RAISING RISK AWARENESS: USING CLIMATE SCIENCE FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

The document examines how climate science, specifically attribution science, can be used to link extreme weather events to climate change and inform disaster risk management. It highlights a case study of the 2016/2017 drought in Kenya, noting that while human-induced climate change signals were not strong for rainfall, hotter temperatures influenced by climate change and La Nina patterns contributed to the event. The brief recommends increased investment in national and subnational capacities for climate services, better inter-agency coordination, and the alignment of early warning systems with forecast-based early action.

• Attribution science can enhance disaster risk management by improving risk awareness, strengthening preparedness through the anticipation of disasters, providing evidence for climate adaptation policies, and informing the allocation of resources for risk reduction programs.
• An attribution analysis of the 2016/2017 drought in North Western Kenya (Turkana and Marsabit) and South East Kenya (Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa and Lamu) found that human-induced climate change did not show a strong signal in rainfall trends, but hotter temperatures likely influenced by climate change and La Nina patterns drove the drought.
• The 2016-17 drought was found to be a relatively common event with a low return time, and was less severe in Lamu than the 2010-11 drought, though comparable in Marsabit.
• The uptake of climate information for early warning in Kenya has been hindered by resource limitations, poor public awareness, gaps between science and policy, and the complexity of how climate information is presented.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). RAISING RISK AWARENESS: USING CLIMATE SCIENCE FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/2016-2017-Kenya-drought-policy-brief-1.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. RAISING RISK AWARENESS: USING CLIMATE SCIENCE FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT. 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/2016-2017-Kenya-drought-policy-brief-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=RAISING RISK AWARENESS: USING CLIMATE SCIENCE FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT |date=2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/2016-2017-Kenya-drought-policy-brief-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017raising, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{RAISING RISK AWARENESS: USING CLIMATE SCIENCE FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/2016-2017-Kenya-drought-policy-brief-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }