CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

The paper examines the relationship between climate change and disaster risk, arguing that while adaptation and DRR serve distinct purposes, they share a core goal of reducing vulnerability. It highlights how climate change drives disaster risk through extreme weather and how poor development practices can exacerbate this risk. The authors advocate for a risk-based approach and transformative change that addresses the underlying social and economic drivers of vulnerability, rather than focusing solely on event-based response.

• Climate change acts as a driver of disaster risk by increasing the frequency, intensity, spatial extent, and duration of extreme events. The IPCC reports that warming is "unequivocal" and that human influence is "extremely likely" to be the dominant cause of warming since the mid-20th century.
• There is a distinction between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and adaptation: DRR focuses on current and near-term risks and remediation after disasters, whereas adaptation typically takes a longer-term view of adjusting to changes.
• Development does not always reduce vulnerability; some development practices can increase disaster risk. Examples include road construction exacerbating flood risks, beachfront property development removing natural storm-surge protection, and dams affecting downstream flood and drought risks.
• Economic losses from climate- and weather-related extreme events have increased since the second half of the 20th century. While developed countries see the highest total economic losses, fatality rates and losses relative to GDP are higher in developing countries, where 95% of natural disaster fatalities occur.
• Climate change mitigation can substantially reduce risks. Under the low-emission scenario (RCP2.6), which envisions a 70% reduction in cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2100, the 2°C target is very likely to be met, significantly reducing risks compared to the business-as-usual RCP8.5 pathway.
• Integration of DRR and adaptation is hindered by fragmented knowledge, disparate policy arenas, and poor stakeholder coordination. In some cases, power dynamics lead different actors to undo each other's work, as seen in El Salvador during the 1990s and early 2000s.
• To effectively integrate DRR and adaptation, a shift toward "transformative change" is required. This involves moving from incremental project-based adaptation to addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability, such as poverty, inequality, and injustice.
• Iterative risk management is recommended as an effective approach for adaptation decision-making because it handles large uncertainties and long time frames better than traditional planning.

APA

Schipper, E. L. F., Thomalla, F., Vulturius, G., Johnson, K., & Klein, R. J. (2014). CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-GAR-Background-paper-Climate-DRR.pdf

Chicago

Schipper, E. Lisa F., Frank Thomalla, Gregor Vulturius, Karlee Johnson, and Richard J.T. Klein. CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-GAR-Background-paper-Climate-DRR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schipper |first1=E. Lisa F. |last2=Thomalla |first2=Frank |last3=Vulturius |first3=Gregor |last4=Johnson |first4=Karlee |last5=Klein |first5=Richard J.T. |title=CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-GAR-Background-paper-Climate-DRR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schipper2014climate, author = {Schipper, E. Lisa F. and Thomalla, Frank and Vulturius, Gregor and Johnson, Karlee and Klein, Richard J.T.}, title = {{CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-GAR-Background-paper-Climate-DRR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }