Module 1Concepts in disaster risk reduction and

climate change adaptation

Integrating climate change adaptation in disaster risk reduction

Welcome to e-Learning on integrating climate change adaptation in disaster risk reduction!

This module is part of an e-Learning package on integrating climate change adaptation in disaster risk reduction.

The package includes five modules:

1. Concepts in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

2. Understanding vulnerability

3. Introduction to disaster risk reduction

4. Introduction to climate change adaptation

5. Guiding principles for integrating adaptation in disaster risk reduction

We recommend that you work through the modules in the specified order.

To access the other e-Learning modules, please visit the:

e-Learning Center - Integrating climate change adaptation in disaster risk reductionNOTE: You will need a user name and password to access the e-Learning Center.

If you do not have an account, please contact: MinervaSupport@care.ca

Who are the e-Learning modules for? How were they developed?

The e-Learning modules are designed for disaster risk reduction (DRR) practitioners. This includes practitioners within CARE, as well as our civil society and government partner organizations.

They were developed by Raks Thai Foundation and CARE, with significant inputs from CARE experts on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and most importantly from practitioners engaged in DRR initiatives in Country Offices across the Asia Pacific Region, as well as in Raks Thai Foundation.

Practitioner perspectives were gathered through two workshops. An initial workshop was conducted to develop the overall framework and brainstorm on key content. In the second workshop, the draft modules were tested and feedback was gathered. The current version reflects inputs from both workshops.

The modules reflect CARE’s current thinking on integrating adaptation in DRR initiatives. They should be considered as working versions. Our approach will be tested and refined as we develop more experience in this area.

Please send any feedback on these modules to Bruce Ravesloot:ravesloot@careclimatechange.org

You can move through the module at your own pace.

We estimate that this module will take you approximately 1 hour to complete.

However, everyone learns at a different speed, so you should feel comfortable moving at your own pace.

The map on the right helps you to track your progress through the module. Where you are will be highlighted in orange.

We recommend that you go through the module in sequence, however you will have the option of jumping forwards or backwards by clicking on the map.

At any point, you can go back to the previous slide by clicking the back arrow.

Use the forward arrow to move through the module.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Throughout the module, you’ll find links to key definitions and documents.

This e-Learning module is designed to be as clear and user-friendly as possible. So, as we introduce different concepts, we’ll use simple language and examples to promote understanding.

However, we will also provide links to ‘official’ definitions for those who prefer this approach, as well as to documents that provide a more comprehensive overview.

Any time you see underlined text in the module, you can click to access the official definition.

Links to documents will be indicated by an orange box:

Clicking on the document boxes will take you to an external website, so you’ll need to be online to access these documents.

Are you ready?Then let’s get started!

Name of Document

e-Learning Module 1:Concepts in disaster risk reduction

and climate change adaptation

Learning Objective for Module 1

The learning objective for this module is to build understanding of concepts important to both DRR and climate change adaptation.

Understanding these concepts is a key foundation for the modules that follow.

The main concepts covered in this module are shown in the map.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

What is climate change?

Climate change is the term we use to describe a long-term change in the climate, occurring due to natural variability or as a result of human activity.

It’s important to understand the distinction between the weather and the climate:

• Weather is the conditions you experience (rain, humidity, temperature). Weather can change on a timeline of minutes, hours, days or seasons.

• Climate is the average weather over the longer term.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

When we talk about climate change, we are talking about changes in the average weather over a timeline

of decades or more.

Why is climate change happening?

There is broad scientific consensus that the climate change we are experiencing now is the result of human activities, not natural climate variability.

The changes are caused by an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane. They occur naturally in the atmosphere and they are important to maintaining the earth’s temperature.

However, in recent decades, with increasing industrialization, human activities are releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which is causing an overall increase in the earth’s average temperature.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Here is a visual representation of the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is causing climate change.

Images from: environment.act.gov.au

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

So the earth is getting warmer. Why is this such a bad thing?

While the overall changes in the earth’s average temperature may seem small, there are two major concerns.The first is the rate of change – the global average temperature is rising faster than at any other time in the history of human civilization. This means it is very difficult to predict how the global climate system will react. A lot of scientists are working very hard to come up with models for future climate scenarios, but we are facing an unprecedented situation.The second major concern is that a small change in average global temperature has major consequences, including rising sea levels, changing temperature and rainfall patterns and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The bottom line is that climate change is happening and it's happening now. It's not a distant phenomenon that will happen in some unknown future.

