exposure by functioning as may provide not only protection from hazards, with or without combined
natural buffers structural barriers, while also providing many other benefits, especially
Ecosystems can reduce livelihoods support, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, etc.
vulnerability by supporting UNEP in its address to the UN General Assembly on DRR highlighted
livelihoods – before, during the role of ecosystem management as one of the few approaches that
and after disasters addresses all three components of the risk equation (see box on the left
…but all solutions have and Figure 6.5).
limits… A variety of tools, instruments and approaches that are already used in
ecosystem management, such as IWRM, Protected Area Management
(PAM), Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), and Integrated
Fire Management (IFM) can be readily adopted and applied as part of
risk reduction strategies (see chapter 13). Risk reduction can also be
part of spatial and land-use planning. Improved and routine use of risk
information (e.g. types of hazards over time and space, socio-economic
vulnerability profiles of communities, elements at risk, etc.) needs to
feed into the design of integrated ecosystem management interventions
to enhance their added value for DRR. For instance, rehabilitation of
upland watersheds can be harnessed for flood mitigation by improved
understanding of the local hazards, hydrology, topography as well as
socio-economic demands on forest products and the types of indigenous
tree species that are best suited for reforestation activities.

3. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS OFTEN MORE COST-EFFECTIVE

OVER TIME THAN GREY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DISASTER
RISK REDUCTION/CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
One of the main opportunities linked to ecosystem-based approaches
to DRR and CCA is its potential cost-effectiveness. However, measuring
cost-effectiveness is not without challenge.

Figure 6.5 Green belts can stabilize slopes and also reduce
Dunes for mitigating sea waves in Sri Lanka. exposure of settlements.
© B. McAdoo © UNEP

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06
Indeed, there are only a few well quoted examples comparing natural
versus engineering approaches, such as the study conducted by New
York City which compared green versus grey infrastructure investments
for improving its ageing sewer system and reducing flooding. The green
infrastructure plan was estimated to cost tax payers US $5.3 billion,
while the grey infrastructure renewal would have cost US $6.8 billion. In
addition, over time the benefits of green infrastructure accrue while grey
infrastructure requires renewed investment after 10-15 years (Figure 6.6)
(NYC 2010).
Another study, conducted by Conservation International (CI), Secretariat
of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), UNEP and
UN Habitat for the city of Lami, Fiji, carried out a cost-benefit analysis to
assess adaptation options for the city. It compared green solutions, such
as planting mangroves and replanting stream buffers, with engineering
measures, such as building seawalls and increased drainage (Rao et al.
2013). The study concluded ecosystem-based measures yielded a US
$19.50 benefit to cost ratio, as compared to engineering actions estimated
at US $9. Nonetheless, the study also revealed that in terms of avoided
(flood) damage, engineered measures provided 15-25% greater protection
than ecosystem-based measures, thus recommending that hybrid green-
grey infrastructure be used as part of the city’s coastal defence and
adaptation strategy (Rao et al. 2013).

Figure 6.6

grey infrastructure in New York City.

Source: NYC 2010. Modified by
S. Sandholz. Redrawn by L. Monk

Healthy ecosystems support livelihoods before,

during and after disasters.
© UNEP

77
 4. ECOSYSTEM-BASED DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
DEFINITION: LIVELIHOOD IS ANCHORED IN SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
“A livelihood comprises the AND DEVELOPMENT
capabilities, assets (including
DRR is essentially about promoting sustainable development in hazard-
both material and social
prone areas. As land and ecosystem degradation are accompanied by
resources) and activities
increasing risks, costs, and poverty for some population groups, sound
required for a means of living.
land and ecosystem management is essential to sustain livelihoods for
A livelihood is sustainable
present and future generations. Against this background, the Eco-DRR/
when it can cope with and
EbA approach comprises much more than just punctually preserving or
recover from stress and
restoring ecosystems or implementing ecological infrastructure to reduce
shocks and maintain or
disaster risks. Rather, the approach can be an essential component of
enhance its capabilities and
integrated land management with the overall goal to reduce disaster risk
assets both now and in the
and support sustainable development.
future, while not undermining
the natural resource base.” Eco-DRR strategies need to align with long-term development challenges,
such as poverty reduction and addressing unsustainable use of natural
Chambers and Conway, 1991,
quoted after UNISDR 2010
resources through sustainable livelihoods development. Demonstrating
short-term tangible benefits especially to local communities is critical
to win and maintain necessary engagement for sound environmental
management.
Nehren et al. (2016) identified several services from three coastal dune
systems in Chile, Java, Indonesia, and Vietnam, which, while serving
as a buffer against coastal hazards such as storms, storm surges and
tsunamis, directly contribute to local livelihoods through freshwater
provision, providing areas for tourism, recreation and leisure, plants and
animals, and several cultural services. These services depend on healthy
ecosystems. Therefore, the overexploitation of provisioning services by
mining and use of sand for construction as well as sealing of dune areas
for settlements and tourism facilities hamper sustainable development,
reduce the resilience of coastal communities, and increase disaster risk.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL TO

ADDRESSING THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE AND HAZARD EVENTS
There is overwhelming evidence that climate change has caused impacts
on natural and human systems and is expected to exacerbate certain
hazard occurrences (IPCC 2012). The linkages between environmental
management, climate change and hazards are two-pronged:
Hazard events and climate change impact ecosystems
Many terrestrial, marine and freshwater species have shifted their
geographic ranges and there is high “risk of loss of terrestrial and
inland water ecosystems, biodiversity, and the ecosystem goods,
functions, and services they provide for livelihoods” (IPCC 2014: 12).
Poor ecosystem health impacts the magnitude of a hazard event
and adaptability to climate change
Well-managed highly biodiverse ecosystems are more resilient to
climate-related risks and help people to maintain more assets needed
to make livelihoods sustainable and less vulnerable to climate change
(Elmqvist et al. 2003).

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 Principles of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation
06
Thus, restoring and conserving ecosystems can increase their resilience
and provide people with essential services as well as help people adapt to
climate change. Climate change may also make it necessary to manage
ecosystems to help them adapt to climate change, such as relocating
species or planting species that are suited to the new climate, especially
in ecosystems that are highly fragmented due to the current land use.

6. INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES INTO

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT REQUIRES MULTI-SECTORAL
AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION, WHILE ALSO
INVOLVING LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS IN DECISION-MAKING
Successful implementation of Eco-DRR/EbA needs multi-sectoral
cooperation and multi-disciplinary approaches and teams. It requires
involving people with different technical expertise and knowledge,
for instance city engineers and land developers working together with
ecologists and disaster management experts, as well as including those
with local or traditional/indigenous knowledge.
Establishing cross-sectoral, multi-disciplinary collaboration and building
on existing platforms facilitates sharing of available data, helps ensure
scientific and technical rigor in designing and implementing Eco-
DRR/EbA initiatives and obtaining the political support necessary to
integrate ecosystem-based approaches into national, regional, and local
development plans, while gaining stakeholder buy-in.
Understanding different local livelihoods needs and priorities, utilizing
local or traditional knowledge, and involving local stakeholders in decision-
making are critical for promoting risk reduction through sustainable
ecosystems management. Local communities are direct users of the
natural resources in their area and their knowledge of local ecosystems
should be used for planning of Eco-DRR/EbA initiatives. Raising the
awareness of local men and women by demonstrating the combined
livelihoods and risk reduction benefits of ecosystem management is
equally important in winning and sustaining local support.
Initiatives often fail when there is limited or lack of participation by local
stakeholders, which may include local government authorities, informal
leaders, women’s groups, community-based organizations and residents.
Identifying community actors, such as disaster management committees,
forest user associations, and farmers’ associations, who can become
advocates for Eco-DRR/EbA is essential. At the same time the cooperation
among local level and higher-level authorities (regional or national) is also
essential for long-term planning and implementation of measures.

7. ECO-DRR/EBA HAS LIMITATIONS AND NEEDS TO BE

COMBINED WITH OTHER RISK REDUCTION/ADAPTATION
STRATEGIES
Investing in ecosystems is not a single solution to risk reduction but
should be used in combination with other risk management measures.
In order to be effective, ecosystem-based approaches need to be based
on rigorous understanding of local ecological conditions, socio-cultural
and economic circumstances and livelihoods, existing hazards, and
technical requirements of the intervention. In some cases, ecosystem
thresholds may be surpassed depending on the type and intensity of the
hazard event and/or health status of the ecosystem, which may therefore

79
 be insufficient to provide adequate buffer against hazard impacts. For
instance, mangroves may not provide as much protection against
tsunamis as they would for storm surges (Spalding et al. 2014). Thus
promoting ecosystems management as the main risk reduction strategy
could provide a false sense of security. On the other hand, many structural
engineering works may also provide a sense of false security and there
are many examples of where populations have settled immediately behind
river dykes or sea walls and they have not sufficed to protect against
unpredictable extreme events. Moreover, ecosystem-based approaches
often require a lot of space/land which may not be available or practical
as for within a city landscape for example.
Sometimes combining ecosystems-based approaches with human-built
infrastructure (e.g. embankments) in a hybrid approach may be a good
way to provide protection of critical assets.
Strengthening early warning systems and disaster preparedness
measures remain paramount in saving lives and major assets and not to
be forgotten when there is a focus on ecosystem-based measures.

8. CHALLENGES
We also need to be aware of some of the challenges in implementing
Eco-DRR/EbA:
8.1 The protection capacity of ecosystems to hazard events

The protection capacity of ecosystems is difficult to quantify and

will depend on an ecosystem’s health and local parameters to resist
hazard events. For example, in general, vegetation on steep slopes will
be beneficial to reducing erosion rates and many shallow landslides
(Papathoma-Köhle and Glade 2013). However, trees that are too old and
heavy may actually even trigger landslides.
Mangroves may be useful for absorbing wave energy during a “10 year”
coastal storm event but depending on its width and health may not be
resistant to a “100 year” storm – while it has to be acknowledged that “100
year” storms could become future “10 year” storms due to climate change
impacts. Therefore, the use of green belts or other natural infrastructure
requires a more detailed study of local conditions to ensure the same
protection as engineered structures. Furthermore, engineered solutions
can often be more easily quantifiable. In the past decade, fortunately more
scientific studies have been undertaken to quantify protective ecosystem
services but more is needed.

structural engineering measures

Just as the protection capacity of ecosystems is difficult to measure and
compare with structural engineering measures, so is the overall economic
value of ecosystems. This makes it more difficult to conduct the classic
cost-benefit analyses most decision-makers use for making decisions
about which investments to make toward DRR or CCA. Therefore, more
similar economic valuation and cost-benefit studies and tools are required
which provide decision-makers with more readily available information.

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 Principles of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation
06
strategies and inter-agency cooperation
As Eco-DRR/EbA strategies are often only more cost effective over the
long term, they require considerable political will and long-term planning.
Such is the case in Switzerland, where investing in the management of its
protection forests is a national strategy that includes management plans
for the next fifty years and has with significant public support. Such long-
term planning or political will is not always easily obtained. Furthermore,
it requires intercommunal or even transboundary approaches. The forest
which protects some village in the Swiss Alps might belong to another
municipality, so long-term cooperation based on negotiations will be part
of the strategy.

6.3 Conclusions
This chapter provided core principles of Eco-DRR/EbA. Ecosystem-
based approaches are aligned with sustainable development, but it
requires a paradigm shift to start implementing these approaches more
fully, especially as they often demand an interdisciplinary, landscape
and multisectoral approach. Although these approaches are gaining
momentum and recognition, there is still a lack of knowledge and
willingness to invest in long-term prevention, including risk sensitive land
use management, ICZM, IWRM and other ecosystem-based approaches.
This is often due to a preference for immediate, structural engineering
approaches – which may be the most appropriate depending on the
situation – but may be costlier and offer fewer multiple benefits for
livelihoods over the long term. The following chapters will provide more
details and tools that can guide planning and implementation of Eco-
DRR/EbA. There has been much written on EbA and its planning and
implementation and we refer the reader to those sources.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
A landscape approach for disaster risk reduction in 7 steps:
https://www.wetlands.org/publications/landscape-approach-
disaster-risk-reduction-7-steps/
Mangrove restoration: to plant or not to plant’ has been
translated in 6 languages and there are more versions
in development:
https://www.wetlands.org/publications/mangrove-restoration-to-
plant-or-not-to-plant/
Adaptation community:
https://www.adaptationcommunity.net/ecosystem-based-
adaptation/international-eba-community-of-practice/

81
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Chapter 7
Principles of systems
thinking and using natural
systems for disaster risk
reduction and climate
change adaptation

Key questions
What are systems, and why is systems
thinking important?
What are landscape systems and how are
they linked to ecosystems and disasters?

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/UNEP

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 Principles of systems thinking and using natural systems for
disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation 07
7.1 Principles of systems thinking
Systems thinking emanated with the Greek philosopher and scientist
Aristotle (384-322 BC). He noticed that any kind of system, which can be
for instance biological, physical or economic, cannot be determined or
explained only by the sum of its components. Based on this observation
he defined the general principle of holism, which he published in his
classic work Metaphysics (original title: τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά): “The whole
is more than the sum of its parts.” From the early works of Aristotle and
other philosophers and scientists a whole discipline evolved: Systems
science, which studies the nature of systems. Today, systems thinking has
become increasingly important in many scientific fields, but also in almost
every area of daily life. We talk for instance about urban systems, traffic
systems, sanitation systems, agricultural systems, computer systems,
virtual systems, or ecosystems. But how can we define systems and the
principles of systems thinking? As usual there are numerous definitions
that slightly differ from each other.
Widely used is the one by Churchman (1968), according to who “a system
is a set of interacting or interdependent entities. These can be real or
abstract and form an integrated whole.” Systems are moreover defined by
elements and processes within a defined boundary and an exchange of
matter, energy, and information. And finally, systems have in common that
the behavior of elements at the micro level determines the characteristics
of the system as a whole. This is what we call emergence. Systems
thinking can be defined as the process of understanding how things,
regarded as systems, influence one another within a whole.
In thermodynamics we distinguish between three types of systems
(Figure 7.1):
1. An isolated system is one that does not have interactions beyond its
boundary layer. Such a system does not exist in nature but is used in
controlled laboratory experiments.
2. A closed system is a system that transfers energy across its boundary,
but no matter.
3. And finally an open system transfers both matter and energy across its
boundary to and from the surrounding environment.

Figure 7.1
Different types of systems.
Design: U.Nehren

85
Figure 7.2
Ecosystem hierarchies. The Ecosystems are open systems because communities of organisms
photo on the left shows a tropical
interact with each other and with their environment outside ecosystem
lowland rainforest in the central
Amazon basin of Brazil. Within boundaries. Within ecosystems, we find that there are hierarchies, or
the floodplains of these lowland smaller systems within larger systems, linked to each other within
complex functional networks. An example is the Amazon rainforest,
flooded riverine forests with distinct which is considered a huge ecosystem (Figure 7.2). However, within the
characteristics, such as the Igapó Amazon rainforest we find various types of smaller ecosystems that are
forest in the Rio Negro shown on determined by climatic, topographic, geological and other factors, such as
the photo in the middle. The water-
riverine forests or mountain forests.
right photo is a micro-ecosystem; At the very small scale, even some flowering species like bromeliads can be
these bromeliads grow as so called considered an ecosystem, as they provide self-containing microhabitats for
epiphytes on rainforest trees. aquatic insects, amphibians and even reptiles. Therefore, ecosystems are
© D. Sattler also nested systems (Figure 7.3). This means that different subsystems
interact within the boundary of a larger system, such as different smaller
forest ecosystems within the Amazon rainforest.

Figure 7.3
Nested Systems.
Design: S. Plog

Why is system thinking important?

Earlier in this book, we pointed out that we need to manage nature
sustainably in order to support human well-being, and in the long-term to
even assure our survival. But sound ecosystem management requires an
understanding of the complex nature–human interactions to make the
right decisions.
Thus thinking in terms of systems and developing models to explain reality
and consider dynamic processes is important. In 1845, the famous naturalist
and geographer Alexander von Humboldt published his five-volume work
“Kosmos” (Humboldt 1862), in which he tried to unify the knowledge of
various branches of scientific disciplines of his time, such as geography,
botany, anthropology, geology, and astronomy. His holistic studies, which
aimed at a very full explanation of the “unity of all nature”, were based on
observations and comprehensive measurements and resulted in
outstanding scientific works. His quantitative methodology with modern
instruments and techniques became known as “Humboldtian science.”

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 Principles of systems thinking and using natural systems for
disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation 07
While naturalists, like Alexander von Humboldt and Charles Darwin, had
a very comprehensive knowledge on various areas of natural sciences of
their epoch, today’s scientists often work on very specific questions within
highly specialized disciplines. However, holistic approaches in sciences
are not outdated. The integration of specialized scientific knowledge into
comprehensive scientific models is one of the challenges of modern
research on natural resources management. But unlike in Humboldt’s
time, today multidisciplinary teams of researchers work together and
share their knowledge and computers help them to integrate the growing
volume of data into more and more complex models. However, not only
researchers but also practitioners are facing the challenge of system
complexity. Here is an example.
As a result of historical deforestation and land use intensification, today
the Atlantic Forest biome is a highly fragmented landscape dominated
by pastures and agricultural lands (Nehren et al. 2013; Figure 7.4), where
forest remnants make up only 11.4-16.0% of the original forest cover
(Ribeiro 2009). Despite the very high forest losses and degradation of the
Atlantic Forest biome, the remaining forest patches are characterized by
outstandingly high biological diversity and rates of endemism (Galindo
Leal and Gusmão-Câmara 2003). Due to this biological richness and at
the same time ongoing threats from humans, the Atlantic Forest biome is
considered a so-called ‘biodiversity hotspot’ (Myers et al. 2000).

