Rajib Shaw

National Adaptation Programme of Action

National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) provide a process for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to identify priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs to adapt to climate change—those for which further delay would increase vulnerability and/or costs at a later stage. The steps for the preparation of the NAPAs include synthesis of available information, participatory assessment of vulnerability to current climate variability and extreme events and of areas where risks would increase due to climate change, identification of key adaptation measures as well as criteria for prioritizing activities, and selection of a prioritized short list of activities. Bangladesh National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) was prepared by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in partnership with relevant specialized Agencies and institutions as a response to the decision of the Seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP7) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The updated NAPA 2009 is well aligned with the BCCSAP and would address the following thematic pillars in terms of identifying short and medium term adaptation measures: (a) ensuring food security and pro-poor social protection of the climate vulnerable people; (b) strengthen comprehensive disaster management programme; (c) climate resilient infrastructure development including sustainable cities; (d) mainstreaming climate change in local and national development; (e) capacity enhancement including research and knowledge management and institutional strengthening and (f) strategic natural resource management as an adaptation response to climate change including wise use of wetlands, rivers, flood plain system.

Indian Ocean tsunami and aftermath: Need for environment‐disaster synergy in the reconstruction process

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview on two specific issues of reconstruction process: environment disaster linkage, and cross‐learning among affected countries. The paper also demonstrates a unique community‐based reconstruction program in three affected countries.Design/methodology/approach – Two approaches are adopted in the paper: one, description of salient features of past reconstruction process, roles of different stakeholders, and vulnerability reduction – human security context. The other part is description of a specific program highlighting its goal, objective, scope and activities. Focus is given on the community‐based reconstruction process with in‐depth analysis, followed by the dissemination of the results to wider communities.Findings – The major finding of the paper is that the reconstruction process should be considered as development opportunity, and should be linked to vulnerability reduction measures of the community, which, in long term, will lead to enhanceme...

Towards an integrated approach of disaster and environment management: A case study of Thua Thien Hue province, central Viet Nam

Abstract Disasters and environmental degradation create serious problems all around the world. They are inherently linked, but little attention is paid to their interaction, particularly at local levels. The degree of integration of disaster management and risk analysis with environmental management programs in relation to human vulnerability has been examined in Thua Thien Hue Province, Central Viet Nam. Unsustainable agricultural practices, and inappropriate development programs have contributed substantially to the increase of disaster risks. On the other hand, disasters damage natural resources and reduce environmental quality, indirectly contributing to increasing poverty which in turn, adds to the vulnerability of both natural and human systems, so further increasing disaster losses. Notwithstanding, in Viet Nam, there is a big gap between disaster and environment management policies and programs. In order to bridge the gap, an integrated approach in which environment-disaster linkage, rural—urban linkage, and poverty are brought into focus as core aspects of disaster management.

Catastrophic flood and forest cover change in the Huong river basin, central Viet Nam: A gap between common perceptions and facts

Recent catastrophic floods in Viet Nam have been increasingly linked to land use and forest cover change in the uplands. Despite the doubts that many scientists have expressed on such nexus, this common view prompted both positive forest protection/reforestation programs and often-unwarranted blame on upland communities for their forest management practices. This study discusses the disparity between public perceptions and scientific evidences relating the causes of catastrophic floods. The former was drawn on the results of a questionnaire and focus groups discussions with key informants of different mountainous communities, whereas the latter was based on GIS and remote sensing analysis of land cover change, including a statistical analysis of hydro-meteorological data of the Huong river basin in Viet Nam. Results indicate that there is a gap between the common beliefs and the actual relationship between the forest cover change and catastrophic floods. Undeniably, the studied areas showed significant changes in land cover over the period 1989-2008, yet, 71% of the variance of catastrophic flood level in the downstream areas appeared related to variance in rainfall. Evidences from this study showed that the overall increasing trends of catastrophic flooding in the Huong river basin was mainly due to climate variability and to the development of main roads and dyke infrastructures in the lowlands. Forest management policies and programs, shaped on the common assumption that forest degradation in the upland is the main cause of catastrophic flood in the downstream areas, should be reassessed to avoid unnecessary strain on upland people.

Climate Disaster Resilience: Focus on Coastal Urban Cities in Asia

Recognizing the ever-increasing vulnerability of coastal urban cities in Asia due to climate change impacts and variability and also due to fast-growing urban development, this study focusing on climate disaster resilience is conducted in order to measure the existing level of climate disaster resilience of the targeted areas using a Climate Disaster Resilience Index. The index is developed based on five resilience-based dimensions: natural, physical, social, economic and institutional. The scope of this study is limited to climate-induced disasters, such as cyclone, flood, heat wave, drought and heavy rainfall induced landslide. For each individual city case, resilience information is presented as overall resilience, and separate physical, social, economic and institutional resilience. Higher values of resilience are equivalent to higher preparedness to cope with climate and disasters and inversely. Based on the results, policy points and recommendations are suggested by the authors and provide encouragement of city governments’ engagements in specific cist services, institution and capacity building. Not only are outputs from this study useful for city governments, but they also provide valuable knowledge and information to other local and national stakeholders having a similar target: the enhancement of community resilience.

