Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report

The document highlights that the agriculture sector is exceptionally vulnerable to climate extremes due to its dependence on natural resources. It argues that disaster risk is increasing not only due to climate change but also because more vulnerable people and assets are exposed to these events. The brief advocates for a shift from short-term coping mechanisms to long-term transformational approaches, such as 'climate-smart agriculture', and emphasizes the need for integrated national disaster risk management systems that combine local knowledge with scientific data.

• Disaster risk is increasing in many countries even without considering climate change, as more vulnerable populations and assets are exposed to climate extremes. The agriculture sector is particularly exposed because it is closely linked with or dependent on the climate.
• Climate change has already altered the magnitude and frequency of some climate extremes since 1950. For instance, East Asia has experienced increasing dryness, which has negatively impacted environmental and agricultural conditions.
• Agriculture is highly vulnerable to various climate extremes, including heatwaves, heavy precipitation, intensified droughts, and coastal high water levels. These events can lead to crop failures, livestock death, and soil salinisation.
• Economic losses from climate-related disasters are increasing globally. While absolute losses are highest in developed countries, fatality rates and losses as a proportion of GDP are higher in developing countries, where economies often rely on small-scale and subsistence farming.
• Adaptation strategies are categorized into 'low regrets' options and longer-term strategies. 'Low regrets' include better forecasting, warning systems, and livelihood diversification. Longer-term strategies involve land rehabilitation, reforestation, irrigation techniques, and the introduction of drought-resistant crop varieties.
• Effective disaster risk management (DRM) requires the integration of local knowledge with scientific and technical data. However, this is sometimes hindered by the breakdown of traditional social security networks and decreased access to water sources due to privatisation and fencing.
• International cooperation is essential for risk sharing and transfer, particularly through insurance. Index-based micro-insurance, which pays out based on an event (like insufficient rainfall) rather than a specific loss, is being piloted in countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Mongolia.

APA

Norrington-Davies, G., Cameron, C., & Back, E. (2012). Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SREX-lessons-for-agriculture-sector.pdf

Chicago

Norrington-Davies, Gemma, Catherine Cameron, and Emma Back. Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SREX-lessons-for-agriculture-sector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Norrington-Davies |first1=Gemma |last2=Cameron |first2=Catherine |last3=Back |first3=Emma |title=Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2012 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SREX-lessons-for-agriculture-sector.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{norringtondavies2012managing, author = {Norrington-Davies, Gemma and Cameron, Catherine and Back, Emma}, title = {{Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SREX-lessons-for-agriculture-sector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }