Networks & Communities

Asia regional task force on urban risk reduction

To facilitate interactions among different stakeholders, the Asia Regional Task Force on Urban Risk Reduction, established in a meeting in Kobe, Japan in January 2008, is coordinated by the UNISDR Hyogo Office in Kobe. The Task Force is currently represented by 21 member organizations, and is open for expansion. The goal of the Task Force is to enhance decisive actions to reduce risk and increase community resilience in the urban areas in the Asia region. The Task Force promotes the collective activities of its member organizations. It will work in line with the HFA for the region.

View flyer: Asia regional task force on urban risk reduction

Climate Action Network

The Climate Action Network (CAN) is a worldwide network of over 365 Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network is managed by an alliance of organisations led by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), and including Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano, INTRAC, LEAD International, the Overseas Development Institute, and SouthSouthNorth supporting 'climate compatible development'. The team brings together a wide range of experience across the fields of climate change and development, research, policy development, knowledge management, networking and capacity-building, as well as substantial expertise in the management of global initiatives. CDKN can provide technical assistance and research, supporting knowledge sharing and partnership development in Africa, the Americas and Asia. The £50 million Climate and Development Knowledge Network, funded over five years by DFID, will link 60 developing countries with leading climate and development experts, allowing them to commission and share knowledge on how best to tackle the effects of climate change.

Climate-Eval community of practice

Climate-Eval is the online platform of the broader community of practice (CoP) on climate change and development evaluation whose objectives include the following: 1. an electronic library for Climate Change and Development Evaluation 2. a book launch and publication of the International Conference papers, 'Evaluating Climate Change and Development' (published and available to order) 3. five studies on climate change adaptation and mitigation 4. host virtual discussions

Climate-L

Climate-L is a news and announcement list service that focuses on the climate change policy and issues. Postings include breaking climate news, announcements of workshops/conferences, job listings, and information on new publications and online resources.

Commission of Ecosystem Management (CEM)

The Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) is one of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s six scientific Commissions. CEM is a network of volunteer experts from around the world working on ecosystem management related issues. The Commission works closely with other IUCN Commissions, regional offices and global thematic programmes. CEM and its individual members are involved in a wide range of Ecosystem Management activities and is supported by the Ecosystem Management Programme as its Secretariat, located at the IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.

Ecosystems and Livelihoods Adaptation Network (ELAN)

ELAN enhances poor and marginalized people's resilience to the impacts of climate change by integrating ecosystem and right-based approaches into adaptation policies and practices.

ELAN is founded on a need for shared experiences, further research and increased capacity to implement innovative and practical ecosystem and livelihood solutions to adaptation and risk reduction based on the latest information and the diffusion of knowledge among adaptation practitioners and policy-makers. ELAN is creating a global network of scientists, policy makers and practitioners dedicated to supporting the integration of sound ecosystem management in adaptation policies, plans and programmes – especially in the world’s most vulnerable countries.

gendercc

Women for climate justice is the global network of women and gender activists and experts from all world regions working for gender and climate justice.

Global Development Network (GDNet)

GDNet provides southern researchers with a space to profile their work and opportunities to engage with others working in development policy and practice including topics such as Disaster Risk Reduction or Climate Change Adaptation. The tools and services that it offers have been developed specifically to support researchers working in developing countries and to make their work known to an international audience.

The GDNet Knowledgebase is a comprehensive internet portal to development research produced in developing countries. Free to use, it features more than 16,500 research papers which are accompanied by clear conclusion based summaries. You can browse by topic through the GDNet Thematic Windows.

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

To mainstream disaster reduction and climate change adaptation in country development strategies to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards. GFDRR was established to help developing countries - particularly those identified as the most vulnerable natural disaster “hotspots” - enhance their capacity for disaster prevention, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. GFDRR is a unique long-term partnership of the World Bank, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), Australia, Canada, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, OFDA/USAID, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. GFDRR was created to support and strengthen the ISDR system that was established to reverse trends in disaster loss by 2015. Launched in September 2006, GFDRR responds to a call from the international community to accelerate the Hyogo Framework for Action. The Hyogo Framework is the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction efforts adopted by the United Nations.

Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years.

GEOSS will work with and build upon existing national, regional, and international systems to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide, transforming the data they collect into vital information for society.

Humanitarian & Development Network (HDN)

HDN functions as a loose association of consultants who join HDN for specific assignments, selected for their competence and knowledge, and their expertise and skills in relation to the consultancy. 