In the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro various initiatives have been taken Figure 7.4
to protect the remaining rainforest areas. However, at the same time The photo on the left shows
ongoing urban sprawl and infrastructural development leads to further an intact mountain rainforest
ecosystem in the Atlantic Forest of
forest fragmentation. This phenomenon occurs in many developing
Rio de Janeiro. Rainforests have
and emerging countries in particular close to economically growing been widely replaced by agricultural
metropolitan regions. and pasture systems and forest are
In terms of impact on ecosystem services, the undertaken forest reduced to small patches (photo in
conservation and reforestation measures to establish larger biological the middle). Deforestation in slope
positions has led to accelerated
corridors would have many benefits, such as improving regulating
soil erosion processes (photo on
services (e.g. slope stabilization, erosion control, flood control as well the right).
carbon storage and sequestration). Also, biodiversity conservation would © U. Nehren
be supported by establishing larger wildlife corridors and better habitat
networks. On the other hand, the areas of Rio de Janeiro state where such
forest conservation and reforestation measures could be implemented
are close/in rural areas which are dominated by livestock and agricultural
production systems. Furthermore, closer to the metropolitan region
(about 1-2 hours driving distance) we find intensive vegetable production
systems. As a result, in some regions ecosystem conservation goals
compete with food production. This is a challenge and also an opportunity
(Martinelli and Filoso 2009, Nehren et al. 2019).

87
 Indeed, replacing larger areas of agricultural and pasture land by natural
forests would affect the provisioning service of food production the region
needs. As a consequence, the following scenario is conceivable: Farmers
lose their main income source from intensive agricultural production
and without sufficient alternative income opportunities their livelihoods
would be negatively affected. Most probably some families would move
to nearby cities to find employment. In the cities they would have to find
living space and socialize in the new environment. At the same time, they
would lose part of their rural cultural identity.
Situations like this can be complex. Coming back to the systems
perspective, in this example, there are several interacting systems: forest
ecosystems, agricultural systems, social systems, economic systems and
cultural systems. These systems are highly interlinked, competing and
working together as well as being related to many other systems (e.g.
weather system, etc.) which are not explicitly mentioned. Even though it
is not possible to capture all systematic relationships, we should be aware
of the complexity and try to identify main cause-effect chains.
Thus, in thinking about undertaking reforestation in a specific context, it
is important to be aware of the possible impacts on agricultural systems
and rural livelihoods – with potential impacts even on larger scales – and
therefore carefully plan reforestation schemes, involve local stakeholders
and communities, balance with agricultural needs and choose the right
tree species. Furthermore, biodiversity and ecosystem processes need
to be thought through and thus avoid reforesting with monocultures at a
large scale, which may make the forest more susceptible to disease and
negatively affect local livelihoods.
Furthermore, there could be opportunities to combine ecosystem
conservation and restoration with sustaining or ideally improving livelihood
and reducing disaster risk. Alternative income possibilities could be
provided by the reforestation and ecosystem restoration and agroforestry
systems could be suitable to create livelihood opportunities while
providing protective services. Further considerations could be Payment for
Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes that could serve as incentive systems
offered to farmers or landowners for sustainably managing their land
and thereby contribute to improving watershed services and mitigating
climate change (Rodrigues Osuna et al. 2014). Overall it is important to
take care to not only protect the forest ecosystems as a natural system,
but also the socio-ecological system as a whole. If we ignore the systemic
relationships between the natural and human systems, the situation
could worsen.
Even small ecosystem features, such as in coastal dunes, mangroves,
seagrass beds, coral reefs, wetlands and protection forests, in a landscape
need to be considered and managed within the landscape as a whole –
including agricultural, forestry, urban, industrial and other strongly human-
impacted areas.

88
 Principles of systems thinking and using natural systems for
disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation 07
7.2 Landscape systems, ecosystems
and disasters
In geography and landscape ecology, the concept of landscape systems
is used as a theoretical framework to describe, analyze and manage
the environment. Landscape systems consist of natural subsystems.
According to Leser (1997) these are the so called “geoecofactors” climate,
relief, rock and water as well as the “bioecofactors” vegetation and fauna.
Soil represents an intermediate category, as soils are made of biotic
and abiotic compounds. Human systems interact with these natural
subsystems and have a fundamental impact on landscape development
(Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.5
Conceptual model of a landscape
system (based on Leser 1997,
modified by Nehren 2008;
Design: S. Plog)

Time scales and spatial scales are important for these landscape
features. Thus, when we take land management decisions, for instance
to reduce disaster risk, time scales and spatial scales need to be taken
into account. Spatial scales can be categorized as global, macro, meso
and micro scales. Climate change, for instance, is a phenomenon at global
scale, while transboundary flood risk management in a large watershed
such as the Nile River belongs to the macro scale. Examples of the meso
scale are the management of mangroves and coastal dunes in a district
or community, while the stabilization of a slope represents the micro
scale. However, be aware that a clear distinction between the scales is
not always possible. Time scale is very important to think about, especially
when considering management for the provision of certain services. It can
take time for a newly planted forest to mature enough to be a protective
feature in a landscape and to provide other ecosystem services.

89
 7.3 Conclusions
Both the ecosystem and the landscape approach are very useful for Eco-
DRR and EbA. Ecologists or biologists tend to use ecosystems because
they focus on the biological components of the system. Their conceptual
models are around these ecosystemic integrations and thus talk about
“agro-ecosystems” or “urban ecosystems” and their emphasis is on
ecological patterns and processes. In contrast, the landscape approach
puts stronger emphasis on the abiotic components and the human-nature
interactions within the systems. Therefore, the landscape approach is
very helpful for spatial planning. Moreover, it is very useful when we for
instance plan a slope stabilization measure. Here we have to consider the
geological subsurface, soils, water, topographical conditions, and affected
settlements and infrastructure, in addition to the type of forest cover.
Moreover, it is important to remember that landscapes are open systems,
which usually do not have clearly defined boundaries. Therefore, often
other physical units are used when it comes to management decisions. For
water management issues for instance, watersheds or catchment areas
are used as clearly definable geo-hydrological units. But if we consider
managing a mountain forest for conservation purposes, we would rather
consider the forest cover and elevation to define a landscape boundary.
However, political decisions related to natural resources management are
mainly taken based on administrative units, usually defined by national,
federal state, province, district, and community boundaries. To manage
watersheds or conservation corridors for DRR, it is sometimes therefore
necessary to cooperate across administrative borders.

90
 Principles of systems thinking and using natural systems for
disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation 07
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Aristotle (1924). Metaphysics. 2 vols. Ross, W. D. (ed.). Nehren, U., Kirchner, A., Sattler, D., Turetta A. and Heinrich,
Oxford: Clarendon Press. J. (2013). Impact of natural climate change and historical
land use on landscape development in the Atlantic Forest of
West Churchman, C. (1968). The Systems Approach. New
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Anais Academia Brasileira de Ciências
York: Dell Publishing.
85(2), 497-518. DOI: 10.1590/S0001-37652013000200004.
Galindo Leal, C. and de Gusmão-Câmara, I. (2003). The
Nehren, U., Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Sandholz, S., Estrella, M.,
Atlantic Forest of South America: Biodiversity Status, Threats,
Lomarda, M. and Guillén, T. (2014). The Ecosystem-based
and Outlook (State of the Hotspots, Book 1). Washington
Disaster Risk Reduction Case Study and Exercise Source
DC: Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation
Book. Cologne/Geneva: Center for Natural Resources and
International.
Development and the Partnership for Environment and
Humboldt, A.V. (1845-1862). Kosmos. Entwurf einer Disaster Risk Reduction. https://www.preventionweb.net/
physischen Weltbeschreibung. http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/ publications/view/54582 Accessed 25 July 2019.
autor/alexander-von-humboldt-294. Accessed 25 July 2019.
Nehren, U., Schlüter, S., Raedig, C., Sattler, D. and Hissa, H.
Leser, H. (1997). Landschaftsökologie, 4th edition. Stuttgart: (2019). Strategies and Tools for a Sustainable Rural Rio de
Eugen Ulmer. Janeiro. Springer Series on Environmental Management.
Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Martinelli, L.A. and Filoso, S. (2009). Balance between food
production, biodiversity and ecosystem services in Brazil: Ribeiro, M., Metzger, J. P., Camargo Martensen, A., Ponzoni,
a challenge and an opportunity. Biota Neotrop, 9(4). DOI: F. J. and Hirota, M. M. (2009). The Brazilian Atlantic
10.1590/S1676-06032009000400001. Forest: How much is left, and how is the remaining forest
distributed? Implications for conservation. Biological
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca,
Conservation, 142(6), 1141-1153. DOI: 10.1016/j.
G.A.B. and Kents, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for
biocon.2009.02.021.
conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853–858. DOI:
10.1038/35002501. Rodríguez Osuna, V., Börner, J., Nehren, U., Bardy, R., Gaese,
H. and Heinrich, J. (2014). Priority areas for watershed
Nehren, U. (2008).
service conservation in the Guapi-Macacu region of Rio de
historische –degradation in der Serra dos Órgãos, Rio de
Janeiro, Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Ecological Processes, 3(16),
Janeiro. PhD thesis, Faculty of Physics and Geosciences,
1-22. DOI: 10.1186/s13717-014-0016-7.
University Leipzig.

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Chapter 8
Managing resilience
and transformation

Key questions
Why has resilience to disasters and
adaptation become such a popular term?
What is the link between resilience,
DRR and CCA?

© UNEP

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 Managing resilience and transformation
08
8.1 Resilience a key concept DEFINITION: RESILIENCE
Resilience is a central term in the post-2015 Sustainable Development “The capacity of social,
Agenda and the SFDRR. Resilience is at the heart of a debate about how economic and environmental
best to encourage governments, civil society and the private sector to systems to cope with
invest in DRR measures. Humanitarian and development agencies are a hazardous event or
finding their mandates further blurred: should humanitarian agencies trend or disturbance,
focus mainly on the post-disaster phase and should development agencies responding or reorganizing
focus mainly on prevention? In parallel, there is considerable debate about in ways that maintain their
how to integrate DRR with CCA and more effectively mainstream these into essential function, identity
development activities. The concept of resilience presents an opportunity and structure, while also
to strengthen coherence between the humanitarian, climate change, DRR maintaining the capacity
and sustainable development agendas. Moreover, resilience has become for adaptation, learning and
an attractive concept because of its more positive connotations that focus transformation”
on enhancing local capacities and adaptation potential than the negative IPCC 2014, building from the
connotations attributed to vulnerability and risk reduction. definition used in Arctic Council, 2013

However, despite its increased popularity in international discourse, there “The ability of a system,
is limited theoretical understanding and multiple, often contradictory community or society
definitions of resilience – for example even IPCC and UNDRR use different exposed to hazards to resist,
definitions. Taking a more detailed look at the different documents of the absorb, accommodate,
post-2015 Agenda it is surprising that despite using the term all over, adapt to, transform and
only the SFDRR gives a definition for resilience, while neither the Paris recover from the effects
Agreement nor the SDGs do. In operational terms, due to the complexity of of a hazard in a timely and
the concept of resilience, a main challenge is determining which indicators
should be used, and how to measure them in order to inform DRR policies. through the preservation and
Nonetheless, resilience has become the new goal of many international restoration of its essential
and national development policies, with little guidance or benchmarks that basic structures and functions
describe what resilience is, how to increase it, or when resilience has been through risk management.”
achieved (Sudmeier-Rieux, 2014). This chapter explores ‘resilience’ and its
UNISDR 2017
inputs to the international discourse in the fields of DRR and CCA and what
are the links between resilience, DRR and ecosystem-based approaches.
Originating in engineering sciences in the 19th century, the term was later
popularized by ecological sciences and child psychology before becoming
popular in literature on climate change and disaster management, with
UNDRR including it in its mandate since 2005: “to increase the resilience
of nations and communities to disaster risk”.
As can be seen by the definitions of UNDRR and IPCC, quite a few elements
are thought to compose resilience: “bounce-back”, “resourcefulness”,
“absorb”, “retain function, identity and structure” and “adaptation, learning
and transformation”. Some of these elements, such as the last two
mentioned can seem at first glance contradictory.
In systems sciences, resilience is: “the ability of a system to withstand
a major disruption within acceptable degradation parameters and to
recover within an acceptable time and composite costs and risks” (Haimes
2009). According to systems thinking, other characteristics of resilience
include robustness, which refers to the degree of insensitivity of a
system to perturbations, and redundancy, which refers to the ability
of certain components of a system to assume the functions of failed
components without adversely affecting the performance of the system
itself (Haimes 2009).

93
 In building engineering, seismic resilience of buildings is part of a
system which has:
1. Reduced failure probabilities;
2. Reduced consequences from failures in terms of lives lost,
damage, and negative economic and social consequences;
3. Reduced time to recovery.
(Bruneau and Reinhorn 2006, as quoted by Bahadur et al. 2010).

Tierney and Bruneau (2007) use the “R4 Framework”, which describes
resilience as:
Robustness
The ability of systems and other units of analysis to withstand disaster
forces without significant degradation or loss of performance.
Redundancy
The extent to which systems or other units are substitutable if significant
degradation or loss of functionality occurs.
Resourcefulness
The ability to diagnose and prioritize problems and initiate solutions by
mobilizing material: monetary, informational, technological and human
resources.
Rapidity
The capacity to restore functionality in a timely way, containing losses and
avoiding disruptions. (Modified from Tierney and Bruneau 2007)
Figure 8.1 illustrates the resilience triangle (Tierney and Bruneau 2007).
It depicts a disturbance at t0 followed by a certain time of recovery (t).
One example can be a bridge which fails during an earthquake. In this
illustration, resilience can thus be the time and cost for reconstructing
the bridge.

Figure 8.1
The Resilience triangle as a function
of quality of infrastructure and time.
Modified from Tierney and
Bruneau 2007. Redrawn by L. Monk

In economics, resilience refers to the inherent ability and adaptive

responses of systems that enable them to avoid potential losses (Rose
2007). Increasingly, also social aspects of resilience are emphasized.
Thus, the concept of resilience can be seen as having different facets to it,
while incorporating timeframes of during and after a disturbance.

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 Managing resilience and transformation
08
8.2 Resilience, disaster risk and climate
change adaptation
When defined in the narrower sense of “returning to a normal state”,
resilience parallels coping capacities or recovery strategies for dealing with
shock and adversity, rather than favouring long-term capacity building and
reducing underlying vulnerabilities. Adaptation can be seen as a longer-
term process of slowing adjusting and changing to the conditions, while
coping is usually considered a short-term strategy for dealing with stress
or a shock. Both require making adjustments to systems, (i.e. livelihoods),
based on decisions and choices following an appraisal of events and
possible outcomes or consequences.
Thus resilience, when thought only as coping, is similar to adaptation but
also different. In this conceptual framing, it is also possible to be resilient
to change in a harmful way; i.e. coping with shocks and stressors but
ultimately staying stuck in a way of doing things. Adaptation requires
learning and change, or at least adjusting to a certain extent.
There are many examples this harmful state of “resilience”, of highly
“resilient” populations around the world, living in harsh environments and
often subjected to small and large shocks, such as flooding as well as
from everyday economic and health issues. These populations often have
a high capacity to “bounce back”. Consider the example given in chapter
2 from Nepal. Here the people built very simple houses in the floodplain,
which floods every year (Figure 8.2, 8.3).
These people can be considered highly resilient because they are used
to rebuilding their houses and recover after frequent small flooding.
However, they remain highly at risk of a large and dangerous flooding as N

well as other risks, such as epidemics.

N N
POTEN TIAL FLOOD AREA
Figure 8.2 Figure 8.3
Vulnerable house in Nepal.
© K. Sudmeier-Rieux Above: Seuti Khola River, Dharan
Nepal in 2004;
Below: Seuti Khola River, Dharan
Nepal in 2009.
Credit S. Plog

95
Figure 8.4
Bamiyan, Afghanistan.
Let’s take another example from Bamiyan Province in Afghanistan
© UNEP
(Figure 8.4). People have lived in the valleys of these high mountains
for centuries and have developed strategies for coping with extreme
winters and flash floods during springtime. If we follow the most common
definition of resilience, “bouncing back”, we can say that these populations
are highly resilient. But these people continue to live in places at high risk
from mountain hazards, with everyday economic and health challenges.
As a result, their high capacity to rebounce to the “normal state” does not
necessarily mean they are able to lower their risks.
The bottom-line issue and main criticism of the concept of resilience
to disasters is that communities at subsistence level have very low
marginal capacities to deal with shocks, and their thresholds leading to
a non-functioning state may be easily transgressed. For marginalized
populations, the “normal state” is thus not necessarily the desired state
and cannot be addressed through emergency measures but rather
through long-term development interventions. Thus, resilience as
defined as the capacity to recover to the normal state does not suffice to
reduce underlying risk factors, or vulnerabilities to disasters or climate
change impacts (Sudmeier-Rieux, 2014).

FROM BOUNCING BACK TO BOUNCING FORWARD:

TRANSFORMATIONAL RESILIENCE
In recognizing that “bouncing back” does not take into account that
disasters are accompanied by change, Manyena et al. (2011) offer
an alternative definition: “the ability to bounce forward following a
disaster”, which could also be described as “positive transformation” of
a community, or system. If mainstream resilience definitions represent
more conservative notions of maintaining stability or the status quo, then
“transformability” is a more appropriate notion for addressing underlying
risk factors and engaging in new development pathways, which include
disaster prevention and vulnerability reduction measures. The IPCC
definition of resilience, which is influenced by the CCA process, also
aims to reflect partially this need to “bounce forward”, by recognising the
processes of “adaptation, learning and transformation”.

96
 Managing resilience and transformation
08
Nevertheless, resilience as a conceptual “bouncing forward” changes the
original meaning of resilience but it provides the promise of a framework
against which disaster prevention and post-disaster measures should be
undertaken. Seeing resilience in this light is a paradigm shift, which mirrors
the process required of addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability
as well as improving capacities to recover after a disaster.
Figure 8.5 illustrates different types of resilience along a time scale.
During this time scale, there are various shocks or levels of stress
with different responses and types of resilience: recovery (or passive
resilience), adaptation and transformation. The figure uses a simple ball
and curve figure to illustrate differences between these different types. In
recovery the ball bounces back, in adaptation the curve moves outward,
in transformation, the ball moves to a higher state. Chelleri et al. (2015)
assign recovery to the engineering definition of resilience, adaptation and
transformation to a socio-ecological definition of resilience.

