Adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction. Enhancing Methods and Tools of Disaster Risk Reduction in the light of Climate Change
This research report, published by the German Committee for Disaster Reduction (DKKV) and authored by researchers from the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), examines how existing methods and tools of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) can be enhanced and adapted to better address the growing challenges of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). Despite broad recognition of the need to link DRR and CCA — including in UNFCCC, IPCC, and UNISDR frameworks — the two communities have often operated in parallel, with insufficient coordination of strategies, tools, and funding. This study addresses that gap by identifying priority areas where strengthened integration between DRR and CCA can deliver the greatest practical benefit.
Drawing on a mixed-methods approach — including 23 international expert interviews, literature analysis, and an international expert workshop held in Bonn in 2011 — the study evaluates DRR tools and methods across four thematic areas aligned with the Hyogo Framework for Action: risk identification and understanding; reduction of underlying risk factors; disaster preparedness and emergency management; and institutional capacity and financial mechanisms. Expert analysis consistently highlights early warning systems, risk and vulnerability assessment, and multi-stakeholder institutional frameworks as the highest-priority areas for DRR-CCA integration, particularly in the context of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and creeping hazards such as sea level rise and salinization.
The report also presents two in-depth case studies. The Seychelles case examines how a small island state has developed climate adaptation strategies across sectors including water, health, fisheries, agriculture, and coastal management, while navigating significant institutional and governance challenges in integrating DRR and CCA. The Manizales, Colombia case documents a well-developed, locally-driven urban DRR system — including hydro-meteorological monitoring, early warning for landslides, community-based hillside management, and a pioneering collective insurance programme — and explores how these tools can be extended to address Climate Change impacts.
The report concludes with concrete recommendations for international organizations, donors, national governments, local authorities, and scientific communities on how to strengthen the practical linkages between DRR and CCA, including through integrated risk and vulnerability assessments, updated early warning frameworks, multi-stakeholder platforms, and improved bilateral and multilateral financing mechanisms.