Integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction at local level: How to combine modern science and local knowledge to reduce communities’ vulnerability

Jacot des Combes, Helene and Hemstock, Sarah L. and Holland, Elisabeth A. and Iese, Viliamu (2012) Integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction at local level: How to combine modern science and local knowledge to reduce communities’ vulnerability. [Conference Proceedings] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

A regional joint action plan aimed at integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation incorporating discussions among the different stakeholders is under development. At a national level, these efforts are complemented by the implementation (Tonga) or the preparation (Cook Islands) of joint action plans combining disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures. The optimization of the deployment of human, financial and technical resources is a developing trend in the Pacific region, leading to the organisation of the joint Pacific climate change round table and Pacific disaster management platform in 2013 and the launch of a Pacific joint action plan in 2016. Despite the relatively straightforward process of preparing the joint policies, implementation at national and local level raises several issues. At local level, disaster risk committees often exist, but they are not equipped to deal with long term adaptation to climate change. Moreover, in some cases, the local knowledge used during disaster response could lose its relevance because of climate change and the impact on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In order to reduce the vulnerability of communities to both natural hazards and climate change, the local governance will need to overcome long held biases to integrate local knowledge with information provided by modern science and technology.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PACE-SD)
Depositing User:	Sarah Hemstock
Date Deposited:	18 Apr 2013 23:07
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2016 22:48
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/5496

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