Figure 8.5
Types of resilience according to
In this light, proponents of transformative resilience argue that it can different schools of thought and
provide a common platform for addressing DRR, adaptation and poverty in various stages.
reduction, moving away from hazard-oriented, technology-driven DRR © Chelleri et al. 2015. Redrawn by
that is the current norm. According to this viewpoint, it has the potential L. Monk
to bring about more systemic approaches to DRR and understanding
of complex systems while offering a stronger entry point for critical
long-term but neglected aspects of DRR and CCA, such as ecosystem-
based approaches.

97
 8.3 Conclusions
Resilience in its traditional definition as “returning to a normal state”
(or passive resilience) may be a useful concept to describe a more efficient
recovery process after a crisis as one step in the disaster management
cycle, but will not necessarily change population’s everyday risks, well-
being, and sustainability or reduce vulnerability in the long run. In other
words, a population can be vulnerable and at risk, while simultaneously
resilient. Looking towards a concept of transformative resilience can
aid move towards the needed paradigm shift required to deal with the
challenges of climate change and disaster risk. Thus, in spite of several
caveats of how it is understood and depending on whether it is considered
as passive or transformative, the concept of resilience can be a useful
bridge between DRR and CCA. Furthermore, resilience is a key concept
for ecosystem-based approaches because ecosystems and socio-
ecological systems operate along these scales of recovery, adaptation
and transformation. Understanding these complex processes is difficult
but necessary when working on a system level.
One main challenge is the operationalisation of the resilience concept
for DRR and CCA. Notwithstanding the choice of definitions, assessing
and measuring resilience remains a difficulty. If one sees resilience as a
capacity rather than an outcome, then the picture might become slightly
easier (FSIN Resilience Measurement Technical Working Group 2014) but
nevertheless, multiple indicators at different levels will be required. These
issues will be further considered in Chapter 17.

98
 Managing resilience and transformation
08
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Bahadur, A., Ibrahim, M. and Tanner, T. (2010). The Technical Series 1. http://www.fsincop.net/fileadmin/user_
Resilience Renaissance? Unpacking of resilience for upload/fsin/docs/resources/FSIN_29jan_WEB_medium%20
tackling climate change and disasters. Strengthening res.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
Climate Resilience Discussion Paper 1. Brighton: Institute
Manyena, S.B., O’Brien, G. O’Keefe, P. and Rose, J.
of Development Studies. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/
(2011). Disaster resilience: a bounce back or bounce
opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/2368/The%20
forward ability? Local Environment, 16(5), 417-424. DOI:
resilience%20renaissance.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
10.1080/13549839.2011.583049.
Accessed 25 July 2019.
Mitchell, T. and Harris, K. (2012). Background Note.
Bruneau, M. and Reinhorn, A. (2006). Overview of the
Resilience: A risk management approach. London: Overseas
Resilience Concept. Paper No. 2040. 8th U.S. National
Development Institute. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.
Conference on Earthquake Engineering. San Francisco,
uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/7552.pdf
California, 18-22 April 2006. https://www.eng.buffalo.
Accessed 25 July 2019.
edu/~bruneau/8NCEE-Bruneau%20Reinhorn%20Resilience.
pdf Accessed 25 July 2019. Poulsen, L. (2013). Costs and Benefits of Policies and
Practices Addressing Land Degradation and Drought in the
Chelleri, L., Waters J.J., Olazabal, M. and Minucci, G. (2015).
Drylands. White Paper II.
Resilience trade-offs: addressing multi-scale and temporal
aspects of urban resilience. Environment and Urbanization,
management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry
27(1), 181-197. DOI: 10.1177/0956247814550780.
sub-humid areas. Bonn, 9-12 April 2013. Bonn: UNCCD
IPCC (2014). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change Secretariat. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global content/documents/888White_Paper_2.pdf Accessed
and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to 25 July 2019.
the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
Rose, A. (2007). Economic resilience to natural and man-
on Climate Change. Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken,
made disasters: Multidisciplinary origins and contextual
K.J. Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L.
dimensions. Environmental Hazards, 7(4), 383-398. DOI:
Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N.
10.1016/j.envhaz.2007.10.001.
Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White
(eds.). Cambridge/New York, NY: Cambridge University Sudmeier-Rieux, K. (2014) Resilience – an emerging
Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/ paradigm of danger or of hope? Disaster Prevention and
ar5_wgII_spm_en-1.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019. Management, Volume 23, issue 1.
Haimes, Y. (2009). On the Definition of Resilience in Tierney, K. and Bruneau, M. (2007). Conceptualizing and
Systems. Risk Analysis, 29(4), 498-501. DOI: 10.1111/j.1539- Measuring Resilience, A Key to Disaster Loss Reduction.
6924.2009.01216.x. TR News, 250, 14-17. Washington, D.C.: Transportation
Research Board of the National Academies. http://
Frankenberger, T., Spangler, T., Nelson, S. and Langworthy,
onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews250_p14-17.
M. (2012). Discussion Paper. Enhancing Resilience to Food
pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
Security Shocks in Africa. Discussion Paper. https://www.
fsnnetwork.org/sites/default/files/discussion_paper_usaid_ UNISDR (2017). Disaster terminology. http://www.unisdr.
dfid_wb_nov._8_2012.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019. org/we/inform/terminology Accessed 25 July 2019.
FSIN Resilience Measurement Technical Working Group
(2014). Techical Series No. 1. Resilience measurement
principles: towards an agenda for measurement design.

99
Chapter 9
Ecosystems management
contributions pre- and
post-disasters

Key questions
How can ecosystem management support
different disaster phases?
How can gender considerations be taken
into account pre- to post-disaster?

© Bhushan Thimla, UNEP

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
9.1 Ecosystem management and the
disaster management phases
We start by questioning the dominant view of disaster management
(Figure 9.1), where the hazard event is the trigger for the post-disaster
emergency responses, the recovery and reconstruction phase. The
disaster management phase then returns to the pre-disaster phase which
includes disaster mitigation and disaster preparedness activities.

Figure 9.1
Disaster management cycle

In this predominant situation, the emphasis and most budgets are placed
in the post-disaster phase and on pre-disaster preparedness activities,
such as early warning systems or emergency preparedness. This is how
disasters have been most commonly managed. Over the past decade this
notion has been challenged by NGOs, development- and UN agencies,
such as UNDRR, which are advocating for a paradigm shift towards disaster
prevention through long-term planning and investments in reducing
underlying risk factors in order to reduce hazard impacts (Figure 9.2).
Here the emphasis is on reducing disaster risks through investments
in poverty reduction, risk-sensitive land-use planning, and sustainable
development, rather than just managing risks as in the old paradigm.

Figure 9.2
Disaster risk reduction spiral.
Source: Modified from Tony Lloyd-
Jones (editor), Max Lock Centre,
University of Westminster, 2009.
Redrawing by: S. Plog

101
 Ecosystem-based activities can be implemented at all stages of the DRR
spiral from the early stages after a hazard event, through reconstruction,
mitigation and especially in the prevention phases. Table 9.1 shows
the four main phases of the DRR spiral along with the main ecosystem
management component.
This chapter will go through the different phases of the DRR spiral and
will explore different options for including ecosystem-based activities as
part of a more comprehensive DRR portfolio of activities alongside more
“classical” DRR activities.
In addition, the gender lense will be included because experience and
data from around the world have shown that women can play a critical
role in protecting the environment as they find source of sustenance –
such as water, firewood, fodder, medicinal plants, forest products and
nature-friendly agricultural practices – in a healthy environment. Often
women have been called ‘stewards of natural environment conservation’
because they have a wealth of knowledge to protect, conserve, and
regenerate natural resources. Thus, examples of women’s activities that
are invaluable for DRR will be given. We will examine at the roles women
can and do play in the disaster risk reduction cycle – including during an
emergency, recovery, reconstruction, and preparedness and prevention.
This will help inform future strategies for including women in all stages
of Eco-DRR.

9.2 Ecosystem management and post-

disaster recovery
PHASE I. RELIEF
The main objective of the relief phase, which takes place during and
immediately after a hazard event, is to save lives (Figure 9.3). Main actors
are usually neighbours, community members and, when available, local
fire brigades, search and rescue teams, or national armies.
The relief phase is most effective when there are existing contingency
plans, frequent rescue and emergency drills and well established
evacuation plans. Since the main focus is on saving lives, there may
be little time to include environmental considerations, other than basic
considerations to avoid pollution of water sources or dumping waste
materials in waterways. Environmental contingency plans may be part of
relief training. Services of ecosystems, such as provision of construction
material, fire wood, food, etc., can be used. Green open spaces can be
used for temporary shelters (camps).
When hazardous materials are released during a disaster, such as oil spills
or ground water pollution, we call this an environmental emergency. Such
emergencies must be dealt with proper techniques that go beyond the
scope of Eco-DRR/EbA.
Rather than being people who need to be helped, women can become
helpers when emergency strikes. This shift can happen through long-term
activities that empower women and training to respond to disasters. This
can be more effective than top-down approaches where women do not
have information and cannot take decisions to respond appropriately
to disasters. Research conducted in Papua New Guinea by Mercer et
al. (2008) highlights the need for more participatory approaches. They
discuss response of the Singas villagers who were asked by disaster
officials to move from river banks to higher grounds to solve their problem

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
TIME FRAME AFTER MAIN ECOSYSTEM-MANAGEMENT
HAZARD EVENT OBJECTIVES ACTIONS COMPONENT
PHASE I. RELIEF
Hours to Save lives Search and rescue, Avoiding dumping of hazardous materials in
days after emergency skills environmentally-sensitive areas or habitats;
possible use of provisioning services from
ecosystems (food, wood, shelter, etc.)
PHASE II. EARLY RECOVERY/TRANSITION
Days to Secure livelihoods Temporary shelters, Rapid environmental assessments, sourcing
months after provision of basic services of sustainable materials for recovery, waste
e.g. water, food management
PHASE III. RECONSTRUCTION
Months to Reconstruct Reconstruction/ Environmentally sensitive reconstruction,
years after livelihoods provision of housing and sustainable materials sourcing, improved
infrastructure, job creation waste management, ecosystem restoration,
green infrastructure and improved
ecosystem management for DRR
PHASE IV. PREVENTION a) Risk and vulnerability assessments
Continuously Analyse and Hazard and exposure Combined ecosystem mapping with risk/
updated assess risk mapping, vulnerability hazard mapping
assessments, risk
mapping
PHASE IV. PREVENTION b) Development planning and risk reduction
Continuous Hazard, Risk sensitive land use Ecosystem and land management plans,
process, on regular vulnerability and planning, based on ecosystem protection and restoration
intervals exposure reduction assessments included in planning and zoning
PHASE IV. PREVENTION c) Preparedness
Continuously Increase readiness Creation and maintenance Including ecosystems in environmental
updated for future hazard of early warning systems, emergency preparedness programmes
events evacuation plans

Table 9.1
The four main phases of the DRR spiral. Credit: Authors

Figure 9.3
Collapsed supermarket in
Haiti during earthquake of
12 January 2010.
© UNEP

103
 of flooding. While the villagers did not contest this, they had no intention
of complying with these top-down instructions because their livelihood
depended on the river ecosystem. Participatory approaches enable those
at the are directly affected by the hazard concerned to be involved at all
points, including arriving at emergency strategies (Mercer et al. 2008).

PHASE II. EARLY RECOVERY

The main objective of the early recovery stage is to secure livelihoods,
return to «normal life», find missing persons and belongings, clean debris
and establish temporary shelters, secure food and water supplies (Figure
9.4). This phase takes place days to weeks or months after a hazard
event. Main actors involved are usually neighbours, community members,
civil protection, humanitarian agencies and NGOs. This phase is most
effective when there are already existing contingency recovery plans.
Figure 9.4.
Looking for valuables after 2010
Haiti earthquake.
© UNEP Haiti

Some of the biggest challenges of the early recovery stage include:

Location of temporary settlements
Pollution of drinking water by human waste
Waste management and sanitation issues
Environmental considerations are possible and should be taken into
account during the early recovery phase. They should include the basic
principle “do no harm”, which means avoiding actions that may be
damaging to lives and livelihoods in the long run.
Inappropriate location of temporary settlements and lack of sanitation
can easily lead to water pollution and thus to long-term environmental
and human-social problems. Location of temporary shelters near animal
pathways can lead to dangerous human-animal conflicts.
Other environmental recommendations include:
Keeping sources of contamination away from water sources
Avoid dumping debris in waterways that may cause
flooding/pollution
Careful management of water and sanitation are key to
preventing diseases

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
Women’s leadership often emerges when communities struggle to recover
after a disaster. Enarson and Morrow (1998) document how a Women will
Rebuild coalition was formed in Miami after being hit by Hurricane Andrew
in 1992, which was successful in “achieving visibility for women’s needs in
disaster, influencing the distribution of relief funds, and challenging male
power structures, including control over post-disaster reconstruction”
(Enarson and Morrow 1998: 178). Examples from Nepal in the aftermath
of the 2015 Earthquake also show how women’s organizations have been
instrumental in the recovery process and reaffirm that disaster recovery
efforts can also be a time for challenging and resetting gender relations.
In Nepal, restrictive social norms limited the access of single/widowed
women to post-disaster recovery efforts. The period of mourning for
13 days after death of the husband when women were restricted from
touching anyone or eating anything restricted their ability to meet their
needs (Mawby and Applebaum 2018: 17). In many instances, Nepali men
were absent in the communities because they were outside the country
for work, had been participating in the civil war, or killed in the conflict.
This meant women had to take responsibility for recovery efforts. This
was the context that Nepali women’s civil society organisations (CSOs)
stepped in, and in doing so, “the work of women’s CSOs helped create a
stronger recovery that more thoroughly addressed the needs of Nepali
communities. A more robust societal recovery helps reduce future
instability and advancing the status of women and enabling their full
participation can yield a stronger response to multi-layered instability.”
(Mawby and Applebaum 2018:19).
Indeed, as UNDP et al. (2010) note, it is important to address gender
inequalities in recovery efforts and long-term development strategies so
that they are not perpetuated leading to the same vulnerabilities in the future
too. This requires a “holistic approach that engages all recovery actors and
embeds gender in all disaster recovery planning activities, from reviewing
national policies to post-disaster evaluations” (UNDP et al. 2010: 10).

PHASE III. RECONSTRUCTION

This phase usually takes place months to years after a hazard event and
involves returning livelihoods to «normal» or better than before, rebuilding
houses, infrastructure, and businesses. Main actors are neighbours and
communities, government, humanitarian and development agencies and
the private sector. This phase is much more effective where there are
reconstruction plans and guidelines for building back better and greener
(Figure 9.5).

Figure 9.5
Haiti post hurricane Matthew 2016.
© UNEP

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 Challenges during the reconstruction phase:
Location and proper planning of reconstructed housing
Unsustainable sourcing of construction materials
Proper infrastructure planning, e.g. water supply or road access
Waste and debris management
Cleaning up in sustainable way
Including ecosystems in reconstruction plans to reduce future risks
Environmental considerations should be carefully included in this phase as
building back better and greener is possible in most cases. The potential
of ecosystem restoration and creating green infrastructure for DRR should
be considered as well. In many cases, it may be necessary to relocate
settlements if they were constructed in inappropriate locations away from
hazard-prone areas. It is necessary to avoid sourcing building materials
from unsustainable sources, for instance excavating sand from dunes
on coasts or taking down forests on steep slopes, which could degrade
natural protection functions and thus increase vulnerability of already
affected populations to future hazard events.
Also, production processes for building materials that might harm the
environment should be avoided or improved. Sustainable waste and
debris management continue to offer challenges as well as ensuring that
the clean-up process does not cause long-term damage. For example, in
Sri Lanka, following the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, the beach clean-up
created more damage than the hazard event itself, because the clean-up
led to the spread of invasive species (Sudmeier-Rieux et al. 2013).
Post-disaster efforts may also reinforce social and gender inequalities
in many ways “by distributing resources to male head of households,
by provisioning traditional male occupations, ignoring women’s small
enterprises, by seeking support and decision making only from make
leaders” (Drolet et al. 2015: 438). Most Post Disaster Needs Assessment
would include chapters on gender in recovery and reconstruction, usually
gender would be considered a cross-cutting topic affecting any other
sector investigated (Hinzpeter and Sandholz 2018).
Women and men’s contribution in the reconstruction phase may be
different depending on the social context. Women may do more work
relating to water and food provision and care jobs within the household.
They may also be actively involved in rebuilding efforts and agricultural
work that were considered ‘men’s work’. For example, in Pakistan, although
many women in affected communities abided by strict laws regarding
social interaction outside the household, the post-disaster recovery efforts
saw them involving in labour outside home, alongside men (Drolet et al.
2015). They also note that “Living in poverty as part of a marginalised
group creates few opportunities to build up the resources needed to fall
back on at a time of disaster. Social protection initiatives that provide
access to essential services and income, including protection from the
risks of disasters, is a universal human right and contributes to building
resilience by improving economic security, health, and well-being” (Drolet
et al. 2015:445). Therefore, it is important that women and all affected
people and groups are involved in decision-making in the post-disaster
reconstruction planning. The long-term challenge is to build sustainable
livelihoods. Example of a similar intervention by an NGO called Pattan
drawing from a UN study is included below.

