News archive
Goodbye Emily Polack
The Climate and Disaster Governance programme would like to thank Emily Polack for all her hard work on the project over the last 2 years. Emily is leaving her role with IDS and the Climate and Disaster Governance project to take up a new position in IIED. We wish Emily all the best for her new post.
In the meantime please contact Katherine Nightingale at Christian Aid regarding this site and the Climate and Disaster Governance programme. knightingale@christian-aid.org
Round Two Bursaries Awarded
The second round of CDG bursaries have now been awarded to nine researchers investigating a variety of exciting topics in diverse locations.
View the profiles of the bursary recipients and their projects on the round two bursary projects page.
Impacts of climate change on livelihoods: what are the implications for social protection?
CDG working paper published
The impacts of climate change will be felt in many ways, by many groups and people around the globe. but exactly how the climate will change in particular areas is not yet fully understood, nor, consequently, are the implications for people. this paper explores how rural agricultural livelihoods in Ethiopia may be impacted by the potential changes. It then considers the consequences and opportunities arising from this, focusing on how social protection may support the poorest and most vulnerable in adapting to the changing climate.
The author Rachel Cipryk specialises in livelihoods and social protection. She has previously worked in Ethiopia with the UNDP and as part of the donor coordination team for the productive safety net programme. She has recently finished an MA in Poverty and Development at the Institute for Development Studies, and is currently working as in independent consultant.
Exploring the linkages between disaster risk reduction and climate change: frontline knowledge explorer discussion topic
19 February to 27 March 2009
Frontline knowledge explorer (fkx) is calling upon development practitioners and policy makers to share examples of how they have integrated disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into development projects and programmes in a variety of different livelihood, poverty and hazard environments.
This will also provide an opportunity for practitioners to build an understanding on these issues based on first-hand experience, frequently absent in the debates. the project launches this week to coincide with the 3rd international conference on community based adaptation to climate change in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The project is using a Wiki (the web based format most famously used to produce wikipedia) to create a virtual workspace where participants can compile and share their experience, good practices and lessons with others. After about 6 weeks the content generated will be synthesised by a team of editors from the participating projects into a short briefing paper for wider dissemination amongst practitioners and researchers in order to help them in their responses to climate change and disasters. Authorship will be credited to all those who submitted their work and experiences, making the final product a truly collaborative piece reflecting "frontline" experiences.
Speaking of the project, Marion Khamis Communications Officer at the climate change and development centre at IDS said "responding to climate change requires new ways of thinking and doing. The frontline knowledge explorer is a chance to do things differently and test an innovative new model for generating, documenting and sharing knowledge from the ground up."
The project runs from 19 February to 27 March 2009.
To take part, visit the frontline knowledge explorer website. From here we will guide you on how to use the Wiki
Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: closing the gap
There is significant overlap between the practice and theory of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, there is limited coherence and convergence in institutions, organisations and policy frameworks. Both struggle to be incorporated into regular development planning and this aspiration is slowed down by duplicated activities, ineffective use of resources and confusing policies.
A review for the UK's Department of International Development (DFID) explains why policies and programming for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation should converge, and how this could be achieved.
Climate change adaptation is an adjustment in natural or human systems, which occurs in response to actual or expected climatic changes or their effects. In human systems, adaptation can reduce harm or exploit opportunities. DRR is the development and application of policies and practices that minimise risks to vulnerabilities and disasters.
DRR is an essential part of adaptation - it is the first line of defence against climate change impacts, such as increased flooding or regular droughts. DRR is now lending its expertise and humanitarian experience to climate change adaptation programmes. For example, DRR's knowledge and expertise about building resilience to existing climate variability is a useful starting point for developing adaptation policies. In turn, the DRR community is paying more attention to longer term changes in the climate and the shifting hazard burden that this may cause.
The overlapping objectives of adaptation and drr are increasingly reflected in existing programmes and new initiatives, including:
processes associated with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Hyogo Framework for Action
financial mechanisms set up by the UNFCCC and those linked to DRR
national level initiatives such as the national adaptation programmes of action, which commonly include drr projects and prioritise 'early warning'
a focus on improved sharing of drr and adaptation tools and knowledge.
Major challenges remain, however - the weakness of the DRR lobby in climate change debates is particularly significant. within multilateral, bilateral and national institutions, climate change adaptation and DRR departments are often isolated from each other. Both sectors have also found it difficult to access adequate funding; governments often believe that DRR and adaptation should not be covered by regular development financing.
The researchers make several recommendations to dfid, many of which are relevant to other policymakers:
help the DRR community to engage more effectively in UNFCCC negotiations, for example by building the capacity of negotiators with DRR experience.
integrate DRR and adaptation into the guidance and delivery of funding mechanisms, for example through budgetary support.
promote the integration of drr and adaptation teams in bilateral, multilateral and civil society organisations; dfid could lead the way through its own reorganisation.
support the generation of integrated knowledge, experience and guidance, including in dfid's central research department.
encourage convergence in national governments and coordination mechanisms; dfid country offices could work with donor partners and local organisations to achieve this.
See also Convergence of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: a review for DFID, by Tom Mitchell and Maarten van Aalst, 2008.
Article featured in id21 highlights climate change, December 2008
Climate and Disaster Governance programme launched!
October 2008
The Climate and Disaster Governance programme has been launched today. It will help policy-makers and civil society organisations understand how different governance arrangements can make development more resilient to climate change and disasters. The programme is a joint initiative by the Institute of Development Studies and Christian Aid.
CDG provides a platform for collaborative research and information-sharing. It asks critical questions to ensure the most vulnerable people and communities are at the forefront of efforts to tackle risks from climate and disasters.
2009 presents a critical policy time frame, with the review in June of the Hyogo Framework for Action: building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters, and the development in December of a post-Kyoto agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Governments, citizens and donors need to understand what these agreements mean for national and local level poverty reduction efforts.
A detailed understanding of local politics, power relations and resources is required to ensure that international funds and policy frameworks are accessed by the most vulnerable groups.
To address this CDG begins by focusing its research on the role of accountability and citizen engagement through mechanisms such as multi-stakeholder forums and of social protection policy instruments such as micro-insurance schemes. Research is also assessing opportunities and barriers to effective responses in fragile states, where some of the people most vulnerable to climate impacts reside.
To promote research in these areas, CDG also offers research bursaries to support developing country researchers on topics that fall under or across the programme's research themes. Bursaries are available to both students engaged in post-graduate studies and development practitioners with experience in relevant sectors.
CDG partners invite you to collaborate on or across CDG's research themes, and to share resources and information through the programme's website.
Contact us for more information
