Chapter 1

Introduction to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Describe the environment and disaster risk
2. Explain the various types of disasters
3. Relate the impact of disasters,risk and hazards to everyday life

Lesson 1 : Basic concepts Involving Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management
It always seem like there’s a new disaster every time you turn on TV, read a newspaper or open up your social
media feed. Hurricanes in the south, fires to the west, storms to the north, and floods to the East. When you look at the
rest of the world, it just seems so much worse. So what can you do to protect yourself?Your family?Your community?
Disaster Risk Management(DRRM) is an approach designed to help improve disaster outcomes by assessing,
identifying and reducing the risk factors involved. Its application is widespread throughout the world in a variety of
disaster-related situations and scenarios.
Since many disasters originate within nature and the environment,it is only logical to discuss the connections
between the environment and DRRM. Resources are something that our environment give. Resources are valuable
before,during and after a disaster and they have a very important role in DRRM. This lesson will discuss what
resources are necessary in a ddisaster and how they should be addressed to benefit DRRM.
Disasters and emergencies can happen anywhere, and everyone should do what they can to ensure their safety.
In connection to this, the last 35 years show a steady increase in the number of disasters, mostly weather
related events such as floods, storms or heatwaves. Climate change is increasing the number of weather related
hazards. Geophysical events have remained stable with a similar number events throughout the years. The increase in
loss events is attributed to an increase in disasters, and to the fact that more people and assets are exposed to the
impact of natural hazards.
Lesson 2 : Predictions for Climate Change and Disaster risks and why do we have to act today?
 Sea Level rise will cause the slow loss of land and increased flooding during tropical storms
 Heatwaves and extreme temperatures will occur more often,will last longer and be harder to endure
 Droughts will be longer and more extreme in many regions
 Extreme rainfall will increase in many regions ,causing disasters such as flooding and landslides and a shift in
monsoon season.
 Tropical storms are expected to become more intense even though it is not possible to predict if there will be
more tropical storms.
The question now is that, why do we have to act today? The following can be one of your reasons:
 Disasters and climate change impact on lives,livelihoods and economic development
 People living in poor and developing countries bear the highest risk for disaster
 Impacts of disasters and climate change set back and undermine development efforts.
 Climate change is causing an increase in frequency and intensity of certain weather-related disaster events.
Lesson 3 : Definitions of the Terms Usually Used in Disaster Risk Management
This part explains the key terms regularly used in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The
DRR and CCA terminology is important to understand when designing or implementing projects. UNISDR developed
basic definitions on disaster risk reduction to promote a common understanding. The terms are based on a board of
different international sources(UNISDR,2009).
 Hazard. A potentially damaging physical event,phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss of life or
injury, property damage,social and economic disruption or environmental degradation. A hazard turns into a
disaster only if it coincides with people or assets exposed and vulnerable to the hazard and lacking the capacity to
deal with the impacts of the hazard. Disasters are hence the product of social, political, and economic context to
which they occur. The following are the different types of hazards:
1. Geophysical hazards - earthquake/tsunami, mass movement,volcanic eruption
2. Hydrological hazards - flood,landslide
3. Meteorological hazards - storm, cyclone,extreme temperature
4. Climatological hazards - drought,wildfire
5. Bilogical hazards - epidemics, epizootics,pest
6. Technological hazards - technical accidents,structural collapse,fire,explosion
7. Chemical/Radiological Hazards- chemical/oil spill,raadiological contamination, pollution
 Exposure. These are the people,property or other assets or systems exposed to hazards. For example, in areas with
high population density in high-risk areas such as flood zones in Bangladesh, inhabitants frequently have their
houses and assets exposed to the hazard flood.
 Vulnerability. The conditions determined by physical,social, economic and environmental factors or processes,
which increase the susceptibility of a community/individual to the impacts of hazard.
 High vulnerabilities increase the likelihood of a disaster
 Vulnerability is not uniform within a community but often differential among and between groups such as
women,children, the elderly,persons with disabilities or ethnic minorities. The following are the types of
vulnerability:
1. Financial - lack of savings or access to credit
2. Physical - lack of protective infrastructure,adequate housing or inaccessible shelter
3. Social/human - lack of disaster awareness or lack of a support network due to marginalization or discrimination
4. Political - lack of policies and regulation
5. Environmental - degraded ecosystem
 Disaster. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society due to hazardous events interacting
with conditions of vulnerability and exposure leading to widespread human, material,economic, and
environmental losses and impacts. A disaster results from the combination of the four factors introduced
above:exposure to a hazard under conditions of vulnerability and insufficient capacity to reduce or cope with the
negative consequences.
 Risk. The combination of the probability of a hazardous event and its consequences, which result from
interactions between natural or man-made hazards,vulnerability,exposure and capacity. Disaster risk may be
extensive or intensive:
1. Extensive risks - these are low-severity,high frequency disasters associated with highly localized hazards(recurring
floods,landslides,storms or droughts characteristics of rural areas and urban margins with exposed and vulnerable
communities)
2. Intensive risks - these are high in severity and mid to low in frequency. They are mainly associated with major
hazards(strong earthquakes,active volcanoes,heavy floods,tsunamis or major storms characteristic of large cities or
densely populated areas with high levels of exposure and vulnerability.
 Resilience. This term has a multiple meaning/definitions. One is that, it is defined as the ability to resist,
absorb,accommodate to and recover in a timely manner(UNISDR,2019). another one is, the ability of individuals,
communities,organizations or countries exposed to disasters, crises and underlying vulnerabilities to anticipate,
prepare for, reduce the impact of, cope with and recover from the effects of shocks and stresses without
compromising their long term prospects(IFRC,2014). Also, it is defined as the capacity to survive,adapt and grow
when facing stress,shocks and transform when conditions require it(Rockfeller Foundation,2016). lastly, it is the
capacity to deal with changes and continue to develop(Stockholm Resilience center)