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
Gender-sensitive reconstruction efforts in Pakistan
Pattan, an NGO with a long history in trained female staff to ensure women’s
development and disaster assistance, began needs were assessed and addressed. The
work with flood-affected communities in forums also offered gender training for its
40 Pakistani villages in 1992. Pattan staff staff and analyzed the gender impact of all
identified weaknesses in flood mitigation of its programs. Women were responsible
and preparedness programs, including for distributing food, and households
an inadequate warning system, absence were registered in women’s names during
of community organizations, lack of distributions to ensure female-headed
community participation in flood response, households and women in polygamous
and failure to recognize how disasters affect households received assistance.
women and men differently. Pattan set out Pattan also involved women in housing
to improve community flood response by reconstruction. Traditionally, the house of a
integrating disaster reduction strategies married couple was owned by the husband.
into development policies and projects However, Pattan persuaded communities
and incorporating a carefully thought- to register houses constructed with project
out gender perspective into its disaster funds in the names of both wives and
response program. Pattan began by husbands. Before construction began,
organizing forums to encourage community couples signed a contract stipulating that, in
participation in projects addressing disaster the event of divorce or separation, whoever
preparedness, response, and recovery. remained in the house had to pay half its
However, the practice of sex segregation value to the former spouse. Interviews with
prevented women from joining the forums the women revealed that home ownership
in most villages. Women asked that Pattan had dramatically increased women’s status
organize parallel women’s forums. These in their families and communities and
forums soon became the primary vehicle for increased their participation in decision-
women’s representation and participation making processes.
in disaster assistance projects. Male Adapted from Swoebel (2000) Unsung Heroines:
staff could not interact with women in Women and Natural Disasters Gender Matters,
Information Bulletin No. 8, US Agency for
the community, so Pattan recruited and International Development.

9.3 Ecosystem management and

disaster prevention
The previous stages described belong to various states of the post-
disaster management cycle. The pre-disaster, prevention phase should
be a continuous process throughout disaster management, which
unfortunately often only receives higher priority once a disaster has
struck, causing governments and NGOs to take up disaster prevention
with more urgency.

PHASE IV. PREVENTION

Prevention is multi-faceted, involves several elements and can include
both structural and non-structural measures. This section will consider
the following elements in disaster prevention:
Preparedness
Early warning, emergency drills and evacuation
Risk and vulnerability assessment
Analyze and assess risk for prevention
Development and long-term risk reduction
Planning procedures and ecosystem management to reduce vulnerability
and exposure and increase resilience

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 Although gender is often not seen as important to factor in while making
disaster plans, the recognition of specific conditions that make women
vulnerable necessitates that gender be especially considered in disaster
prevention and preparedness strategies. Myers (1994: 15–16) elaborates
on how gender can be incorporated into the components of disaster
prevention and preparedness (see Table 9.2).

Table 9.2 DISASTER

Gender concerns to be addressed GENDER CONCERNS
PREPAREDNESS
at various stages of disaster SPECIFIC TO THE ACTIVITY
ACTIVITIES
preparedness activities.
Adapted from Myers 1994 Including and appropriately targeting women
raising in educational campaigns designed to prepare
populations for disasters
Tapping women’s talents as informal educators
Taking into account women’s heavy domestic
workloads when designing training schemes
Assessing Considering how women might be vulnerable
vulnerabilities within the high-risk communities identified
Hazard mapping Taking into account indicators based on women’s
needs and coping strategies
Listening to women at the grassroots level
Provision of Disaggregating vulnerable population at the
baseline information minimum by sex
Establishment Using appropriate media to ensure you are
reaching all sectors of the population, especially
systems women and children
Ensuring women can take part in rehearsals
Practice of Ensuring women can take part in rehearsals
emergency drills Planning drills keeping women’s domestic time
tables in mind
Realistically simulating cultural norms in the society
Stockpiling food Stockpiling materials with women’s needs in mind
and materials Including obstetric/gynecological medicines/
equipment in medical supplies
Ensuring that supplementary food items correspond
with local cooking customs
Training emergency Ensuring that ‘in the heat of the moment’ women will
response teams not be side-lined and rendered even more vulnerable
Planning to encourage women survivors in the
disaster relief process
Being careful to not have the relief plans overburden
women as careers and thereby create unforeseen
problems further down the line
Anticipating the gender dynamics/conflicts that
will inevitably be brought on by trauma
Development of a Consulting women at every stage
community-based Wording the plan such that it does not assume
approach to DRR that women are victims and disaster planners and
responders are only men
Building on women’s strengths in the plans

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
PREPAREDNESS
Disaster preparedness is one of the objectives of the HFA and SFDRR and
one of the areas where governments have made most progress as self-
reported, between 2007 and 2011 (Figure 9.6).

Figure 9.6
HFA progress reports, 2007-2011.
Source: UNISDR 2011 Redrawn by
L. Monk

Disaster preparedness is often one of the first elements that is prioritized

in DRR. Preparedness is often a highly effective way of saving lives by
reducing people’s exposure temporarily during a hazard event through
evacuation. Preparedness can make use of highly sophisticated early
warning systems or be based on local knowledge and observations of
pending hazard events (Figures 9.7, 9.8).

Figure 9.7
An example of the Indonesian
tsunami early warning system, from
the German Aerospace Center.
Credit: DLR, Szarzynski. Redrawing
by S. Plog

Disaster preparedness is intended as a response to potential hazards but

it does not necessarily address underlying causes of risk, which require
more development-oriented solutions. For example, a flood early-warning
system will enhance the disaster preparedness of a coastal community
by prompting early evacuation, but in order to effectively reduce disaster
risk over the long-term, their relocation to a less flood-prone area would be
necessary. Relocation is, however, a very difficult social and cultural issue,
which is not always easily acceptable by communities.

Figure 9.8
A local tsunami warning system in
American Samoa
© B. McAdoo

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 RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
In a perfect world, any area at risk from a hazard event would have a risk
map or at least a hazard map that provide the basis for land use or urban
planning in order to reduce risks (Zimmermann et al. 2005). Such maps
provide guidance to municipalities and homeowners about which areas
should be avoided for future constructions. In some countries, risk and/
or hazard maps may be mandatory and form an important basis for land
use or urban planning. We will discuss this important aspect in more detail
in Chapters 10 and 11.
Maps can establish non-construction zones or provide information to
insurance companies which may reduce the likelihood of obtaining
insurance for homeowners in high risk areas. However, in practice, many
risk/hazard maps are only developed after a disaster has occurred.
In recognition of the linkages between ecosystem services and disaster
risk, there are a few but increasing number of risk / hazard maps that also
incorporate ecosystem services. One example is from West Africa where
the entire coast of 11 countries has been mapped illustrating ecosystem
services and coastal risks.

DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM RISK REDUCTION

Addressing the drivers of vulnerability, such as poverty, environmental
degradation, governance issues, etc. is the goal of sustainable
development, which when well thought out to include DRR and CCA has
the potential to reduce risk in the long-term. Ecosystem-based approaches
are of major importance here because, as seen throughout this book,
well-managed and conserved ecosystems provide services to enhance
protection against hazards, avoid or reduce the magnitude of hazards,
while providing vital services to communities that can also help CCA.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THIS CHAPTER

SPHERE Project provides minimum standards in humanitarian response and includes
environmental considerations:
www.sphereproject.org
UNEP’s Training toolkit: Integrating the environment into humanitarian action and early recovery:
http://postconflict.UNEP.ch/humanitarianaction/training.html
WWF’s Greening the Recovery Training Toolkit for Humanitarian Aid:
www.green-recovery.org
For more information on environmental emergencies:
http://www.unocha.org/what-we-do/coordination-tools/environmental-emergencies

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 Ecosystems management contributions pre- and post-disasters
09
9.4 Conclusions
Disaster risk reduction can be seen as a spiral consisting of four phases:
Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Prevention. Ecosystem and gender
considerations can and need to be taken into account through each phase
of the DRR spiral. Within the first two phases of relief and recovery, the
main importance is to protect vital ecosystems and their services and
to minimize any further damage. Ensuring environmental contingency
plans and rapid environmental assessment procedures are in place is
important to help in this stage where environmental considerations often
take the back seat compared to saving lives. The period of reconstruction
provides the opportunity to “build back better” and include an ecosystem
approach. The prevention phase is often where the majority of the work
on incorporating Eco-DRR/EbA can be undertaken. The next chapters will
detail tools for Eco-DRR/EbA.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Drolet, J., Dominelli, L., Alston, M., Ersing, R., Mathbor, Swoebel, M. (2000). Unsung Heroines: Women and Natural
G., and Wu, H. (2015). Women rebuilding lives post- Disasters. Gender Matters, Information Bulletin No. 8. Office
disaster: innovative community practices for building for Women in Development, U.S. Agency for International
resilience and promoting sustainable development. Development. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACL189.pdf
Gender and Development, 23(3), 433–448. DOI: Accessed 25 July 2019.
10.1080/13552074.2015.1096040.
Sudmeier-Rieux, K, Ash, N. and Murti, R. (2013).
Enarson, E., and Morrow, B.H. (1998). Women Will Rebuild Environmental Guidance Note for Disaster Risk Reduction:
Miami: A Case Study of Feminist Response to Disaster. In Healthy Ecosystems for Human Security. Revised Edition.
The Gendered Terrain of Disaster: Through Women’s Eyes. Gland: IUCN. https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/
Enarson, E. and Morrow, B.H. (eds.). Praeger. 171-184. files/documents/CEM-008-2013.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
http://www.gdnonline.org/resources/women_will_rebuild_
UNDP, UNISDR, and IRP (2010). Guidance Note on Recovery:
miami.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
Gender. Kobe: IRP Secretariat. https://www.unisdr.org/
Hinzpeter, K. and Sandholz, S. (2018). Squaring the circle? files/16775_16775guidancenoteonrecoverygender1.pdf
Integrating environment, infrastructure and risk reduction Accessed 25 July 2019.
in Post Disaster Needs Assessments. International Journal
UNEP (2010). Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
of Disaster Risk Reduction, 32, 113-124. DOI: 10.1016/j.
Methodology Development Project (RiVAMP) Linking
ijdrr.2018.05.016.
Ecosystems to Risk and Vulnerability Reduction, The
Lloyd-Jones, T. (ed.), Kalra, R., Mulyawan, B.and Theis, M. Case of Jamaica, Results of Pilot Assessment. Geneva:
(2009). The Built Environment Professions in Disaster Risk UNEP Division of Environmental Policy Implementation
Reduction and Response:A guide for humanitarian agencies. (DEPI). https://www.preventionweb.net/files/13205_
Westminister: Max Lock Centre, University of Westminister. RiVAMPexsummary.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
https://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/95743/B.a.07.Built%20
UNISDR (2011). Global Assessment Report, Revealing Risk,
Environment%20Professions%20in%20DRR%20and%20
. Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.
Response-Guide%20for%20humanitarian%20agencies_
preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/2011/en/home/
DFDN%20and%20RICS.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
index.html Accessed 25 July 2019.
Mawby, B. and Applebaum, A. (2018). Rebuilding Nepal:
UNDRR (2019). Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk
Women’s Roles in Political Transition and Disaster
Reduction. Geneva: UNDRR. https://gar.unisdr.org/sites/
Recovery. Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and
default/files/reports/2019-05/full_gar_report.pdf Accessed
Security. https://giwps.georgetown.edu/wp-content/
24 July 2019.
uploads/2018/04/Rebuilding-Nepal-Womens-Roles-in-
Political-Transition-and-Disaster-Recovery.pdf Accessed Zimmermann, M., Pozzi, A. and Stoessel, F. (2005).
25 July 2019 Vademecum, Hazard Maps and Related Instruments. The
Swiss System and its Application Abroad, Capitalization of
Mercer, J., Kelman, I., Lloyd, K., and Suchet-Pearson, S.
Experience. Bern: PLANAT/Swiss Development Cooperation.
(2008). Reflections on Use of Participatory Research
http://www.planat.ch/fileadmin/PLANAT/planat_pdf/
for Disaster Risk Reduction. Area, 40(2), 172–183. DOI:
alle_2012/2001-2005/PLANAT_2005_-_Vademecum.pdf
10.1111/j.1475-4762.2008.00797.x.
Accessed 25 July 2019.
Myers, M. (1994). ‘Women and children first’: Introducing
a gender strategy into disaster preparedness. Gender &
Development, 2(1), 14–16. DOI: 10.1080/09682869308519991

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Chapter 10
Incorporating ecosystems
in risk assessments

Key questions
What are vulnerability, hazard and risk
assessments and why do we need them?
What are the most common approaches
to assessing vulnerability and risk and
how can we integrate ecosystems
in these assessments?

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/ UNEP

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
10
10.1 Vulnerability, hazard and risk assessments DEFINITION
Let’s first quickly revise the concept of “risk”. Risk refers to potential The potential disaster
losses and is composed of three main elements: hazard, vulnerability and losses, in lives, health status,
exposure. This is the most commonly used definition given by UNDRR. If livelihoods, assets and
there are no potential losses, (i.e. if a hazard event takes place in a remote services, which could occur
area with no population, infrastructure or other resources of value), then to a particular community or
there is no risk, even if there is a hazard. a society over some specified
future time period.
Risk = Hazard * Exposure * Vulnerability
Comment: The definition
The basic idea behind establishing a risk assessment is to reduce of disaster risk reflects the
the likelihood of future damages and human suffering due to hazard concept of disasters as the
events. This is why one of the first steps in establishing an integrated outcome of continuously
risk management plan is to assess the risks, or potential of loss to a present conditions of risk.
population over time. The next step is to communicate these risks and Disaster risk comprises
take the appropriate measures to reduce them. We often communicate different types of potential
risk through maps, whether they are simple hand drawn representations losses which are often
or more data dependent Geographic Information System (GIS) maps. difficult to quantify.
However, there may be many other ways of communicating about Nevertheless, with knowledge
immediate or pending risks, depending on cultural norms, such as through of the prevailing hazards and
oral history, songs, or street theatre (Figure 10.1). the patterns of population and
In some countries, risk assessments are mandatory and an important socio-economic development,
part of land use planning. For example, in France, “risk prevention plans” disaster risks can be
are stipulated by law and contribute to managing risk by defining areas assessed and mapped, in
on which construction is allowed. broad terms at least.
The local French State representative, “the préfet”, enforces this law, UNISDR 2017
which usually goes through a public participation process where citizens
can give advice on the zonings and contest them. However, in the end
the “préfet” must enforce the law, which indicates for example that no
construction is allowed in “red” or high risk zones (Pigeon 2017). Usually,
risk maps are an important part of this process.
In Switzerland, federal laws since the 19th century provided the basis
for protection works by local governments. In 1991 and 1994, new laws
required local governments (cantons) to perform hazard assessments as
part of land use planning, emergency management, and to determine the
cost efficiency of structural and non-structural measures (Zimmermann
et al. 2005). The Swiss have two binding instruments to implement
these laws: “hazard indication maps” and “danger maps”, which have
been established for most municipalities that are affected by some
type of natural hazard. Whereas the Swiss hazard map only depicts the
type of hazard on a map, the danger map is the most commonly used
instrument. It is particular as it illustrates not only the type of hazard and
where it may occur but also the intensity and probability of occurrence
as established by various return periods (0-30 years, 30-100 years, 100-
300 years) represented by red, yellow and blue. The use of these colors
is quite specific to the Swiss method for depicting hazard occurrence.
Other countries may use red, orange and yellow to illustrate high, medium
and low hazard zones (or to illustrate risk). However, it is very important
to understand which return periods are represented for each category
of hazards. It is interesting to note the cost for producing such maps:
Figure 10.1
estimated at around 500 USD (2005 values) per km2 for the Swiss hazard Tsunami early warning
map and for the danger map, it can take around one year to develop for communications
one municipality (Zimmermann et al. 2005). © B. McAdoo

113
 Once we have such maps, it is up to society, i.e. decision-makers and
civil society, to decide on the most cost-effective measures for reducing
risk. It may actually be physically impossible to consider a zero-risk
situation, and depending on the situation, it can be very expensive and
economically unfeasible to completely reduce risk. Often decision-makers
have to consider the lowest possible risk considering the economic costs
of certain measures and may decide to accept a certain level of risk. For
deciding on the extent to which a society can afford to reduce risk, decision
makers may use the so-called ALARP principle, “As Low As Reasonably
Practicable” (Figure 10.2). For example, as a society, we may be willing to
spend a lot on making sure that schools, hospitals and retirement homes
are made as safe as possible.

Figure 10.2
The ALARP principle with
risk increasing inversely to
increasing costs.
Design: L. Rharade, UNEP. Modified
from Talbot and Jakeman (2015)

10.2 Common approaches to assessing

vulnerability and risk
Depending on your purpose, scope, budget, time and availability of
data, there are many ways of developing a risk assessment. There are
several assessment methods depending on the study scale, availability of
data and aims of the analysis and whether the assessment is to be
undertaken through participatory means or is expert-led (Van Westen
et al. 2006). These can be grouped into qualitative, semi-quantitative and
quantitative methods.
We present a simplified overview which provides the basics to understand
the difference between vulnerability, hazard and risk assessments and
how to integrate data on ecosystems.

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
10
Although risk is generally accepted as a function of vulnerability, exposure
and hazard, there is no universally accepted equation for calculating
risk and the equation will differ depending on the purpose of the risk
calculation. Often, risk assessments involve assessing the different parts
of the equation, focusing on vulnerability and hazards and finally risk. We
can think of a risk assessment in terms of various layers.

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Vulnerability is the element of risk that is perhaps the most challenging
to assess. To start with, natural or physical scientists assess it in very
different ways from social scientists. Natural or physical scientists
might consider vulnerability to be the physical damage of a house or of
a landscape to a certain hazard. They may calculate vulnerability as the
degree of damage to a building quantitatively.
Social scientists or professionals working with NGOs usually combine
the assessment of social vulnerability with capacities or so-called
Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCAs). The data collected
are often very rich and qualitative yet not always easy (but possible) to
translate into the kind of quantitative data needed for a risk assessment.
For this, we tend to use socio-economic data on income, education levels,
and household status, among some of the indicators.
Many types of vulnerabilities arise from conditions linked to ecosystems
degradation, including competition or conflict over scarce natural resources
in specific ecosystems. So considering the aspects of vulnerability that
arise from poor access to or degraded ecosystem services can improve
our understanding of the local populations’ vulnerability.

