Regional Cooperation for Integrating DRR and CCA in South Asia

Sanjay SrivastavaHeadSAARC Disaster Management Centresanjay.saarc@gmail.com28-08-2008

South AsiaSouth Asia

• Shared Vulnerability

• Depth of Vulnerability

• Induced Vulnerability (Climate

Change/Variability )

• Platform for Regional

Cooperation

• Collective Wisdom and

Political Will

• Institutional Mechanisms

Regional Cooperation – The Drivers

Shared Vulnerability Shared Vulnerability Natural hazard endemic to the common geology, ecosystems,

social and economic settings and thus every disaster has a

regional impact :

• Aug 2008 Koshi floods hit Eastern part of Nepal and

North Bihar, India subsequently

• South Asian Floods 2007 - More than 3700 dead and 60

million affected in Nepal, India and Bangladesh

• Cyclones of Bay of Bengal affect coastal regions of India

and Bangladesh; Cyclones of Arabian

Sea hit both the coasts of Gujarat in India

and Sindh in Pakistan

• Indian Ocean Tsunami wounded four

South Asian countries

Depth of Vulnerability Depth of Vulnerability • South Asia - A Disaster ‘Hotspot’

• Last year in 2007, for instance, the CRED reported top five

countries in the world who were hit hardest by the natural

disasters.

▫ First two were Bangladesh and India while Pakistan

occupied the fourth position.

▫ This is not the exception but a fact highlighting the

comparative vulnerability of the region.

▫ Causes huge loss of life and property - estimated GDP loss

range between 2 to 20% and revenue loss between 12 to

66%

▫ Affects Poverty Alleviation, Food Security and Sustainable

Development Outcomes

Induced Vulnerability Induced Vulnerability (Climate Change/Variability)

• Two thirds of the disasters the region experiences are of

climate related

• There have been phenomenal increase in their frequency,

severity and unpredictability in the recent times

• Climate Risk – on the Rise

Areas of Specific Focus Areas of Specific Focus

• Climate Change and Natural Disasters linkages – From

Science & Policy to Action

• Promoting Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) as a tool for

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Major Milestones Major Milestones –– Global.. Global..

Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) – 2005-2015� Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities

� Integrating DRR tools viz., vulnerability and risk

assessments, early warning systems, land-use

planning, farming system etc into CCA

� DRR to be integrated into all sectors of development

planning

Bali Action Plan 2007 � Enhanced action on adaptation - risk management risk

sharing, transfer mechanisms – insurance…

� Promotion of DRR as a tool for climate change

adaptation

Major Milestones Major Milestones –– SAARC Region.. SAARC Region.. •The SAARC Summit (New Delhi, April 2007) called for a

‘climate resilient’ development paradigm in South Asia

•The SAARC Council of Ministers adopted the SAARC

Declaration on Climate Change (Dec 2007)

•SAARC Ministerial Conference on Climate Change (July, 2008) – adopted SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change and Dhaka Declaration

•The SAARC Summit (Colombo, August 2008) endorsed

SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change

SAARC Action Plan on SAARC Action Plan on

Climate ChangeClimate ChangeSeven thematic areas and six priority action plans

Major Highlights – DRR and CCA Integration

▫ Adaptation to extreme climate events viz., flood, cyclone,

glacial outburst, droughts and heat and cold waves;

▫ Adaptation to climate change impact viz., sea level rise,

salinity intrusion, glacier melt and coastal and soil erosion;

▫ Sharing of information and capacity building in the

management of climate change impacts and risks, early

forecasting, warning and adaptation measures.

SAARC is now transitioning itself from a declaratory to

implementation phase and thereby envisages playing more

enabling roles in addressing the regional issues

In this phase, all thematic Regional Centres (five out of ten)

are going to be the real workhorses pursuing SAARC agenda

on climate change mitigation and adaptation

SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) is to place focus on incorporating DRR into CCA

SAARC Mechanisms : SAARC Mechanisms :

A Paradigm Shift A Paradigm Shift

Institutionalization of Regional Cooperation for

Disaster Management based on HFA and SAARC

Framework of Disaster Management

SAARC Disaster Management SAARC Disaster Management

Centre (SDMC)Centre (SDMC)Uniqueness

‘Mandated’ by SAARC Summits..

‘Owned’ by SAARC Members

‘Inclusive’ Work programmes

‘Networking’ the DM Networks – Global , National..

SCDM

Afghanistan

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Bhutan

Maldives

India

Nepal

Bangladesh

National Focal Points of National Focal Points of

Member CountriesMember Countries

Bangladesh: DMB

Bhutan: MH&CA

India: NIDM/MHA

Maldives: NDMC

Nepal: MHA

Pakistan: NDMA

Sri Lanka: MDMHR

Afghanistan: ANDMA

Thematic Regional Workshops•Community based DRR, •S&T Applns – EWS and Risk Assessment•Coastal & Marine Risk Reduction•Climate Change & DRR, •Mainstreaming DRR,•Seismic Risk Reduction •Risk Assessment in SA..

Thematic Regional Workshops•Community based DRR, •S&T Applns – EWS and Risk Assessment•Coastal & Marine Risk Reduction•Climate Change & DRR, •Mainstreaming DRR,•Seismic Risk Reduction •Risk Assessment in SA..

Advocacy/ Alliances -Asian DM MINCONF, UN-ISDR GFDR,UNDP –SA ERRP, UN-OCHA, ADRC..

