GECHS

In this report GECHS, in collaboration with several leading institutions within the climate change community, analyzes recent literatures on the human dimensions of climate change and the risk perspective. Recognition of the threats to human security associated with climate change has generated growing interest in the relationship between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. There is an intuitive understanding that the two are closely linked, yet it has been difficult to elaborate a common framework for addressing disaster risk in the context of climate change.

The findings of this report suggest a timely need to assess the role that disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation can play in minimizing threats to human security. The risk of more complex, frequent, intense or unpredictable extreme weather events associated with global temperature increases, changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise, coupled with both gradual and non-linear changes to ecosystems and natural resources, suggests the need for a renewed focus on the ways that disaster risk reduction and adaptation can influence the context in which climate change occurs. Rather than creating or perpetuating contexts for disaster, it is possible to use disaster risk reduction and adaptation strategies to create a context that promotes human well-being and security.

This report and a comprehensive bibliography served as a background and support for an International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)/Norway lead proposal, presented at the 28th session of the IPCC in 1-4 September 2008, for an IPCC Special Report on “Managing the Risk of Extreme Events to Advance Climate Change Adaptation”. The writing of the report and the bibliography was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The International Ocean Institute, USA and the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, are hosting a Coastal Cities Summit on November 17-20 2008, to address the complex challenges that coastal city leaders face as populations increase, resources are depleted, and the impacts of climate change are felt.  The Coastal Cities Summit intends to bring together 600-700 coastal city leaders, managers and academics to discuss environmental, social, economic, and public policy challenges and viable solutions. The 3 ½ day conference will focus on three themes: Climate Change, Risk and Vulnerability, and Sustainable Development.  The planners are soliciting speakers on areas that are particularly relevant to coastal cities: freshwater, pollution, energy, infrastructure, and port security.  All sessions are intended to give a long-needed voice to those who are on the front lines taking leadership on climate change, providing implementation and response plans and continuing to focus on protecting citizens from possible extreme events and human-induced degradation.

Full details are available at the conference website.

In recent years natural hazards such as hurricanes, floods and droughts have triggered humanitarian disasters that have reversed years of development progress. In the years to come climate change is expected to affect the frequency and magnitude of such hazards, thus increasing the risk of disasters. GECHS and CICERO will host a one-day research and policy workshop to highlight some of the latest international findings on natural disasters and complex emergencies in the context of climate change, with the objective of moving toward a more integrated policy framework.

Speakers include:

• Mark Pelling, Kings College London, UK
• Sumaya Ahmed Zaki Eldeen, University of Khartoum, Sudan
• Ian Christoplos, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
• Lisa Schipper, START, the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training, Thailand
• Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, Ahmedabad
• Joanne Linnerooth-Bayer, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria
• Madeleen Helmer, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Netherlands
• Siri Eriksen, University of Oslo, Norway

Download the programme or a summary of the workshop. You can also view the keynote speeches by Erik Solheim (32 Mb), Norwegian Minister for International Development, and Karen O’Brien (23 Mb), professor at the University of Oslo.

The workshop will be held Friday, 27 April 2007 from 9:00 to 16:00 in the Forum auditorium at the CIENS Resource Centre, Gaustadalléen 21, in Oslo. Please contact Jennifer West for registration or more information. The workshop is free and open to the public, although registration is limited to a total of 75 participants.

GECHS is pleased to announce its endorsement of FAVAIA, a joint project of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

The central concept of FAVAIA is vulnerability, which is one of the cross-cutting themes of GECHS. The interdisciplinary team has begun by analyzing vulnerability to climate change, but their research is also looking at vulnerability to natural hazards and vulnerability with respect to poverty. Building on a strong conceptual and theoretical basis, FAVAIA also develops tools for vulnerability assessment and investigates ways to strengthen policies for adaptation. The current project team of around twenty researchers includes geographers, mathematicians, computer scientists, geo-ecologists, an anthropologist, a sociologist, an oceanographer and several other disciplines.

For more information please visit the project web site and search for their series of Working Papers or complete list of publications.