HAZARD ASSESSMENTS
Hazard assessments are usually more standardised and less subject to
interpretation. Usually, two types of data for hazards are identified: the
probability of an event reoccurring, or its return period, and the intensity
of the hazard. For these data, historical records, such as well as climate
forecasts, to the extent they exist for the area being studied, are used.
Where several hazards are present, it is useful to develop a multi-hazard
map which provides a more comprehensive overview of all hazards that
can occur. The data used for this can be high quality GIS data or can
be drawn from local knowledge using drawn or 3-D maps to capture
information where no digital information exists (Figure 10.3).

Figure 10.3
Participatory 3D mapping in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
© UNEP

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 RISK ASSESSMENTS
Since risk assessments often require quite involved data collection and
expertise, we often find that many NGOs and local governments focus
on vulnerability and hazard assessments. But in order to develop the
complete risk assessment, the final piece of data we need is on exposure.
Data on exposure can be collected from satellite images, household
surveys or other population statistics.
The risk assessment usually takes the form of a risk map (Figure 10.4)

Figure 10.4
Tsunami risk map for City of Galle,
Sri Lanka.
© Hettiarachchi/UNDP 2011

A well-developed risk map will show areas at high, medium to low risk
and will qualify what this means in terms of expected return periods of
the hazard. The scale can be a neighbourhood, a district or even global
depending on the scope. Thus, quite a lot of data and expertise are
required to develop risk maps.
Risk can also be represented as risk curves. For example, societal risk
represented in Frequency and Number of Fatalities Curves (F-N Curves)
F-N curves or annualized risk total in probabilities and losses. F-N curves
relate the probability per year of causing N or more fatalities (F) to N.
Such curves can be used to express social risk criteria and safety levels
of facilities. Figure 10.5 illustrates the Hong Kong Government Risk
Guidelines (HKGRG), which were developed for a hazardous installation
but also provides a good example for natural hazards using a F-N curve.

Figure 10.5
Hong Kong Government Risk
Guidelines for hazardous
installations and example
of F-N curve.
UNEP, modified from HKGRG

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
10
“Individual risk is the predicted increase in the chance of fatality per year
to an individual due to a potential hazard. The individual risk guidelines
require that the maximum level of individual risk should not exceed 1 in
100,000 per year i.e. 1 x 10-5 per year. Societal risk expresses the risks
to the whole population. The HKRG is presented graphically in Figure
10.5 in terms of lines plotting the frequency (F) of N or more deaths in
the population from incidents at the installation. Two F-N risk lines are
used in the HKRG that demark “acceptable” or “unacceptable” societal
risks. The intermediate region indicates the acceptability of societal
risk is borderline and should be reduced to a level which is “as low as is
reasonably practicable” (ALARP). It seeks to ensure that all practicable and
cost effective measures that can reduce risk will be considered.”3
Various community risk assessment tools are available, ranging from
participatory mapping of risks and resources to a social or institutional
network analysis. Especially for the development context, various
handbooks on participatory assessments have been developed by
international institutions such as CARE or UNEP to address both CCA and
DRR in the context of better environmental management (see box below).

EXAMPLES FOR COMMUNITY RISK AND VULNERABILITY

ASSESSMENT TOOLS
CRiSTAL– Community-Based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation
and Livelihoods is a tool designed to help project planners and
managers integrate climate change adaptation and risk reduction
into community-level projects. Developed by IISD, SEI and IUCN.
(https://www.iisd.org/cristaltool/)
Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Handbook,
developed by CARE, which assesses hazard impacts on
each of the five categories of livelihood resources and
provides a framework for community-based adaptation.
(http://www.careclimatechange.org/index.php?option=com_
contentandview=articleandid=25andItemid=30)
The Vulnerability and Impact Assessments for Adaptation to
Climate Change – VIA Module (UNEP), which assesses climate
change impacts on ecosystems and human well-being.
(http://www.UNEP.org/ieacp/climate/)
CEDRA – The Climate Change and Environmental Degradation
Risk and Adaptation assessment
(by Tearfund) analyses risks posed by climate change and
environmental degradation and supports NGOs in understanding
communities’ experiences of environmental change. (http://tilz.
tearfund.org/en/themes/environment_and_climate/cedra/)

3 Source:http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_1252006/html/eiareport/Part2/Section13/Sec2_13.htm

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 CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
For CCA purposes, assessments undertaken are generally Vulnerability
and Impact Assessments (VIA). They involve similar steps to those
described above but additionally focus on future climate change scenarios
to assess vulnerability to and impact from climate change. There exist
different climate models at global and regional scales as well as different
scenarios for future change (IPCC 2013) that can be used to predict future
vulnerability. These are often also analysed and presented in map form
or a matrix form. Depending on the scale of the assessment, however,
the use of global or regional models is not possible because they are too
coarse. Another option is creating future scenarios with stakeholders and
deriving future risk that way (see WWF 2013 for steps for a VIA for EbA).

10.3 Integrating ecosystems in risk assessment

and mapping
Each step of the risk assessment process can be related to ecosystem
conditions and ecosystem mapping. Adding one more layer of data on
ecosystems can improve vulnerability, hazard and risk assessments
by providing additional information on the interface between the risk
components and ecosystem properties. Depending on the level of the
assessment, you can use qualitative data from communities on how well
their ecosystems protect them from hazards or you can include more
formal data on ecosystem services, either through natural resources or
habitat surveys. You could also include not just the location of key habitats
but also information on their level of health or degradation which affects
their protection or buffering functions against a certain hazard. This
may require working across disciplines, i.e. with biologists or ecosystem
experts in order to integrate such information.
There are various open source models that can be used for modelling the
relationship between natural capital, or ecosystem services and hazards,
such as InVEST by the Natural Capital Project (see Chapter 11).

Figure 10.7
Figure 10.6
Modeling waves and currents. Numerical model results for wave heights (a)
Habitats of Negril, Jamaica.
and wave-induced currents (b) at the Negril coast. Conditions: Offshore wave
© UNEP 2010
height (Hrms) = 2.8m, Tp= 8.7s. Waves approach from the northwest. Note
the diminishing wave heights and changed nearshore flow patterns at the lee
of the shallow coral reefs. © UNEP 2010.

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THE RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (RiVAMP)
RiVAMP (UNEP 2010) was conceived to develop an assessment tool that
takes into account ecosystems and climate change factors in the analysis
of disaster risk and vulnerability. Implemented in 2009, the project aimed
to assist national and local government decision makers in evaluating their
development options effectively by recognizing the role of ecosystems
in reducing risk and adapting to climate change impacts. It involved a
scientific assessment, which undertook remote sensing to identify
ecosystem functions, modelling of exposure to storms and statistical
analysis, and stakeholder consultations to identify the main drivers of
ecosystem degradation and assess awareness of environmental and
disaster linkages.
It specifically targeted Small Island Development States (SIDS) and
other coastal areas that are highly vulnerable and exposed to tropical
cyclones and related hazards (storm surges, landslides, flooding) and
to accelerated sea level rise. The RiVAMP methodology was pilot tested
in Jamaica. It uses information such as location of key ecosystems
(Figure 10.6), waves and currents and modelling how corals reduce wave
height (Figure 10.7) in order to map the exposure of population and assets
to storms with different return cycles (Figure 10.8).

Figure 10.8. Exposure of population and assets to ten-year return period storms (top) and
bottom). Return period exposure for a) population, b) asset
© UNEP 2010.

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 Figure 10.9
Shoreline erosion over time as
compared to ecosystem services.
© UNEP 2010

The RiVAMP project conducted by UNEP in Negril, Jamaica, also

developed a methodology for assessing the relation between ecosystem
services, in this case coral reefs, and seagrasses in relation to coastal
erosion (Figure 10.9). This hazard map shows how degradation of the
coastal ecosystem services led to increased coastal erosion of one of
Jamaica’s most famous beaches, Negril. It also compares coastal erosion
over two time periods 1968-2006 and 2006-2008.
The project involved community consultations and mapping to document
environmental changes that have led to increased vulnerability of the
community in Negril. By doing so, it helped raise awareness among local
stakeholders about the importance of protecting its natural infrastructure.

UNEP OPPORTUNITY MAPPING FOR ECOSYSTEM-BASED

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION INITIATIVE
This initiative has developed global datasets to visually compare on a
global-scale map, ecosystem cover and population exposure to hazards
in order to find opportunity areas where ecosystem management
(restoration or conservation) can be used to protect the highest number
of people (Figure 10.10).
Datasets on different types of ecosystems and physical exposure to
various natural hazards are aggregated globally on a 10 x 10 kilometre
resolution grid. The area covered by each ecosystem type is measured,
and the physical exposure of the population calculated for each grid cell.
A given hazard exposure is then combined with a given type of ecosystem
coverage. As each ecosystem type is only effective for exposure reduction
of specific types of hazards (e.g. corals can reduce cyclone surge and
tsunamis but have no influence on landslide hazards), cross-mapping
between ecosystem coverage and hazard exposure was performed only
with a selection of ecosystem-hazard combination (Table 10.1).

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
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Figure 10.10
Example of input (ecosystem
coverage, hazard exposure) and
output (risk reduction. opportunity
at global and national level).
© UNEP 2019

Table 10.1
Tsunami Cyclone wind Cyclone surge Landslide Flood Selected hazard-
Forest ecosystem
combinations
Mangrove ( = applies,
= does not apply)
Sea grass
Source: UNEP/GRID-
Coral reef Geneva, 2016

Each ecosystem-hazard combination is split into six categories which

represent the potential of the ecosystem type in reducing exposure to that
specific hazard and the recommended Eco-DRR action (Figure 10.11).
Using six categories allows the user to easily differentiate colours on
maps and figures and identify:
the level of exposure for a given hazard;
the level of coverage by a given ecosystem;
Figure 10.11
the type of priority action to be undertaken. Eco-DRR opportunity categories.
© UNEP 2019
By comparing the categories on the map, the user can identify areas
where ecosystem-based solutions can be applied to reduce exposure, and
the type of action required (ecosystem protection or restoration).
Two types of products are available:
A “Global” product which allows comparison between countries.
In this product, the Eco-DRR opportunity categories are relative to all
other countries in the world and the resolution is coarse
(10x10 km grid).
“National” products which allows analysis for certain countries. In this
product, Eco-DRR opportunity categories are only relative to other
grid cells within the same country and the spatial resolution is higher,
depending on data availability.

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 10.4 Conclusions
According to OECD (2012), there is a need to develop and share best
practices, methodologies and standards to ensure data harmonization
and standardization initiatives for calculating risk. There are a few
initiatives for harmonization such as the Integrated Research on Disaster
Risk (IRDR), the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), DesInventar,
UNEP’s PREVIEW and the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) (see “data
sources” below). However, with few exceptions there has been little
attempt to incorporate data on ecosystem degradation or ecosystem
services as part of risk assessments. The few exceptions include the
RiVAMP project, the UNU World Risk Report (2013) and the PREVIEW
Global Risk Data Platform. There are also very few examples of risk
assessments that consider green infrastructure as alternative scenarios
to grey infrastructure for reducing risk, where appropriate. This is thus a
new area of research and innovation that is still in its infancy.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THIS CHAPTER

Opportunity mapping
http://EcoDRRmapping.grid.UNEP.ch.
Coastal Restoration and Superstorm Sandy

dynamic
Information on RiVamp
https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/risk-and-
vulnerability-assessment-methodology-development-project-
rivamp-linking

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10
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Alliance Development Works and United Nations University Talbot, J.and Jakeman, M. (2015).
(2013). World Risk Report. Berlin: Alliance Development what’s outside the door? Risk the effect of uncertainty
Works. http://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:2018/ on objectives. http://31000risk.blogspot.fr/2011_04_01_
WorldRiskReport_2013_online_01.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019. archive.html Accessed 26 July 2019.
Höppner, C., Bründl, M. and Buchecker, M. (2010). Risk UNEP (2010). Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
Communication and Natural Hazards. Birmensdorf: CapHaz- Methodology Development Project (RiVAMP) Linking
Net WP5 Report, Swiss Federal Research Institute. WSL. Ecosystems to Risk and Vulnerability Reduction, The
https://www.wsl.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/WSL/Projekte/ Case of Jamaica, Results of Pilot Assessment. Geneva:
CAPHAZ/CapHaz-Net_WP5_Report_final.pdf Accessed UNEP Division of Environmental Policy Implementation
25 July 2019. (DEPI). https://www.preventionweb.net/files/13205_
RiVAMPexsummary.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
IPCC (2013). Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science
Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth UNISDR (2017). Disaster terminology. http://www.unisdr.
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on org/we/inform/terminology Accessed 25 July 2019.
Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M.
van Westen, C., van Asch, T. & Soeters, R. Landslide hazard
Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and
and risk zonation—why is it still so difficult? Bull Eng Geol
P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge
Environ (2006) 65: 167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-
University Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/
005-0023-0
2018/02/WG1AR5_all_final.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
WWF (2013). Operational Framework for Ecosystem-based
McAdoo, B.G., Dengler, L., Eeri, M., Prasetya, G. and Titov,
Adaptation: Implementing and Mainstreaming Ecosystem-
V. (2006). Smong: How an Oral History Saved Thousands
based Adaptation Responses in the Greater Mekong Sub-
on Indonesia’s Simeulue Island During the December 2004
Region. Gland: WWF. http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/
and March 2005 Tsunamis’. Earthquake Spectra, 22(S3),
wwf_wb_eba_project_2014_gms_ecosystem_based_
661–69. DOI: 10.1193/1.2204966.
adaptation_general_framework.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
OECD (2012). Global Modeling of Natural Hazard Risks:
Zimmermann, M., Pozzi, A. and Stoessel, F. (2005).
Enhancing Existing Capabilities to Address New Challenges.
Vademecum, Hazard Maps and Related Instruments. The
Paris: OECD. http://www.oecd.org/sti/sci-tech/Final%20
Swiss System and its Application Abroad, Capitalization of
GRMI%20report.pdf Accessed 25 July 2019.
Experience. Bern: PLANAT/Swiss Development Cooperation
Pigeon, P. (2017). Dike Risk: An Applied Issue Revealing http://www.planat.ch/fileadmin/PLANAT/planat_pdf/
Academic Links Between Disaster Risk Reduction, alle_2012/2001-2005/PLANAT_2005_-_Vademecum.pdf
Sustainable Development, Climate Change And Migration. Accessed 25 July, 2019.
In Identifying Emerging Issues In Disaster Risk Reduction,
Migration, Climate Change And Sustainable Development.
Sudmeier-Rieux, K., Fernandez, M., Penna, I., Jaboyedoff,
M., and Gaillard, J.C. (eds.). New York: Springer. 67-80. DOI:
10.1007/978-3-319-33880-4_5.

DATA SOURCES
DESINVENTAR website: NatCatSERVICE – Munich Re website:
http://www.desinventar.org/ http://www.munichre.com/natcatservice
EM-DAT website: PREVIEW Global Risk Data Platform –
http://www.emdat.be/ UNEP/ GRID website:
https://preview.grid.unep.ch/
GRID (Global Resource Information Database).
https://unepgrid.ch/en

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Chapter 11
Planning tools for ecosystem-
based disaster risk reduction
and adaptation

Key questions
What planning tools exist to inform
Eco-DRR/EbA?
How can spatial data, GIS and remote sensing
be used for Eco-DRR/EbA?
What is an environmental impact assessment
and how can it contribute to Eco-DRR/EbA?

© Karen Sudmeier-Rieux/
UNEP

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
11.1 Spatial planning to reduce risks
from disasters
First of all, it is important to differentiate between planning and
management tools and formal processes (Figure 11.1). Planning can
be described as a future-oriented approach to allocate land to certain
purposes while management aims to achieve or maintaining a certain
ecosystem status. Formal process such as environmental impact
assessments are also important to consider. Chapter 13 will follow up on
the management tools in more detail.

Figure 11.1
Planning can involve both non-spatial and spatial elements. Non-spatial Planning and Management
Approaches appropriate for
elements can be the enumeration of the resources required, the time-
reducing disaster risks
frame the plan will cover, the strategies and actions, the actors involved, © S. Sandholz
etc. The spatial element is of vital importance when planning to reduce
risks from disasters because disasters strike areas or regions. Thus,
making a spatial plan, whether local, regional or global, helps to prescribe,
regulate and determine land utilization for various purposes, such as
agriculture, industrial sites, human settlements or protected areas. This
is increasingly difficult due to the growing population around the globe.
A spatial plan made on a large scale serves as a basis upon which more
detailed plans for urban or rural areas are formulated or upon which sector
plans for agriculture or infrastructure development are made. Spatial
plans play a significant and influential role in preventing or mitigating
losses from hazards and managing environmental risks, because they
determine the physical location of activities and investments. In addition,
they are increasingly important for CCA – including EbA – to determine
areas for action.

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 GOALS OF SPATIAL PLANNING
Organize land uses and the basis for subsequent urban planning
or land use planning in rural/semi-rural areas (which is then
more detailed);
Promote sustainable development (social, environmental, economic);
Develop access to information and knowledge;
Enhance and protect natural resources and cultural heritage;
Find a balance among multiple demands and competing interests;
Reduce the impacts of hazard events by: restricting development
in hazard prone areas; accommodating and planning land
use according to levels of risk; zoning and coding; designing
infrastructures for hazard reduction.

Case Study
The Netherlands “Room for the River” programme aims to reduce flood
risks while improving quality of life for people living near rivers. It is
based on spatial planning and allocating space for different purposes
(Figure 11.2). The main goal is to increase the safety and improve the
overall environmental quality of Dutch river regions by allocating extra
room for its rivers. Many of the contentious issues involved in spatial
planning revolve around the fact that different sectors value land
differently and these values are often in conflict. Land-use planning occurs
within a political context and oftentimes, short-term gains take priority
over what is sustainable and what will be safe in the future. Such conflicts
are logically aggravated by land scarcity, for example in the Netherlands,
where limited land resources have to be allocated wisely while allowing
for future development and to adapt to climate change impacts. Here the
exposed areas along the rivers are no longer considered as constructible
zones, in order to reduce flood risks.
The Room for River programme illustrates that spatial planning is always
a compromise: if the river banks and retention areas are no longer
designated for human use land resources need to be allocated elsewhere
for development. This is where involving communities in the decision-
making process is critical in order to navigate the trade-offs and forge
sustainable solutions.