Climate in Peril:A popular guide to the latest IPCC reports

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

What does this mean for our work in disaster risk reduction?

The impacts of climate change mean that climate-related hazard events such as droughts, floods and cyclones are likely to become more frequent and more severe.

This has direct and significant implications for many dimensions of sustainable development, including food security, access to water and health. As a result of these challenges, there is potential for increased poverty, conflict and migration.

All of this leads to a situation where people, particularly poor and marginalized groups, will be increasingly vulnerable to shocks and stresses.

This means that climate change increases both the probability of hazard events and people’s vulnerability.

Climate change makes disaster risk reduction even more important.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

What do we mean by disaster risk?

Disaster risk refers to the potential for losses due to disasters over a specific period of time. These losses may include:

•Injury, illness or loss of life

•Destruction of property or assets

•Interruption in services

•Harm to or loss of livelihoods

•Damage to ecosystems

•Psycho-social impacts

The more likely a hazard event is to happen, the higher the disaster risk.

Similarly, the more negative consequences a hazard event has, the more risk it poses.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

What kind of hazards are we concerned with?

Hazards may occur due to natural causes or they may be the result of human activities.

While recognizing the importance of conflict and other human-induced hazards, we will focus here on natural hazards.

There are five types of natural hazards:•Geophysical, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

•Meteorological, such as tropical cyclones and other storms

•Hydrological, including different types of flooding

•Climatological, such as drought and extreme temperatures

•Biological, such as epidemics or pest infestations

With the exception of geophysical, all of these types of hazards are either directly or indirectly affected by

climate change.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Let’s consider disaster risk reduction, which is the core of this learning process.

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is an approach to reduce disaster risks caused by hazard events. It refers to the practical actions that society, communities or other stakeholders take to reduce the risk of disasters.

DRR aims to reduce exposure to hazard events, to reduce vulnerability, and to improve preparedness.

DRR actions may include:

• Reducing exposure to hazards

• Reducing vulnerability of people and property

• Improving land and environmental management

• Improving preparedness for hazard events

We will learn more about DRR in Module 3.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

So disaster risk REDUCTION is an approach to reducing disaster risks.

Where does disaster risk MANAGEMENT fit in?

Disaster risk management (DRM) is a strategic approach to managing all types of disaster risks.

DRM looks at disasters from the perspective of organizations – governments, NGOs or communities – and provides a framework and strategy for managing the risk of disasters.

A disaster risk management policy, plan or strategy describes HOW a particular organization will deal with disasters - before, during and after a disaster occurs.

In the CARE context, Emergency Preparedness Plans are one approach to DRM. We also work with local and national governments and other stakeholders to support the development of DRM plans.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Let’s look at an example to make this relationship clearer.

A local government authority has a disaster risk management plan. This plan outlines how the authority will deal with disasters, including how it will prepare for and respond to hazards. It also describes how the authority will work with others, including higher levels of government, NGOs and community-based organizations.

As part of the preparedness component of the plan, the authority identifies disaster risk reduction actions that may be implemented by the authority, by local NGOs or by the communities governed by the authority.

We’ll look at DRR in more detail in Module 3.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Now that we’ve got a good grasp of DRR concepts, let’s consider adaptation to climate change.

Adaptation to climate change is a process of reducing vulnerability to the current and future impacts of climate change.

The negative impacts of climate change exhibit themselves as hazards. However, in some cases, climate change impacts may also present opportunities, and so adaptation can also involve taking advantage of these opportunities.

Unfortunately, in vulnerable communities in developing countries, the impacts of climate change are largely negative.

This means that adaptation is often about managing the impacts of hazards.

We’ll discuss climate change adaptation in more detail in Module 4.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

If both adaptation and DRR are about managing hazards, are they the same thing?

There are a lot of synergies between DRR and adaptation, but they have different entry points.

DRR addresses all types of hazards, and focuses on reducing the risk of disaster caused by hazard events.

Adaptation is focused on climate-related hazards. This includes events such as droughts, floods and cyclones. It also includes changing conditions, such as changes in temperature over time or shifts in the timing of the rainy season.

