Integrating approaches:sustainable livelihoods, disaster risk reduction & climate change adaptation
Hilary WarburtonHead, Reducing Vulnerability ProgrammePractical Action ESRC Seminar, 26th January 2011
Sustainable livelihoods, disaster risk reduction & climate change adaptationWhy integrate?QuestionsExperience on the ground Policy and practice: scaling upIntegrating frameworksReflections and future challenges
Why integrate?
Questions• What can experience with Sustainable Livelihoods
Approaches teach us about strengthening resilience to disasters and climate change impact?
• Policies, institutions and processes at the community, district and national level: what are the critical requirements for supporting disaster and climate resilient livelihoods?
• Frameworks for integration: challenges and opportunities for bringing together Disaster Risk reduction, Climate Change Adpatation and Sustainable Development?
Integrated approaches in practice
India
Drought, flash floods
SLA approach, diversifying livelihoods-> achieved vulnerability reduction & adaptation outcomes
Changing climates, changing lives
The Western Orissa Rural Livelihood Project
WORLP
Integrated approaches in practice
Nepal
Flooding & landslides
Strengthening livelihoods & income + disaster prevention-> reduce disaster risk
Scaling up through local government
Changing climates, changing lives
Livelihood Approach to DRRPractical Action
Integrated approaches in practice
Ethiopia & Mali
Erratic rainfall
Research on adaptation strategies using livelihoods approach
Trade off between short & long term coping strategies
Changing climates, changing lives
Changing climate, changing livesAction against Hunger, Tearfund, IDS
Common themes
• Different starting points & objectives• Livelihoods, disasters, adaptation
• Livelihoods thinking vital for understanding & achieving DRR & CCA
• Livelihood diversification central• Increasing options as well as income
Vulnerable people do not differentiate between SLA, DRR & CCA
Policy & practice: bottom up & top down
Views from the Frontline 2009: “Clouds but little rain..” Bottom-up perspective of progress towards Hyogo Framework for Action
7000 views400 organisations48 low, low-middle income countries
LOCAL PRACTICE
NATIONAL POLICY
Mind the gap! Globalnetwork DR
Policy & practice: ChallengesProgress at international & national policy levels butlack of change in practice at local levels• The more vulnerable, the less progress• Lack of understanding of risks people face• Lack of resources or resources untapped?• Need for more engagement & accountability to vulnerable
people• Cannot measure policy effectiveness without local monitoring
Closing the gap – eg. building district government capacity to support integrated planning in communities
Integrated frameworks: Adaptive Social Protection
SP can increase resilience to disasters or rebuild assets after a disaster.
SP can support adaptive capacity through building assets, supporting livelihoods, or increasing the rights of the vulnerable .
Social protection
Climate change adaptation
Disaster risk reduction
‘Adaptive social protection’
Institute of Development Studies
Integrated frameworks: Integrating climate change into secure livelihoods
Inc
ludi
ng C
C a
naly
sis
Protecting livelihoods
Transforming livelihoods
Taki
ng a
ccou
nt o
f sus
tain
abili
ty
and
clim
ate
risk
CA
Sec
ure
Live
lihoo
ds w
ork
Increasing vulnerability to clim
ate change
Christian Aid
LivelihoodsDiversity
Strengthening community organization and voiceSupporting access to and sustainable management of productive resourcesPromoting access to skills and technologiesImproving access to markets and employmentEnsuring secure living conditions
Hazards and StressesDisaster Preparedness
Building capacity to analyse hazards and stresses (incl climate change impacts)Improving hazard prevention and protectionIncreasing early warning and awarenessEstablishing contingency and emergency planning
Future UncertaintyLong Term Trends incl. Climate Change
•Improving understanding of trends and their local impacts •Ensuring access to relevant and timely informationBuilding confidence and flexibility to learn and experiment in order to adapt to uncertaintyCommunicating local impacts of global trends
Governance Environment
Decentralised & participatory decision making and resourcingStrengthening links between local, district and national levelsPromoting integrated approaches to livelihoods, disasters and climate change. Mobilising resources
Resilience
Ability to Adapt to change
Ability to cope and recover from shocks
Ability to secure sufficient food
Ability to move out of poverty
From Vulnerability To Resilience(V2R)
Practical Action
Integrated frameworks: tools or process?
Characteristics of a Disaster-Resilient Community
•Resource, not model•Facilitate learning•Requires adaptation•Solution-focused
UCL
Integrated frameworks: issues
• Differences in starting points & objectives• Differences in approaches to CCA & adaptive
capacity• Tools – not an end in themselves• Help organise thinking & stimulate learning
Messages
Integration of SLA, DRR & CCA makes senseLivelihoods, risks, climate & other changes = reality
Policy & Practice – a large gapModels exist but where is the will & capacity to move
forward?
Frameworks – a means to help thinking & improve action
Try using them & see if they help people on the ground
ReflectionsSLA Vulnerability context
unpickeddynamic part of system
Dealing with uncertaintymeasuring / characteristics of adaptive capacitysame approach if global temp. increases > 4˚C ?
Tackling underlying causes of vulnerabilityreluctance by policy makers?preference for technical fix?
What next…?
One year on: update
Tools – use & capacity-building
Advocacy needed
New trends emerging
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