Disasters and what to do about them
Forced migration review, issue 31, October 2008, pp. 35-36
With the prospect of more extreme weather events, it makes sense to strengthen the efforts of governments and communities to reduce disaster risks.
While the control and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a fundamental objective at the centre of the current climate change debate, there also looms the problem of adapting to the inevitable changes that we face as a result of past and ongoing emissions. Adaptation may be an unfamiliar concept but its methods and tools look very similar to those of disaster risk reduction - risk maps, improved zoning of land, enforcement of building codes, safer hospitals and other critical facilities, better early warning systems, accessible insurance schemes, and programmes to enable communities to assess and manage their own risks. There are many examples of disaster risk reduction initiatives that have high benefit-cost ratios and therefore offer no-regrets actions for adaptation.
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