We’ll explore the synergies and differences between adaptation and DRR in more detail in Module 5.

REFLECTIONWhat kinds of hazards affect the communities you work

with? Are they climate-related?

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Let’s look at the very important concept of vulnerability.

Vulnerability can be defined simply as the propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected.

DRR is focused on reducing vulnerability to disasters.

The degree of vulnerability determines the extent of negative effects a hazard event has on a community, an asset or an ecosystem.

From a DRR perspective, vulnerability is considered in terms of the human, social, financial, natural and political factors that may increase the potential negative effects caused by hazard events.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Adaptation also focuses on reducing vulnerability, but in this approach the concern is vulnerability to climate change.

Adaptation focuses on reducing vulnerability to climate change.

From this perspective, vulnerability is determined by:

The degree of exposure to climate change impacts

Sensitivity to those impacts

Capacity to take advantage of any opportunities presented, and to manage the negative impacts – this is called adaptive capacity

We’ll explore the concept of vulnerability in more depth in Module 2.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

One way to reduce vulnerability is by increasing capacity.

Capacity refers to the combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community, organization or society that can be used to achieve agreed goals.

Like vulnerability, capacity has a range of different dimensions, including human, social, financial, natural and political elements.

A significant element of climate change adaptation is focused on increasing adaptive capacity, which can be understood simply as the ability to adjust to climate change. Adaptive capacity also has human, social, financial, natural and political dimensions. The higher people’s adaptive capacity, the more able they are to manage the negative impacts of climate change. This implies an ability to manage uncertainty.

More capacity means less vulnerability.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Resilience is another important concept in both DRR and adaptation.

In the context of climate change and disasters, resilience refers to the ability of a household, community or society to cope with the effects of a hazard.

If a household is resilient, it means it can recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient way. This could mean a recovery in terms of health, quality of life or finances, for example.

The concept of resilience implies that the household can return to the state it was in before the hazard event occurred. However, the concept is increasingly understood to have a greater scope, to promote the idea of “bouncing back better”.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

We have already discussed adaptive capacity. Is this the same thing as resilience?

Resilience and adaptive capacity are similar concepts, and they are sometimes used interchangeably.

Resilience is about coping with the effects of hazards. It is about bouncing back, ideally in a way that enhances the ability to manage future hazards.

Adaptive capacity is about adapting – managing the effects of the hazard. Adaptation implies not just bouncing back, but managing uncertain and dynamic hazards in a way that allows improvement in well-being over time.

We can think of this as a kind of continuum.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Vulnerability

Resilience

Adaptive capacity

Let’s review the key learning points for this module.

• Climate change makes disaster risk reduction even more important.

• With the exception of geophysical hazards, climate change affects all types of natural hazards.

• Vulnerability to climate change and disasters:

• Depends on exposure to hazards.

• Is determined by human, social, physical, natural, political and financial factors.

• Varies within communities and even within households.

• More capacity means less vulnerability.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Ready to review your knowledge?

In this module, we’ve explored a number of important concepts and the relationships between them.

Next, you’ll have a chance to review your knowledge before moving on to the next module.

Ready?

If you feel you’re ready for the knowledge review, click on the forward arrow.

Not quite there yet?

If you’d like to go through any of the concepts again before moving on to the knowledge review, click on the appropriate box in the map.

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Knowledge ReviewQuestion 1

Are adaptation and disaster risk reduction the same thing?

YES, they are the same

thing

Click on the appropriate box to indicate your answer.

NO, they are

similar, but there are important differences

I’m still not clear on

how they fit together

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Knowledge ReviewQuestion 2

TRUE OR FALSE?

Exposure to hazards is the main determinant of vulnerability to climate change and disasters.

TRUE

Click on the appropriate box to indicate your answer.

FALSE

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change

Vulnerability

Knowledge Review

Capacity

Climate change

Disaster risk

Disaster risk reduction

Resilience

Congratulations! You’ve completed Module 1.

We hope that you have found this to be a useful learning experience.To access the other e-Learning modules, please visit the:

e-Learning Center - Integrating climate change adaptation in disaster risk reduction

NOTE: You will need a user name and password to access the e-Learning Center.

If you do not have an account, please contact: MinervaSupport@care.ca

Thank you for your participation!

You can exit the module by pressing the Esc key.