Figure 11.2
River restoration in Netherlands.
© M. van Staveren

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
11.2 Participatory rural appraisals for ecosystem-
based disaster risk reduction and adaptation
Participatory rural appraisals (PRA), also called Participatory Learning
for Action (PLA), are an important planning tool used in development
projects because they aim to incorporate and use the knowledge and
opinions of the local people (Chambers 1994). They are also non-
technology dependant like some mapping or modelling methods often
used for planning, which can therefore be more accessible as well as
more inclusive. PRA’s aim to be as inclusive as possible and thus often
use methods of communication and information gathering that does not
require writing. Symbols, drawings and oral communications are used
such as participatory mapping (Figure 11.3).
Some of the main tools used in PRA are:
Focus groups and (semi-structured) interviews, consultations
Community mapping, matrix scoring, ranking, timelines,
seasonal calendars
Participatory maps, transect walks, diagrams

Figure 11.3
Participatory risk mapping using
coconut leaves in Solomon Island.
© J.C. Gaillard

11.3 Geographic information systems and

remote sensing for ecosystem-based disaster
risk reduction and adaptation
Spatial data refers to any geographically referenced data (do Carmo Dias
Bueno 2011). It means that data are connected to a place on the Earth.
GIS, which is short for Geographic Information Systems, is an information
or computer system to input, retrieve, process, analyze and output multiple
layers of spatial data. A GIS is composed of hardware, software, data and
brainware (or the user). Within a GIS, different information layers can be
overlaid due to its spatial reference. One of the most important uses of GIS
and its capabilities for spatial analysis is to support decision making on
land use planning. It can be a great tool for decisions about risk reduction
and adaptation. Input data can range from cartographic maps, to field

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 data and satellite images. The most common outputs from GIS software
are maps, statistics and tables, charts or databases (Figure 11.4).
GIS was for example used to support Eco-DRR/EbA in a small municipality
in the South of Haiti (Figures 11.5, Figure 11.6). The south of Haiti is
frequently hit by storms, which cause storm surges and flooding. As
discussed in earlier chapters, coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs,
sand dunes, seagrass beds and mangroves, can reduce the impact
of storms and subsequent flooding. But like many areas of Haiti,
the degradation of ecosystems has resulted in higher risk in this
municipality. Since 2013, UNEP has been working with the community
and the municipal government to protect the coastal habitats and reduce
disaster risk. As a large portion of the population relies directly on coastal
ecosystems for livelihoods, protection of ecosystems can also reduce
population vulnerability.

Figure 11.4
Geographic information for spatial
planning and risk assessments.
Design: S. Plog

Figure 11.5 Figure 11.6

Map of Port Salut, Haiti.
© UNEP © UNEP

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
To use GIS to support this Eco-DRR/EbA project, first baseline data
on demographics and geo-physical data such as elevation, water
depth and type of shoreline were gathered to better understand the
area (Figure 11.7 and 11.8). These maps were also complemented by
information provided by the local community regarding historical records
of storms and changes in ecosystems.

Figure 11.7
Figure 11.8
Satellite images of the shoreline in Port Salut over
Location of exposed buildings to river flooding
the years suggest that the sandy beach is
(within 25 m of water channels) and coastal flooding
experiencing erosion.
(within 50 m of the coastline).
© UNEP 2016
© UNEP 2016

Then remote sensing was used to map the existing ecosystems. Remote
sensing can be used to monitor ecosystems or land use. For example,
satellite images can show changes in the extent of forests or wetlands
over time. It can also be used to assess hazards and exposure, for
example to track hurricanes or model floods. Remote sensing can provide
information that can be used in land use planning for example to reduce
impact of urban growth on the environment or prevent sprawl into hazard-
prone areas (NOAA 2015).

129
 DEFINITION: Resilience
“Remote sensing is the science
of obtaining information
about objects or areas from
a distance, typically from
aircraft or satellites.”
NOAA 2015

For more information about

remote-sensing, please
refer to additional material:
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/
earth-sciences/geomatics/
satellite-imagery-air-photos/
satellite-imagery- products/
educational-resources/9309)

Figure 11.9
Port Salut habitat map based
on remote sensing and ground-
truthed through marine and

© UNEP

A high resolution satellite image of the municipality of Port Salut was used
to map the existing natural coastal ecosystems. A field survey was used to
verify, or ground-truth the map and add information about the degradation
or health status of coastal habitats using Geographic Positioning System
(GPS) devices. The result is a map the types of ecosystems and their
location (Figure 11.9).
This information was then applied in an open source GIS model, InVEST
The Natural Capital Project (Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs) developed
“The Natural Capital Project by the Natural Capital Project. InVEST is a suite of modelling tools that
aims to align economic forces map, measure and value the goods and services that sustain human life
with conservation. We are while providing several scenarios.
an innovative partnership The InVEST Coastal Vulnerability Model was used to determine what
between Stanford University, areas of the coastline are more exposed to flooding and storm surges, and
The Nature Conservancy, where habitat conservation or restoration can reduce exposure to hazards
World Wildlife Fund, and (Figure 11.10). This model is unique because it includes the protective
the University of Minnesota role of habitats in the exposure assessment. The model was run multiple
working together to value times with different scenarios of habitat degradation. Figure 11.10
shows that under current conditions only some parts of the municipality
We develop tools that make are highly exposed to storms. But if all habitats were to be destroyed in
it easy to incorporate natural the future, most of the municipality would be highly exposed to coastal
capital into decisions, apply hazards. This is where conservation and restoration of seagrasses, coral
these tools in select places reefs, mangroves and coastal vegetation would reduce exposure of the
around the world, and engage municipality while providing livelihoods benefits.
leaders to transform decision
making by taking up this The outputs of the InVEST model are being used in decision making related
approach.” to land use planning and conservation. In 2013, Port Salut was designated
https://naturalcapitalproject. as one of Haiti’s first marine protected areas and the results of the spatial
stanford.edu/ analysis are being the basis in the development of a management plan
for the protected area.

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
Figure 11.10
Exposure scenarios with and
without habitat.
© UNEP

As with any models, InVEST also has its limitations. Furthermore, the
terminology used is based on the IPCC terminology prior to 2014, and
thus is different from the UNDRR terminology. However, it is currently one
of the most advanced open source models available for producing various
scenarios of exposure (InVEST refers to this as vulnerability) considering
ecosystem services.

SPATIAL MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATIONS (SMCE)

When resources are limited and several objectives exist that cannot be
met simultaneously, we speak of a decision problem. In such situations
we turn to spatial decision support systems or spatial planning support
systems that help us to make judgments about the facts or expected facts
we obtain from GIS and models. They assist individuals to analyze trade-
offs, assist groups to understand where compromises can be found and
layout possible pathways to make gradual improvements toward several
objectives (Boerboom et al. 2009).
For example, imagine that the government of a fictional island is proposing
a number of measures to reduce risk. A first step will be to determine which
measures are the best based on a number of stakeholder-determined
criteria. These could be economic, social, and ecological suitability as well
as hazard mitigation benefits. Layers of data can then be overlaid in a
GIS to find the most optimal alternatives for risk reduction, which can
for instance be mangrove restoration along the coastline or establishing
protection forests on steep mountain slopes.

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 DEFINITION: 11.4 Environmental impact assessments
Environmental impact An Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA is a formalized and
assessement systematic process to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts
“an analytical process that of a proposed project, such as a road, a dam or some industrial site. EIA
systematically examines can involve the construction, operation, extension, modification or even
the possible environmental decommissioning of such projects. The need for an EIA depends on
consequences of the the scale of the project, its location, and the nature and magnitude of
implementation of projects, the potential environmental impacts. For example, the World Bank has
programmes and policies” established three categories:
Glossary of Environment Statistics, a. ‘likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts beyond the
Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, project area’ and thus requiring a full or comprehensive EIA;
United Nations, New York, 1997.
b. ‘site-specific potential adverse environmental impacts’ which require
a limited EIA
c. not requiring an EIA
(World Bank Operational Policy 4.01, Environmental Assessment,
January 1999).
Environmental Impact Assessments address goods and services to be
protected - they are very similar to ecosystem services as you can see in
Figure 11.12.

Figure 11.12
Goods and Services to be
protected in EIAs.
Credits: S. Sandholz and M. Khalifa;
Design: S. Plog

An EIA is composed of ten steps (Figure 11.13). Consider a plan to

construct a dam. The first step is screening to see if an EIA is required. This
may depend on the country, the project size or the area. If so, the second
step is scoping to identify important impacts the dam construction would
have. This is followed by an examination of alternatives. The fourth step
is an analysis of the impacts the dam might have.

Figure 11.13 EIA steps.

Credits: S. Sandholz and M. Khalifa;
Design: S. Plog

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
Next are measures to minimize negative effects on site, or alternatively
or additionally some compensation, for example some river renaturation
project (Figure 11.14) which is not in the dam site. Step six involves
analyzing whether impacts that cannot be mitigated are acceptable.
Then finally, to approve or reject the dam project, an environmental impact
statement report is developed. As a follow-up and last step, a monitoring
process is established to see the project impacts and how effective the
mitigation measures are.
Increasingly, the EIA is mandatory for planning projects. It is a must in
most European countries. It can also serve for Eco-DRR/EbA, especially if
it incorporates an assessment of risk.
In summary, EIA is a very helpful tool for better decision making and
is used worldwide. But it has its limitations. Indeed, the problems of
coherence of EIA for international bilateral aid were addressed by the
Working Party of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD
(OECD 2016). A practical guide on this subject was prepared to help both
officials in bilateral donor agencies and their counterparts in developing
countries. It summarizes the various EIA procedures used by the different
agencies and provides two key means of promoting coherence:
A framework Terms of Reference for the EIA of development
assistance projects; and
A comprehensive checklist for managing EIA.
(OECD 2016)
EIAs are part of an integrated planning process to the extent that two main
types of legal provisions are taken into account: general environmental
or resource management law, which incorporates EIA requirements and
procedures; and an EIA specific law, which can either be comprehensive
or take the form of a framework or enabling statute. However, there is no
Figure 11.14
single EIA model appropriate for all countries: for example, some have
River renaturation in Germany.
established a separate EIA authority while in others, the EIA process is © Zumbroich Consulting
administered by environment departments or by the planning authorities.
Canada has distinguished its EIA process by applying it only to projects
and it applies strategic environmental analysis (SEA) for policy and plans.
See below for more information on SEAs.

HOW DO EIAS RELATE TO ECO-DRR/EBA?

By expanding EIAs to incorporate DRR and CCA, they have the potential to
be a powerful tool into which disaster risk and climate change concerns
can be integrated with development activities. EIAs should also be fully
integrated into activities in the post-disaster period in order to help prevent
disaster recurrence and to promote sustainability.
Early EIAs focused primarily on the impacts of a project to the natural
or biophyiscal environment (e.g. effects on air and water quality). Over
time, increased considerations have been given to the social, health and
ecological consequences of projects. This trend has been driven partly
by public involvement in the EIA process and is reflected in the evolving
definition of environmental EIA legislation, guidance and practice, which
include effects on, among others: human health and safety or on use of
land, natural resources and raw materials (Bhatt and Khanal 2009).
Although national policies that integrate environment and DRR are more
pronounced in developed than in developing countries, the Philippines
offers an interesting example. In 2011, the Department of Environment and

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 Resources developed guidelines for integrating DRR and CCA strategies
in its EIA processes (see Box).
As illustrated in the Philippines’ example, disaster risk analyses can be
incorporated into the EIA process. Information generated by EIAs can
help improve early warning because the EIA process can provide data for
risk mapping and scenario building in relation to the potential impacts
of projects. Hence, EIAs can be applied to help assess the conditions of
hazards and patterns of vulnerability in the context of the developmental
planning process. EIA reports also include an environmental monitoring
plan. Monitoring parameters usually can cover early signals of potential
risks. EIAs applied in the disaster prevention and mitigation phase
can help inform planning for DRR, for instance by providing guidance
on choices mitigation methods (Gupta and Yunus 2004), technology
investments and site locations for activities.
In a post-disaster context, conducting a rapid environmental assessment
(REA) helps to ensure that sustainability concerns are factored into the
relief, reconstruction and recovery planning stages (Gupta et al. 2002). The
REA does not replace an EIA but fills a gap in an emergency context until
an EIA can be appropriately conducted. To conclude on EIA legislations,
here is a summary of EIA key international developments.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

Although EIAs have the significant advantage of being one of the few
legally binding environmental instruments, another limitation is that EIAs
do not analyse cumulative and large scale environmental and social
impacts. Thus, to overcome this limitation, the Strategic Environmental
Analysis (SEA) was developed. They can be defined as “analytical and
participatory approaches to strategic decision-making that aim to integrate
environmental considerations into policies, plans and programmes, and
evaluate the interlinkages with economic and social considerations”
(OECD-DAC 2006).
The World Bank has reviewed the policies of the energy, rural development
and other sectors, in order to integrate environmental concerns at the

EIA DRR/CCA Guidelines in the Philippines

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Technical These Guidelines were formulated to provide EIA
Guidelines for Incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction practitioners and stakeholders with:
(DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) an understanding of the implications of disaster
concerns in the Philippine Environmental Impact and climate change risks in relation to the
Statement System (PEISS; EIA DRR/CCA Technical preparation of an EIA Report;
Guidelines), adopted by Department of Environment
direction on a project-specific basis on how
and Resources, Republic of Philippines in 2011,
disaster risks and climate change need to be
intend to promote CCA and DRR at the project level,
considered in an EIA;
as well as to streamline EIA requirements under the
PEISS. Specifically, the Guidelines aim to: sources of information for use in assessing
disaster risks and climate change implications,
provide enhanced standards for the preparation
and guidance in incorporating DRR and CCA
of EIA Reports that are customized for specific
considerations into the EIA process.
industry types as required under the PEISS; and
to provide guidance for project proponents in Thummarukudy and Kanwar 2014
integrating DRR and CCA concerns in the project
planning stage through the EIA Process to
facilitate review and implementation of projects
by incorporating international best practices.

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 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
macro level and has established an environmental framework for its
country assistance strategies: it intends to make greater use of SEAs
at programme and regional levels. Indeed, the World Bank’s broader
environmental policy has moved from a ‘do no harm’ approach to
minimizing the adverse effects of its projects, to the use of SEAs as part of
a strategy of promoting long-term sustainability (UNEP 2002). Therefore,
an increasing number of developed countries and countries in transition
now make formal provisions for SEA of policies, plans and programmes.
Many developing countries also have planning systems that include
elements of SEA. Indeed, the legal, policy and institutional arrangements
for SEA are more varied than those for project EIA.
SEAs and EIAs also have many similarities and a common foundation. SEAs
were developed largely as a response to the levels and types of decision-
making not covered by EIA. In doing so, SEAs have derived, adapted
and implemented EIA arrangements, procedures and methodologies,
particularly at the plan and programme levels. Other process models
also have been adapted, particularly at the policy level where integrative
appraisal and environmental “tests” compress the basic steps followed in
EIAs, such as screening and reporting.

HOW DO SEAS RELATE TO ECO-DRR/EBA?

In contrast to EIAs, SEAs generally have a broader focus on integrating
environmental considerations into policies, plans or programmes at the
earliest stages of strategic decision-making. They may be applied to a
specific sector or geographical area and ideally prior to the identification
and design of individual projects. For example, in Sri Lanka, the Government
in collaboration with UNDP and UNEP undertook an Integrated Strategic
Environmental Assessment (ISEA) process that took into account major
hazards (storm surges, flooding, strong winds, sea level rise and tsunami)
in defining a sustainable development framework for post-conflict
rebuilding in its Northern Province (PEDRR 2011).

