Trincomalee district in eastern Sri Lanka was severely affected by the tsunami of 2004. Several years later, most people directly affected by the tsunami have been resettled. Yet many of them continue to face problems, one of which is a climate that is increasingly variable and extreme. Sri Lanka Red Cross Society’s (SLRCS) Community Based […]
Helping People to Cope with Changing Climates Read More »
While the International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent (IFRC) is already addressing risks brought by climate change, it can do more and better through a more systematic and coordinated integration of climate change issues into its programmes, policies and operations. The IFRC Plan of Action aims to provide a clear vision on the
IFRC Plan of Action: Climate Change 2013-2016 Read More »
Viet Nam has always suffered from extreme weather events. Because of climate change, it is likely that droughts will occur more often, and that tropical cyclones will also become more intense. In 2003, the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRCS) became one of the first National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies to integrate climate change into
Preparing for Climate Change in Viet Nam Read More »
In December of 2007 the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute formed a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The Red Cross Red Crescent (RC/RC) Climate Centre helps facilitate the effort to provide the IFRC with tools and support to improve
The number of people affected by humanitarian crises has almost doubled over the past decade and is expected to keep rising. In early 2014, international aid organizations aimed to assist 52 million people in crisis, and millions more people sought help from their communities, local organizations and Governments. The report published by OCHA emphasizes a shift towards a more anticipatory and preventative approach
Managing the Risk of Humanitarian Crises Read More »
In recent years, climate change impacts have created grave new threats to rural livelihoods. Community-based cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is an evidence-based tool which can effectively be used to ascertain the value and impact of integrating resilience-building interventions in food security programming. The following case study provides an overview of a community-based CBA that was conducted
This framework published by the Rockefeller Foundation as part of their 100 Resilient Cities Campaign is intended to form the basis of a tool that should enable all of us interested in city resilience to convene around a common understanding of that idea, and begin to ‘baseline’ what matters most for making cities more resilient. Both the framework and the index
City Resilience Framework – City Resilience Index Read More »
The Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report presents the current state of knowledge on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Compared to the Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, “AR5” has a much stronger focus on risks. It presents a cold, realistic assessment of how risks are already changing and are bound to
This report presents the World Bank’s experience in climate and disaster resilient development, and contends that such development is essential to eliminating extreme poverty and achieving shared prosperity by 2030. The report recognizes, however, that such development requires additional start-up costs, which pay off in the long run if done correctly. Given this, the report argues for closer collaboration between the
Building Resilience: Integrating Climate and Disaster Risk into Development Read More »
Global natural disasters in 2013 combined to cause economic losses of USD192 billion, 4% below the ten year average of USD200 billion. The losses were generated by 296 separate events, compared to an average of 259. The disasters caused insured losses of USD45 billion, 22% below the 10-year average of USD58 billion and the lowest total since 2009. In a
Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report Impact Forecasting — 2013 Read More »