Local adaptation for livelihood resilience in Albay, Philippines

Local adaptation to climate change is essential for vulnerable coastal communities faced with increasing threats to livelihood and safety. This paper seeks to understand the micro-level enabling conditions for climate change adaptation through a livelihood lens in a study of six coastal villages in Bacacay in the province of Albay, Philippines. Albay is a high-risk province due to hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards. The analysis of livelihood resilience utilizing the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach shows that a soft adaptation strategy focusing on enhancing human and social capital needs to be undertaken to increase adaptive capacity and build resilience in the study area. Moreover, the micro-level variations in the villages suggest that the understanding of local conditions is indispensable in planning and formulation of appropriate adaptation strategies and actions at local level.

Chapter 3 Mapping Climate and Disaster Resilience in Cities

In this chapter the objective is to link the causes (risks) with the need of disaster resilient entities (urban areas) in an era in which the climate is changing and natural hazards are likely to occur more frequently and more severely (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007). The previous chapters defined what a resilient city is and how it can be understood, but another question may arise subsequently: how to measure a disaster resilient city? This is what this chapter is about: to develop a tool that is capable of adequately addressing the vulnerable parts of a citys functional system, and additionally, its responsive capacity to cope with a potential disaster. This tool – named Climate Disaster Resilience Index, which is only the process of measurement, or Climate Disaster Resilience Initiative (CDRI), which encompasses all aspects of this approach – shall demonstrate how different functionalities of a city can be assessed in a comprehensive single attempt. Accordingly, the CDRI is more than just a tool to measure the condition of a city at a certain point of time; it also has the wider ambition to lead communities and local governments onto a path of sustainable development that ought to increase the overall resilience level of their city to climate-related disasters. As a result, the CDRI tool shall serve as an urban planning tool depicting the sectors within an urban context that are more or less resilient.

Impact and adaptation to flood: A focus on water supply, sanitation and health problems of rural community in Bangladesh

Purpose – This paper intends to examine the impacts of flood on water supply and sanitation condition along with flood induced health problems in a rural community of Bangladesh. It also aims to explore a rural communitys adaptation approaches to flood.Design/methodology/approach – This research relied on intensive field investigation where 120 households from different villages were selected randomly for questionnaire survey. Sampling was taken from different villages which were the most badly flood affected areas during all previous floods of Bangladesh. Field investigation was conducted in January 2007.Findings – Flood is a common feature of the study area. Water supply and sanitation condition become severely disrupted during flood when it embraces various water borne diseases. During every flood about two‐thirds of the tube‐wells and all toilets become unusable. As an adaptation approach tube‐wells have been either placed on an elevated base or raised with an extra pipe. But owing to using hanging l...

Disaster management : global challenges and local solutions

Introduction Disaster Management: An Overview Hazards and Disasters Earthquake Risk Management: Problems and Prospects Tsunami Risk Reduction Flood Risk Management Cyclone Risk: Mitigation and Management Drought Risk Management Post-tsunami Hazards along the Indian Coast Risk and Vulnerability Building Codes and Land Use Planning: Challenges of Development and Enforcement Social Vulnerability: Who Draws the Line? Where and Why? Macroeconomic Management and Sustainable Development Environmental Vulnerability and Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Risk Reduction: Decision-making in Uncertainty Financial Management of Disaster-related Economic Losses Disaster Reduction Technology Implementation Technology for Disaster Reduction Disaster Management for Infrastructure Geospatial Information in Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring Multimedia Technology in Disaster Risk Management Training Transferable Indigenous Knowledge in Disaster Reduction: The Japanese Experience Education and Community Education in Disaster Risk Reduction Essentials of School Disaster Education: Example from Kobe, Japan Community Capacity and Disaster Resilience Community-based Disaster Recovery Community-based Disaster Management and Social Capital Designing Resilience: Building Community Capacity for Action Crosscutting Issues Disaster, Environment and Development: Opportunities for Integration in Asia-Pacific Region Impact of Disaster on Poverty and Deprivation Climate Change Adaptation and Human Health: Linkages of Climate, Disaster and Health issues in Vietnam Exposure, Health Hazards and Environmental Risk: Study in Chennai, India Hydrometeorological Disasters and Agriculture Forest Management and Disaster Risk Reduction Rural Livelihood and Disaster Risk Reduction: A Case Study from Central Vietnam Essentials of Urban Disaster Risk Reduction Institutional Capacity in Disaster Management: The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Corporate Sector and Disaster Risk Reduction: A Community-focussed Approach Essentials of Predisaster Recovery Planning The African Experiences of Disaster Risk Reduction Postscript Disaster Management: The Way Ahead Index

Flood risk management for the RUA of Hanoi: Importance of community perception of catastrophic flood risk in disaster risk planning

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate reasons for unusual overdevelopment of floodplain areas outside river dyke, provide an insight into the importance of community perception of catastrophic flood risk in the riverside urban areas (RUA) of Hanoi and establishes the need for participatory disaster management planning and disaster management education in the study location.Design/methodology/approach – Structured survey was conducted in five wards in the RUA to understand how residents perceived flood risk.Findings – The low perception of catastrophic flood risk among communities was found to be an important factor in the continued development of the RUA and led to the trust in their houses as a prominent protective solution. Moreover, the flood vulnerability of the areas has been increasing due to the missing link between local authorities and community.Research limitations/implications – This paper examines community perception of flood risk as one of main factors. Other factors such as availability ...