Advocacy/ Alliances -Asian DM MINCONF, UN-ISDR GFDR,UNDP –SA ERRP, UN-OCHA, ADRC..

Capacity Development Training Need Analysis and HRD Plans, Region specific Trainings, modules and plans, Networking for specialized training

Capacity Development Training Need Analysis and HRD Plans, Region specific Trainings, modules and plans, Networking for specialized training

SDMCSDMC –– Key Products & Services Key Products & Services

Strategic PillarsNetwork with national focal pointsand with the concerned regionaland international bodies

A network of networkinginstitutions to facilitate quick acquisition, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information, data and knowledge

Operational Projects-South Asia Disaster Knowledge Networks (SADKN)..

Operational Projects-South Asia Disaster Knowledge Networks (SADKN)..

Research Projects-Indigenous Knowledge-Digital Vulnerability Atlas

Research Projects-Indigenous Knowledge-Digital Vulnerability Atlas

Knowledge Magnt.-Dev of Tools, Advisories, -Policy Notes/inputs..

Knowledge Magnt.-Dev of Tools, Advisories, -Policy Notes/inputs..

Regular Publications-SA Disasters Updates, -News letters, SA Disaster-Journal (bi-annual)- SA Annual DM Report

Regular Publications-SA Disasters Updates, -News letters, SA Disaster-Journal (bi-annual)- SA Annual DM Report

Special Publications-SA Regional Study on the -Causes & Consequences..

Special Publications-SA Regional Study on the -Causes & Consequences..

SDMC: Knowledge Management (KM) StrategySADKN and a repository of SA Indigenous Knowledge base viz.,

seismic resilient habitats in Nepal, coping and resilience of coastal

hazards in Sri Lanka and Drought in Arid India..

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

NationalTWC

Unlocking ofIndigenous Knowledge-Documentation-Replication -CBDRR

Unlocking ofIndigenous Knowledge-Documentation-Replication -CBDRR

RegionalTWC

RegionalTWC

RegionalTWC

RegionalTWCRegional

TWC

RegionalTWC

Interlocking ofKnowledge Institutions -South Asia Disaster Knowledge Networks

Interlocking ofKnowledge Institutions -South Asia Disaster Knowledge Networks

Creating the Regional Knowledge

Repository for Disaster Risk

Reduction in South Asia

Bottom-up Approach

Academia

R&D Organizations

Operational Agencies

Two prong Strategies Two prong Strategies

Top-down Approach

DRR and CCA Coupling in SAARC Region DRR and CCA Coupling in SAARC Region

National Efforts – Emerging Signals• National Adaptation Programme for Action (NAPA) –

Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal (Under-preparation)

• Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan - (2008) –

Bangladesh

• National Environment Protection Act (NEPA) – Afghanistan

• National Environmental policy 2005 Pakistan

• National Action Plan on Climate Change in June 2008,

National Communications UNFCC- India (8 Major National

Missions, spending 2% GDP on Adaptation in multiple

sectors of development)

• Adaptation an empirical phenomena – locale specific, cross-

sectoral and within specific context of vulnerability

• Adaptation interventions are meant to reduce vulnerability

and /or enhance adaptive capacity to climate risk

• Despite many similarities between adaptation actions and

DRR, they are yet to integrated operationally because of:

- diverse constituencies,

- policy disconnects,

- lack of inter-sectoral communications/dialogues etc.

- inadequate data, coordination and financial resources.

• Lack of Regional Cooperation in:

- monitoring, data exchange and policy development

- adaptation research, information and training

Key Lessons and ExperiencesKey Lessons and Experiences

DRR – CCA Integration

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)- Early Warning Systems (EWS), HVR Assessment/Monitoring,

Mitigation & Preparedness Strategies, Response Strategies

..

•Human Health

•Food, Water &

Environment Security

•Energy

•Agriculture & forestry

•Trade & tourism

•Industry, Mining etc

•Land use, settlements

Institutional Networking

Integration of Technologies

Targeting Climate Risk HotspotsDesigning DRR StrategiesClimate & EWS Info in CCA

Mainstreaming DRR & CCA coupling

Areas of Convergence

-Coastal Zone Management-Watershed Development -Land Use Planning -Settlements Planning-Floodplain Management..

Areas of Divergence -Diverse institutional structure-Disconnected Policies, Planning and Programmes-Lack of relevant information-Ad-hoc Short term Approaches

Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)

Priority Areas

• To formulate appropriate process and programme guidelines

for integration of DRR in CCA projects and vice versa in

respect of floods, cyclones, droughts and glacial lake outbursts

• Technology need assessment - those related to Early Warning

Systems for cyclone, floods and drought

• Research study on micro-credit, micro-insurance and crop

Insurance in selected climate risk hotspots of the region

• Tool kits for Education and Awareness Building

• Training Modules on Climate Risk Assessment

• Conduct regional training programme for capacity building on

climate risk assessment

SDMC Road Map on DRRSDMC Road Map on DRR--CCA CouplingCCA Coupling

Value of Zero !!

0

Management

0Technology

,0

HRD

0BPR

,0

Infrastructure

0Partnership

0

Resources

Leadership & vision

Despite the hard lessons in the past, SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change is the product of leadership and a collective vision towards building a ‘Climate Resilient South Asia’ thru’Regional Cooperation

www.sdmc-nic.in