Greening disaster risk management: Issues at the interface of disaster risk management and low carbon development, SCR Discussion Paper 3

Abstract

Effectively managing disaster risk is a critical tool for adapting to the impacts of climate change. However, consideration of climate change mitigation and low carbon development aspects have commonly been missing from disaster risk management (DRM) research, policy and practice. This paper explores the links between DRM and low carbon development and thereby sheds light on a new and emerging research and development agenda. It elaborates the carbon and greenhouse gas implications of DRM interventions and post-disaster reconstruction practices, drawing on case studies from flood risk reduction, coastal protection and drought risk reduction and considers how post-disaster housing and energy supply reconstruction can be ‘greened’. Finally, the paper makes suggestions about how the carbon implications of DRM measures could be accounted for in a coherent manner. Suggestions include calculating the carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from DRM and post-disasters interventions as parts of Environmental Impact Assessments and improving the linkages between environmental ministries, energy ministries and disasters ministries.

Citation

Urban, F.; Mitchell, T.; Villanueva, P.S. Greening disaster risk management: Issues at the interface of disaster risk management and low carbon development, SCR Discussion Paper 3. (2010) : 22 pp.

Greening disaster risk management: Issues at the interface of disaster risk management and low carbon development, SCR Discussion Paper 3

Published 1 January 2010