Key international developments in EIA law, policy and institutional arrangements

in the last decade:
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development EC Directive on SEA of certain plans and
calls for use of EIA as an instrument of national programmes (2001) which is to be implemented by
decision-making (Principle 17); other principles member states by 2004.
also relevant to EIA practice (e.g. Principle 15 on UNECE (or Espoo) Convention on EIA in a
the application of the precautionary approach). Transboundary Context (1991) entered into force
UN Conventions on Climate Change and Biological in 1997 as the first EIA-specific international treaty.
Diversity (1992) cite EIA as an implementing Doha Ministerial Declaration encourages
mechanism (Articles 4 and 14 respectively refer). countries to share expertise and experience with
EIA requirements and procedures applied by Members wishing to perform environmental
to loans reviews at the national level (November 2001).
and projects in developing countries. UNECE (or Aarhus) Convention on Access to
Amendment of EC Directive on EIA (1997) Information, Public Participation in Decision
required all member states to be in compliance Making and Access to Justice in Environmental
by 1999; also being transposed into the EIA laws Matters (1998) covers the decisions at the level of
of certain countries in transition, which are in the projects and plans, programmes and policies and,
process of accession to the European Union. by extension, applies to EIA and SEA (Articles 6
and 7 respectively refer).
UNEP 2002

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 Additional resources 11.5 Conclusions
for this chapter Spatial tools are extremely promising for Eco-DRR/EbA. The example
Blue Solutions is a global from Haiti is only one of the endless possibilities of applying GIS and
platform to collate share remote sensing to support spatial analysis and decision making. As with
and generate knowledge many other tools that we will be exploring, we find that spatial tools have
and capacity for sustainable been used for collecting data and tracking ecosystem health on the one
management and equitable hand, and on the other for assessing post-disaster damages. It is only
governance of our blue planet: recently that we are finding an emerging interest in merging these two
http://bluesolutions.info/ applications, for example using spatial data on ecosystem services for
disaster prevention or to improve land use planning and research on Eco-
Marine Spatial Planning
DRR/EbA. Despite the opportunities, accurate and high-resolution spatial
Concierge, a website to
data may be lacking for many parts of the world, which can be a limitation
facilitate marine spatial
to applying this tool. But certain software, such as InVEST models can be
planning. http://geointerest.
applied even in data poor countries. And fortunately, most countries are
frih.org/msp/
now investing in spatial data infrastructure.
For free SMCE software,
Most of the tools and approaches presented above are not new and have
developed by ITC:
been the mainstay of natural resources management for decades. What
http://www.itc.nl/ilwis/
is innovative is the greater emphasis on combining land use planning
downloads/ilwis33.asp
and community-based natural resources management with risk reduction
NASA ARSET for applied (see next chapters), yet such approaches are yet to be mainstreamed.
remote sensing training Fortunately, in many countries a risk assessment or risk zoning is
and free webinars. mandatory for land use planning approaches (e.g. the consideration of
http://arset.gsfc.nasa.gov/ flood, storm, earthquake or avalanche risk zones as done in Austria or
For GIS software for flooding in the Netherlands). While this is a promising development,
and applications: growing pressures due to population growth, a growing demand for land
http://freegis.org/ and increasing risks induced by climate change impacts are resulting in
new planning challenges. At the same time, community involvement is
http://www.esri.com/
increasingly considered as crucial and is being mainstreamed into EIA
software/arcgis/explorer
legislation. Communities have a crucial role in disaster risk reduction as
they are often the first responders in case of a hazard event, often with
expert knowledge of areas at risk, whereas, a purely top-down disaster
risk management and response approach may fail to address specific
local needs.
EIAs and SEAs are very promising tools to this effect and are among the
few legislated tools that set out to protect environmental resources. To
date, with a few exceptions, there has been little effort to integrate DRR
in EIAs. There is therefore a huge untapped potential to institutionalize
Eco-DRR/EbA by integrating DRR with EIAs and SEAs.

136
 Incorporating ecosystems in risk assessments
11
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Abaza, H., Bisset, R. and Sadler, B. (2004). Environmental PEDRR (2011). Demonstrating the Role of Ecosystem-based
Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Management for Disaster Risk Reduction. 2011 Global
Assessment: Towards an Integrated Approach. Geneva: Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. PEDRR.
UNEP. https://unep.ch/etu/publications/textONUBr.pdf https://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/2011/
Accessed 26 July 2019. en/bgdocs/PEDRR_2010.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019.
Bhatt, R.P and Khanal, S.K. (2009). Environmental Impact Sadler, B. (1999). A framework for environmental,
Assessment System in Nepal – An Overview of Policy, Legal sustainability assessment and assurance. Handbook of
Instruments and process. Kathmandu University Journal of environmental impact assessment, Oxford: Blackwell.
Science, Engineering and Technology, 5(2), 160-170. DOI:
Sadler, B. (1996). Environmental Assessment in a changing
10.4314/ajest.v4i9.71316.
world: Evaluating Practice to Improve Performance.
Boerboom, L., Flacke, J., Sharifi, A. and Atlan, O. (2009). International Study of the Effectiveness of Environmental
Web-based spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) software. Assessment. Ottawa: International Association for Impact
https://www.academia.edu/27497880/Web-Based_Spatial_ Assessment/Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
Multi-Criteria_Evaluation_SMCE_Software Accessed
Sadler, B. and Verheem, R. (1996). Strategic environmental
25 July 2019.
assessment: key issues emerging from recent practice.
Chambers, R. (1994). The Origins and Practice of The Hague: Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and
Participatory Rural Appraisal. World Development, 22(7), the Environment.
953-969. DOI: 10.1016/0305-750X(94)90141-4.
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2012).
do Carmo Dias Bueno, M. (2011). Spatial Data: Use Cities and Biodiversity Outlook. Montreal: Secretariat
and Dissemination. IBGE. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/ of the Convention on Biological Diversity. https://
demographic/meetings/wshops/Chile_31May11/docs/ sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1104cbo-
country/brazil02-s10.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019. action-policy-en.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019.
Gupta, A.K., Kumar, A., Misra, J, and Yunus, M. (2002). Thummarukudy, M. and Sharma Kanwar, S. (2014).
Environmental Impact Assessment and Disaster BACKGROUND PAPER Prepared for the 2015 Global
Management: Emerging Disciplines of Higher Education Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015:
and Practice. In Environmental Education. Srivastava, P. and Disaster Risk Reduction is an integral objective of
Singh, D.P. (eds.). New Delhi: Anmol Publishers. 7- 23. DOI: environment related policies and plans, including for land
10.13140/RG.2.2.32500.55682. use, natural resource management and adaptation to climate
change, Geneva: UNEP. https://www.preventionweb.net/
Gupta, A.K. and Yunus, M. (2004). India and WSSD (Rio +10)
english/hyogo/gar/2015/en/bgdocs/UNEP,%202014.pdf
Johannesburg: Issues of National Concern and International
Accessed 26 July 2019.
Strategies. Current Science, 87(1), 37-43. http://www.iisc.
ernet.in/~currsci/jul102004/37.pdf. Accessed 26 July 2019. UNEP (2002). Training session outline: Topic 2: Law, policy
and institutional arrangements for EIA systems. In EIA
Natural Capital Project.InVEST: Integrated Valuation
Training Resource Manual. Sadler, B. and McCabe, M. (eds.).
of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs. http://www.
Geneva: UNEP. https://unep.ch/etu/publications/EIA_2ed/
naturalcapitalproject.org/pubs/InVEST_brochure.pdf
EIA_E_top2_body.PDF Accessed 26 July 2019.
Accessed 26 July 2019.
UNEP (2016). Coastal Partners: applying ecosystem-based
NOAA. What is remote sensing? http://oceanservice.noaa.
disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) through a ridge-to-reef
gov/facts/remotesensing.html Accessed 16 February 2015.
approach in Port Salut, Haiti. Geneva: UNEP.
OECD (2006). DAC Guidelines and Reference Series:
World Bank (1999). OP 4.01 – Environmental Assessment.
Applying Strategic Environmental Assessment: Good
Operational Manual. https://policies.worldbank.org/sites/
Practice Guidance for Development Cooperation. Paris:
ppf3/PPFDocuments/090224b0822f7384.pdf Accessed
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26 July 2019.
development/37353858.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019.
World Bank (2012). Strategic environmental assessment
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worldbank.org/curated/en/729811468331017746/
Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Strategic-environmental-assessment-in-the-World-Bank-
Resources Environmental Impact Assessment (2011). learning-from-recent-experience-and-challenges Accessed
Technical Guidelines for Incorporating Disaster Risk 26 July 2019.
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Concerns under the Philippine EIS System (EIA DRR/CCA
Technical Guidelines).

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Chapter 12
Gender, disaster risk reduction
and community-based tools
for ecosystem-based disaster
risk reduction and adaptation

Key questions
Why are gender considerations important
in DRR?
How can gender considerations be practically
taken into account in Eco-DRR/EbA?
What role do communities play in managing
ecosystems and how can they be involved
in natural resource and risk management?

© Oli Brown/UNEP

138
 Gender, disaster risk reduction and community-based tools for
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation 12
12.1 Disaster risk reduction and gender Advantages of
One important factor of community-based DRR is to integrate the voices gender-balanced DRR
that are marginalised in crisis periods, including those of women, especially “Disaster risk reduction that
those from underprivileged locations, and gender minority groups. Gender delivers gender equality is a
issues and power relations in general that are important are often not cost-effective win-win option
sufficiently considered while designing gender-responsive policies and for reducing vulnerability and
programs. Cultural norms and institutional barriers can get in the way of sustaining the livelihoods of
full inclusion of women and other gender minorities in community-based whole communities.”
DRR. The gender mainstreaming approach adopted by the UN and other
Margareta Wahlström,
international organisations places importance on integrating a gender UN Assistant Secretary-General
perspective into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, for Disaster Risk Reduction
and allocation of resources in all planned policies and programs.
As seen in Chapters 2 and 9, women’s experiences and needs should be
taken into account and women should be included in the DRR process.
First of all, human security is a fundamental human right and furthermore
empowerment of women can make a big difference to the success of DRR
programs (UNISDR 2008). Indeed, without a gender sensitive approach,
not all society is taken into account and this can potentially increase or
exacerbate vulnerability or exposure. Involving women at all stages of the
DRR process, from post-disaster to pre-disaster preparedness can thus
improve a community’s response and resourcefulness (Figure 12.1).

Figure 12.1
Women capacitated to participate
effectively in natural resource
governance and management.
© UNEP 2015

There are many instances of successful DRR programs that demonstrate

a) how women may specifically hold the knowledge to strengthen local
capabilities in disaster risk management, b) how women’s activities can
simultaneously conserve the environment and develop entrepreneurship,
and c) how women’s gender-specific roles can be used as a starting point
to combat the adverse effects of climate change while also challenging
traditional gender roles.

139
 Case Studies

An initiative in Bolivia, “Reducing vulnerability through indigenous

knowledge of ‘Yapuchiri’ (‘sowers’) in Bolivia”, aimed to support and use
traditional knowledge of climate prediction for better decision-making in
agricultural production and risk management. Gradually, it turned to a
focus on strengthening human capabilities of both women and men in
rural communities. Local groups of technology suppliers were formed,
called yapuchiris, who sell their services at market prices to other farmers.
Those services are ten times cheaper than training offered by engineers,
and just 20% less efficient. The initiative started in October 2006 and
concluded in July 2008, covering two complete agricultural cycles. The
first cycle emphasized climate prediction through the observation of local
flora and fauna. This allowed for crop planning that was more sensitive
to risk. The yield losses were reduced by 30-40% in this first cycle. The
second cycle then focused increasingly on the empowerment of women
in market participation. That year, yield losses from frost, flooding, drought
and hail were also reduced by 80-90%.
The initiative strengthened local capabilities in disaster risk management by
consolidating and spreading indigenous knowledge through local experts.
This has reduced vulnerability to this harsh area’s hydrometeorological
hazards, particularly frost, rain and hailstorms, and conversely, extreme
heat and dryness, which are predicted to intensify due to climate change.
The yapuchiris’ increased outreach to communities in the face of climate
shifts will prove a significant step in increasing the region’s resilience to
these changes. The inclusion of women’s expertise in the yapuchiri system

Women’s Leadership in Implementation of Disaster Preparedness Measures in Bangladesh

Some remote coastal villages in southern addressed by the project were special types of
Bangladesh are not yet reached by the country’s vulnerability such as violence, sexual harassment
elaborate national disaster management system. and limited access to recovery support. Women’s
In light of the above, Action Against Hunger (ACF) forums served as key catalysts to raise and
implemented a DRR pilot project in 10 villages, address such concerns. The women’s forums
establishing a Village Disaster Management offered them a place to talk about general and
Committee (VDMC) and a Women’s Committee specific feminine issues (health, pregnancy,
in each of them. The project targeted over 4,000 menstrual hygiene management, etc.). But the
households, mostly female-headed households pilot project was a new experience for women in
and poor women’s households highly exposed to the selected villages, and many of the women’s
disaster risks. When the tropical storm Mahsen forum members never had an opportunity to
struck in May 2013, shortly after the end of the participate in village meetings previously. Forums
project, the women put in practice the disaster served as key catalysts to raise and address such
preparedness measures that were explained to concerns. The women’s forums offered them a
them. They protected their lives and livelihoods, on place to talk about general and specific feminine
their own initiative, without the intervention of the issues (health, pregnancy, menstrual hygiene
national disaster management system. management, etc.). But the pilot project was a new
The successful implementation of preparedness experience for women in the selected villages, and
measures can be attributed largely to women’s many of the women’s forum members never had
leadership. Indeed, a large percentage of the an opportunity to participate in village meetings
households targeted by the project were either previously.
female-headed or those of women living in Adapted from UNISDR (2015) Women’s Leadership in Risk-
Resilient Development: Good Practices and Lessons Learned
extremely poor conditions and highly exposed to
disaster risk. Other gender dimensions/issues

140
 Gender, disaster risk reduction and community-based tools for
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation 12
has been vital for transferring agricultural success into stable livelihoods,
through women’s traditional skills and roles in crop and seed storage, and
in accessing markets. The gender element of the system arose from the
need to focus and improve on productive farm work assigned to women.
For instance, women are traditionally responsible for the storage of
seeds and reproductive materials but not every woman in the community
manages this at a high standard. Women yapuchiris were storing a very
wide quantity of potato varieties, grain seeds, and other species, including
medicines. Moreover, they researched and knew under which conditions
and where to sow every species and variety. They had the knowledge
to design strategies for risk management and assisted other women
farmers in doing so. In a majority of cases, women yapuchiris did not
only transfer knowledge, but helped to build up analytical capabilities of
farming women. The female yapuchiris are also taking an active role in
adaptive risk management, and in monitoring bioindicators of climate and
weather-related hazards.

The Sinsibere project in Mali aimed to reduce desertification by developing

sustainable sources of income for rural women as an alternative to their
commerce in wood. These alternative livelihoods include vegetable
gardens and making shea butter products like soap. An important part
of the success of these alternative sources of income was a microloan
system that was developed for the women’s groups who participated.
This system made it possible to kickstart female entrepreneurship in the
villages. The project is based on the Local Environmental Plan that the
municipal councils and the local people developed collaboratively, and so,
has been a cooperative effort between the project workers and the local
communities from the beginning. Literacy and mathematical courses
have been organized for the women so that they are able to manage the
micro loans and small commerce, encouraging entrepreneurship.

Pintadas is located in the Northeastern region of Brazil, the poorest

region in the country where 42% of the population, or 18.8 million people,
are poor. About half of them live in rural areas, with income and life
expectancy well below the national average. The region is characterized
by a semi-arid climate with very little precipitation, high temperatures, a
deep groundwater table, sandy soils and prolonged periods of drought.
Water scarcity in rural areas of Northeastern Brazil seriously affects the
economic development of entire villages, because of the limited water
available for sanitation and agriculture.
The Project Pintadas Solar is an innovative good practice as it
encompasses irrigation and energy efficient technologies for small scale
agriculture. Women and other members of the family can learn to use it,
and the irrigation can also be used at the level of the household.
Both women and men are learning how to handle new irrigation and water
management technologies for the improvement of small-scale agriculture.
In the history of Pintadas this is a breakthrough. Due to the participatory
process of the initiative and grassroots work with the local Women’s
Association, gender analysis was a strong factor in choosing beneficiaries,
and technologies that could be effectively implemented by all. The impact
of this initiative reduces the risks of food and water shortage during
the long periods of drought in this region that are becoming even more
intense, consistent with climate change predictions.

141
Figure 12.2 Figure 12.3
Planning Eco-DRR in Sudan © UNEP 2017 Re-greening in Sudan © UNEP 2017

A project, funded by the European Commission, led by UNEP and Practical

Action Sudan between 2012-2015, partnering with local communities and
the state government, won the 2017 Land for Life award for improving
food security and disaster resilience and reducing community tensions
through sustainable management of dryland areas of North Dafur. Women
were involved in every stage from planning, to training and implementation
(Figure 12.2)
Natural resource management and rehabilitation of the landscape through
community forests and planting were an important component that was
managed by women to support community forestry and household
agroforestry while re-greening the landscape (Figure 12.3; UNEP 2016).

WOMEN AS STEWARDS OF CHANGE: ECO-DRR/EBA AS

A NECESSITY AND OPPORTUNITY
Given the important involvement many women have in natural resource
management, Eco-DRR/EbA strategies can be seen to provide an
opportunity for women’s groups, planners and policy makers to bring
together goals of SGD 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women
and girls) and 15 (Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and
halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss), insights of
the GAD framework and expected outcomes of the SFDRR (that also
mentions the crucial role of gender in DRR, among others in the guilding
principles, stressing that DRR requires an all-of-society engagement and
partnership that includes, among others, gender). Women’s knowledge,
often unrecognized or dismissed as unimportant in policy discussions
and planning processes, can be a powerful tool to deal with environmental
changes and to prepare for disasters. Some long-term impacts of planning
for disasters using gender-sensitive Eco-DRR/EbA strategies are as follows:
Reduced gender-based vulnerability especially to slow-onset climate-
related hazards such as drought, land degradation, sea-level rise etc.
Disasters – both slow and rapid onset ones - pose developmental
challenges for people and countries. Minimizing the impact of
disasters is important for the well-being of a nation’s population and
to reduce the economic impact and social costs of disasters.
Ensuring women’s well-being also ensures the well-being of children
in families and maintains positive social dynamics.

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In the long-term, Eco-DRR/EbA is an opportunity to address the
complexities of interactional gendered dimensions, thus contributing
to the sustainable development goal to “leave no one behind.”
While social norms can make women more vulnerable to disasters, the
unique position of women and their strengths can be used to plan for
Eco-DRR/EbA strategies. The challenge is to ensure that Eco-DRR/EbA
measures are planned in such a way that they do not place additional
burden on women – mainly in terms of labour and time. Some broad
recommendations on what effective Eco-DRR strategies can do are:
1. Building skills to do more rewarding productive and community roles;
2. Education of both girls/women can go a long way in enabling women
to increase their leadership roles in NR management, governance,
decision making
3. Educating boys/men in sharing responsibility for reproductive roles will
also reduce women’s burden and free up time for community roles;
4. Changing ownership of, and access to resources to reduce vulnerability.
Accomplishing these necessarily involve a gradual change in power relations
too, a process that can also lead to changing women’s and men’s gender
roles. As a society adapts to social, environmental, political, and economic
changes, the gender power dynamics may also shift. Changes to the gender
relationship can occur from within a society (as when women contest gender-
based inequities) or result from external forces. Recognising and rewarding
the caring and community roles that women do while being sensitive to social
relations can help in increased women’s participation that can ultimately
be empowering. Thus, Eco-DRR/EbA can present a unique opportunity to
redefine social norms through a gender and development framework, while
being in tune with the SDGs 5 and 15, and the Sendai Framework.

SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES AND DISASTER

RISK REDUCTION
While a long way has still to go to ensure inclusiveness of women in DRR
and CCA despite efforts and success stories, mainstreaming other sexual
and gender minorities into DRR and CCA has lagged behind (McSherry et
al. 2014). Yet, studies show that these minorities can be highly vulnerable
to disasters because their needs are not taken into account and they may
be discriminated against in both unobvious and obvious ways (Gorman-
Murray et al. 2014; Gaillard et al. 2016).
Yet at the same time, these minorities can show great resilience and be an
asset during disasters (Gorman-Murray et al. 2014, McSherry et al. 2014).
In Indonesia, warias are males that adopt female features and identity.
During the 2010 eruption of Mt Merapi, many warias chose not to stay
in temporary shelter because of the gender binary prescribed and feared
hostility (Balgos et al. 2012). However, a formalised group of warias, a
genders rights advocacy group (PLU) responded to the crisis by providing
free haircuts and make-up in evacuation centers as well as a drag queen
contest to raise money for evacuees (Balgos et al. 2012).
In the Philippines, bakla are male who identify with female identity and
often perform female duties. During disasters, their experience is one
of further discomfort because shelters are usually binary and can face
other discrimination and harassment. A community DRR project in the
Philippines, included bakla to learn of their needs and also their potential
roles during evacuation. The focus groups discussions and plans including
youth bakla helped reduce anti-bakla discrimination and harassment in
one village (McSherry et al. 2014).

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 GENDER BALANCED ECO-DRR PROJECTS
To help make gender-responsive, Eco-DRR projects and/or policies that
consider the nexus between ecosystem management and DRR, a checklist
was developed (see Additional Resources at the end of the chapter). Two
key reasons underlie the development of this check list: a) the current global
policy environment that aims to seriously tackle gender-based disparities,
and b) the lack of sufficiently comparable national/regional-level data sets
that enables policy-makers to frame gender-responsive policies.
Tackling gender-based disparities and advancing gender equality is
a concern reflected in the policy approaches of the United Nations in
every area of its work, such as the CEDAW General Recommendations,
Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework, the Aichi
Targets, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
etc. Ensuring that Eco-DRR measures are in step with the general policy
environment is timely and appropriate.
Literature about disasters and their consequences in various parts of
the world are readily available. While these provide anecdotal evidence
about the gendered impact of disasters, there is a lack of qualitative
and quantitative gender-disaggregated data that is comparable across
countries, over time. As a result, to frame gender-responsive DRR policies
and programs, reliable indicators gleaned from survey of literature around
gender is necessary. This checklist hopes to accomplish this task and
will be useful for policy makers, project planners, and project level
implementors. However, it is important to ensure that this checklist is
used as a guide for projects and not as just a checkbox system to label a
project as gender-sensitive.
The gender markers used in this checklist draws from UNEP’s Gender
Marker Two-Pager series that assesses “how well gender is integrated
into a new project document”.4 Explanation for the four criteria used in this
checklist can be found in the first document of this series.

12.2 Communities and natural resource

and risk management
In most planning processes, participatory processes are obligatory,
ranging from simple information to complex collaborative decision-making
schemes. Communities play a crucial role in sustainable land management
and DRR. They often have expert knowledge about their environments and
are the most dependent on clean water and locally available resources for
sustenance. So including their knowledge in planning is beneficial, while
at the same time awareness of the plans, policies and their rights can
enhance their resilience. When a disaster strikes, communities are often
isolated and must rely on their own skills and resources to save lives and
livelihoods until outside assistance arrives, if at all. Often communities
are left alone during that phase until help from outside arrives and their
knowledge to maintain the local ecosystem and its goods can save lives.
The management approach that can help sustaining these benefits is called
Community-based Natural Resource and Risk Management (CBNRRM), an
approach that combines the sustainable management of natural resources

4 The Gender Marker series can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/

folders/0B-nbHeF2bGUMY2NFTE5KeVZ6YjQ

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 Gender, disaster risk reduction and community-based tools for
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation 12
Figure 12.4
Stakeholders in CBNRRM.
© S. Sandholz 2013

and risks in a given area. It combines the concept of “co-management”

of natural resources (IUCN 2007) with community-based disaster risk
reduction (Abarquez and Murshed 2004) (Figure 12.4).
Usually at the community level, managing resources, disaster and climate
risks are interlinked and should be interlinked, while at the institutional
level, we continue to insert institutional divides. By linking natural
resources management with risk management and enhancing community
capacities to link both, we create much stronger approaches.
But communities can be extremely diverse. The term “community”
generally refers to a group of people sharing a common interest in a
certain area (i.e., residents of a village, a religious entity, a local civil-
society organization, etc.), who are not necessarily homogenous or
conflict-free. Thus, it is critical to CBNRRM to develop dialogues and
cooperation schemes within the community and between community and
other stakeholders. Beside the community itself, other potential actors
to be involved in a holistic management scheme include governmental
agencies, the private sector, NGOs, the media and academia. This is
crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability of a project and to avoid
parallel and potentially incoherent or even conflicting planning.
The Eco-DRR project in Sudan, mentioned above, required establishing
dialogue with various community actors that had quite different needs
(pastoralists and farming communities), which created tension and Figure 12.5
conflict. The project brought together all stakeholders to improve Sudan Eco-DRR project.
Left: Consensus building in Sudan
governance of land and water resources at the community-level in order to
on the location and purpose of
enhance community resilience to water hazards and promote sustainable migratory routes.
drylands management (Figure 12.5). Right: Resource conflict prevention.
© UNEP 2017

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 This entailed several measures:
Establishment of a Water Resource Management Committee that is
responsible for the water retention structure, for undertaking early
warning and preparedness for flood and drought, and for ensuring
that water is proportionally distributed. The committee also liaises
with wider landscape management programmes and the government
and NGOs.
Demarcation of the migratory route for pastoralist communities in
order to reduce potential conflict over animals entering farmlands,
and farms encroaching into rangelands.
CBNRRM creates an environment where people in communal areas
can actively manage their ecosystems and reduce risk by working
on preparedness. The following chapter will detail environmental
management tools that can be used in conjunction with spatial planning
and community approaches. It will also be important that the community
prepares through the installation of early warning and other preparedness
measures, such as having shelters for example.

12.3 Conclusions
Inclusion of women in DRR and CCA at all levels is important for reducing
the impact of hazards and for sustainable and equitable development.
Beyond women, it is also important to take into account all gender diversity
as other gender minorities, from LGBTI group for example, can otherwise
be left out of the process and also suffer from the consequences such as
not being able to access services that require binary gender or that are
discriminatory (Gaillard et al. 2016).
NGOs and international development organisations are more and more
incorporating gender-sensitive issues in their work, thanks to the advocacy
and work also done on international levels (Aguilar 2015). Empowering
women and other gender minorities at leadership level is important as still
too few are found at this level. The empowering and engagement in DRR
can lead to many successes and reduce impact. Especially in terms of
Eco-DRR/EbA in some countries, women and other minorities can make
a big difference due to their involvement in natural resource management.
Community participation in natural resource and risk management involves
more than consultation and active work. It involves communication,
capacity building, making links with different organisations at all levels
from community to government and can be challenging. However,
working through the process from risk assessment, to planning and
finally management as a community can help foster understanding and
innovations and finally longevity of the process.

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 Gender, disaster risk reduction and community-based tools for
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation 12
Gender Marker 1: Context
1 Does the program present a gender analysis at the international level? Y/N
2 Does the program present a gender analysis at the national level? Y/N
3 Does the program present a gender analysis at the field- level? Y/N
4 Does the program present statistics and examples to supplement or substantiate Y/N
the gender analysis?

5 Does the program have any experts or partner organisations who are specifically Y/N
skilled in gender analysis at the field-level?

Gender Marker 2: Implementation

Design
1 Does the program resonate with international approaches or frameworks to Y/N
addressing gender? (For example: gender mainstreaming, gender and development,
gender components of SDGs, Sendai framework, CEDAW General Recommendation
No. 37, Aichi Target 14, UNFCCC)

2 Does the program propose concrete measures to address gender-based inequalities? Y/N

3 Do the proposed measures show a clear causal pathway between activities and Y/N
outputs (results) to close specific gender gaps?

4 Does the planned program build on any gender stereotypes? Y/N

5 Does the planned program reinforce stereotyped gender expectations? Y/N
6 Does the planned program have any components that challenge existing gender norms? Y/N
7 Do the planned activities take into account women’s daily routines and responsibilities? Y/N
(For example: training programs planned at times convenient for women)
8 Can women who work outside the household participate in the planned Y/N
program activities?

9 Can women who work within the household participate in the planned Y/N
program activities?
Monitoring and Evaluation
10 Does the planned program account for differences between women and men Y/N
depending on their class/race/ethnic/caste positions or other relevant
identity markers?
11 Does the program use data collection tools that are gender-responsive (For example: Y/N
questionnaires that account for gender-specific activities, focus group discussions or
stakeholder consultations that involve women and enable meaningful participation
of women and men in separate and mixed spaces, interviews with both men and
women etc.)

12 Does the program use tools that show gender-disaggregated patterns? Y/N
(For example: patterns of time use, income earning work, invisible reproductive work,
community work?)
13a Does the planned program have the potential to negatively affect women from any Y/N
community in any way?

13b If yes, does the program include plans for mitigation of backlash or risks that women Y/N
may potentially face?
14 Does the planned program put any additional non-remunerated burden on any group Y/N
of women when compared to men or other women?

Staffing
15 Does the program have gender balance in staffing? Y/N
16 Does the program have women in leadership positions among its staff? Y/N

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 Gender Marker 3: Log frame
1 Can the program demonstrate/target gender specific outcomes that measure Y/N
women’s participation, influence, shifts in attitudes about women’s capabilities
and leadership in the short term? (Example: creating awareness through gender
research, training programmes, distribution of pamphlets, creating opportunities and
spaces conducive for women’s increased participation, having women in leadership
positions in field-level activities etc)
2 Can the program demonstrate/target gender specific outcomes that measure Y/N
women’s participation, influence, shifts in attitudes about women’s capabilities and
leadership in the medium term?
3 Can the program demonstrate/target gender specific outcomes that measure Y/N
women’s participation, influence, shifts in attitudes about women’s capabilities and
leadership outcomes in the long term?
4 Does the program explicitly show gender-disaggregated results? (For example: Y/N
questionnaire/survey analysis disaggregated for gender, even when considering
other vulnerabilities such as class, race, disability, age increased participation of
women in Eco-DRR activities, increased number of women leaders?)
5 Does the program have the potential to bring about outcomes that challenge/change Y/N
gendered work patterns at any stage? (example: creating Eco-DRR related jobs for
women that can be paid, increased participation of women in paid work, sharing
of unpaid work by all members of the household, sharing of caring jobs, sharing or
reduced burden for reproductive work such as collecting water, firewood,
water management)

Gender Marker 4: Budget

1 Is the program budget gender-responsive? (Example, through allocation for Y/N
specifically hiring international, national, local gender experts; making loans available
for women for empowering individual and group entrepreneurial activities; allocation
for providing assistance for victims of domestic violence in a post-disaster
scenario etc?)
2 Does the program budget account for expenses for advancing gender equality? Y/N
(Example, holding gender sensitisation training/awareness programs, printing/
distribution of pamphlets, distribution of bicycles for girls to go to school, scholarships
for girls/women to undertake training, childcare etc.)
3 Does the budget reflect any investment in changing gendered expectations from Y/N
women and men and/or their work patterns? (Example: paying women to attend
certain training programs thus valuing their time and effort instead of taking it
for granted.)

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REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Abarquez, I. and Murshed, Z. (2004). Community-based Renaud, F.G., Sudmeier-Rieux, K. and Estrella, M. (2013). The
. role of ecosystems in disaster risk reduction. Tokyo: United
Bangkok: Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre. http://www. Nations University Press.http://collections.unu.edu/view/
adpc.net/pdr-sea/publications/12handbk.pdf Accessed UNU:1995 Accessed 26 July 2019.
26 July 2019. Rex, H.C. and Trohanis, Z. (2012). Making women’s voices
Aguilar, L., Granat, M., and Owren, C. (2015). Roots for count: integrating gender issues in disaster risk management:
the Future: The landscape and Way forward on Gender overview and resources for guidance notes. East Asia and
and Climate Change. Washington, DC: IUCN and GGCA.
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/ no. 10. Gender and disaster risk management. Washington,
documents/2015-039.pdf Accessed 26 July 2019. DC: World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/
en/2012/10/16875436/making-womens-voices-count-
Balgos, B., Gaillard, J.C. and Sanz, K. (2012). The warias of
integrating-gender-issues-disaster-risk-management-
Indonesia in disaster risk reduction: the case of the 2010
overview-resources-guidance-notes. Accessed 25 July 2019.
Mt Merapi eruption in Indonesia. Gender and Development,
20(2), 337-348. DOI: 10.1080/13552074.2012.687218. UNEP (2016). Wadi Partners: food security and disaster
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Berkes, F., Kofinas, G. P., and Chapin III, S. F. (2009).
North Dafur, Sudan. Geneva: UNEP.
Conservation, Community, and Livelihoods: Sustaining,
Renewing, and Adapting Cultural Connections to the Land. UNISDR (2008). Gender perspectives: integrating
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Natural Resource Management in a Changing World. Chapin Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.unisdr.org/files/3391_
III, S. F., Kofinas, G. P., and Folke, C. (eds.). New York: GenderPerspectivesIntegratingDRRCCGood20Practices.pdf
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London: IIED, Tehran: IUCN CEESP CMWG. handbookfinalonlineversion.pdf Accessed 5 January 2015.
Brink, E., Aalders, T., Ádám, D., Feller, R., Henselek, Y., UNISDR (2014). Gender Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction:
Hoffmann, A., Ibe, K., Matthey-Doret, A., Meyer, M., A contribution by the United Nations to the consultation
Negrut, N.L., Rau, A.-L., Riewerts, B., von Schuckmann, L., leading to the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk
Törnros, S., von Wehrden, H., Abson, D.J. and Wamsler, C. Reduction (WCDRR) 2014. Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.
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Gaillard, J. C., Sanz, K., Balgos, B. C., Dalisay, S. N. M., Reduction Gender-Sensitive Policy and Practical Guidelines.
Gorman-Murray, A., Smith, F. and Toelupe, V. (2016). Geneva: UNDRR. https://www.unisdr.org/files/9922_
Beyond men and women: a critical perspective on gender MakingDisasterRiskReductionGenderSe.pdf Accessed 5
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Accessed 25 July 2019.

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Chapter 13
Sustainable land and water
management tools and approaches
for ecosystem-based disaster risk
reduction and adaptation

Key questions
What are main management tools and approaches
for Eco-DRR/EbA?
How do such tools work and how can Eco-DRR/EbA
be integrated?

© UNEP 2009

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 Sustainable land and water management tools and approaches for
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation 13
13.1 Management tools and approaches Tools and approaches
for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction We refer to IWRM or ICZM
and adaptation as management approaches,
or processes to addressing
This chapter provides an overview of main Eco-DRR/EbA management planning issues related to
tools and approaches for long-term risk reduction. These need to water resources or coastal
be integrated with the cross-cutting themes of spatial planning and areas. Each management
community-based involvement. approach will have a set of
While the focus will be on Integrated Water Resource Management tools (e.g., GIS, land use and
(IWRM), this chapter will also briefly describe: risk mapping) that it uses to
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) enable decision-makers or
project managers to make
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
informed choices between a
Integrated Fire Management (IFM) set of management actions.
Protected Area Management (PAM)
Most of the approaches and tools presented here are found in the context
of natural resources management. They are appropriate and can be very
effective for reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate change.
However, their link with DRR is not commonly made because disaster
managers do not always consider the role of ecosystem in reducing
disaster risk.
Integrated Water Resource Management or IWRM is one of the most
common approaches for Eco-DRR/EbA as water-related disasters are
those which affect most people around the globe. IWRM is a governance
and development process to manage water, land and related resources,
in order to maximize economic and social welfare. Good IWRM means
better policies for improved catchment management, enhanced sanitation
services, reduced pollution, and good governance – all factors which can
help in DRR/CCA practice (Figure 13.1) (Blackwell and Maltby 2006,
Butterworth et al. 2010).

INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

What is it? Governance and development process
to manage water, land and related resources.
Why is it done? Many disasters are result of too
much or too little water.
How is it done? Through a flexible common-sense
approach that creates an enabling environment,
defines an institutional framework, and develops
appropriate management instruments.

REFERENCES:
Global Water Partnership (GWP)
http://www.gwp.org/en/The-Challenge/
What-is-IWRM/
The UN interagency mechanism on all freshwater Figure 13.1
related issues, including sanitation (UN Water) Water reservoir in Morocco.
http://www.unwater.org/ © S. Sandholz

Capacity Development in Sustainable Water

Management (Cap-Net UNDP)
http://www.cap-net.org/

151
 Sustainable Land Management or SLM includes management practices
in agriculture and forestry aiming at sustaining ecosystem services
and livelihoods. Agroforestry systems combine agricultural and forestry
practices to create productive and at the same time healthy land-use
systems. Due to the improvement of soil stability and reduced run-
off, disasters such as landslides and flooding can be reduced while at
the same time providing benefits to livelihoods (Figure 13.2) (Sanz et
al. 2017).

Figure 13.2
Agroforestry system in Brazil. © U. Nehren

SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT

What is it? Multi-disciplinary approach combining agriculture
and forestry.
Why is it done? To combine productive agriculture and forestry
systems with sustainable land use.
How is it done? Using soils, water, animals and plants, for the
production of goods to meet changing human needs, while
simultaneously ensuring the long-term productive potential of these
resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions.

REFERENCES:
World Overview of Conservation Approaches
and Technologies
https://www.wocat.net/
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on
Sustainable Land Management
http://www.fao.org/nr/land/sustainable-land-management/en/

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