Through tailored consulting and project management, HDN provides advisory and operational services in a variety of activities:
• Review and evaluation of organizational strategies
• Programme design and project development strategies
• Facilitation of private and public sector partnerships (PPPs)
• Advice on corporate social responsibility strategies (CSR)
• Coordination of events and fora
• Facilitation of international workshops and meetings, and private bilateral meetings in support of the humanitarian-development agenda
• Drafting of strategy, programme, and budget documents;

HDN works in:
• Humanitarian aid and coordination
• Disaster risk reduction and risk management
• Global migration including refugee and displacement problems
• Environment/climate change and poverty reduction
• Food security
• Health

In its first four years of operation, HDN has undertaken a variety of assignments in Geneva and outside by both its partners as well as with collaborating associates.

Among its clients are the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC, Bern), the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN (Geneva) and a consortium of donors, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR, Geneva), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, Geneva), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HDC, Geneva), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA, London), Geneva University, EPFL (Lausanne), the Fleet Forum (Geneva), the German Committee for Disaster Reduction (DKKV, Bonn), the Global Risk Forum (GRF)/International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC, Davos), and InSTEDD (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases & Disasters, Palo Alto, CA, USA).

LAND-L

The purpose of LAND-L is to provide a free, moderated, community communications tool, allowing subscribers to post announcements related to desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) as well as sustainable land management (SLM) events, policy developments, publications and new initiatives. LAND-L is not a discussion list and is limited to non-commercial, non-political announcements.

LinkedIn groups on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

LinkedIn is a professional network which provide an opportunity to create discussion groups on particular topics.

The following groups are available on LinkedIn:

Coastal Adaptation - planning to adapt to coastal climate change
This group is being developed by the IMCORE project partnership. This online tool is the final output of the IMCORE project and the most valuable learnings come from the real life experiences of 9 partnerships (ECNs) who have gone through the process of planning for adaptation in a broad range of contexts (and different “starting points”) through building the evidence required and the capacity of organisations and stakeholders, testing a variety of innovative tools and developing adaptation strategies.

Visit the group's page online.

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in European Forestry
This group connects professionals working in forest research, forestry and the forest-based sector as well as in policy and decision making and in non-governmental organizations to discuss impacts of climate change and options for adaptation in European forestry. The discussion forum will serve as the place to ask questions, share recent information and discuss policy relevant matters.

Visit the group's page online.

AdaptAbility° Climate Adaptation Network Climate Change Professionals
AdaptAbility° is the international community of practice for sustainability, risk and disaster professionals working on or interested specifically in ADAPTATION and resilience to inevitable climate change impacts as a complementary strategy to global warming mitigation efforts. Sub-themes addressed include but are not limited to land use planning, infrastructure redesign, and disaster prevention.

Visit the group's page online.

Linking Climate Adaptation (LCA) Network

The Linking Climate Adaptation (LCA) Network is hosting discussions around three key areas of the adaptation debate. The first discussion thread focused on the preparation and implementation of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs).

Natural Disaster Management Forum (NDMF Nepal)

Natural Disaster Management Forum (NDMF Nepal), a member organization of National Network (DPNet Nepal), advocates on the issue of hydro-meteorological hazards since its establishment in 2002. It usually focuses on DRR, watershed management, community based climate resilient and ecosystem management in relation to DRR and climate change. The interested partners are welcomed to collaborate with the organizations in the areas of climate change and DRR, natural resource management through trainings, research, and sharing forums like conference, workshop, and symposium in Nepal.

Pacific Solution Exchange

Pacific Solution Exchange (PSE) is a knowledge-sharing forum that supports an email-group of over 1300 Members, with conversations moderated by a Facilitation Team. Members ask each other queries and share answers, insights, experiences and lessons learned to help with their work in the Pacific. The PSE team is set to launch a new ‘Community of Practice’ for Climate Change and Development (CCD) offering members four services (Query / response, discussion, consultation and collaboration) via email, and sharing a consolidated reply – a synthesis of all responses and additional resources for each exercise/issue.

This aims to:

- Leverage and expand the expertise pool on Climate Change and Development effectiveness presently diffused across the Pacific;
- Bridge the knowledge gap by facilitating knowledge sharing with other networks;
- Enhance south-south and small island state cooperation;
- Broaden the dialogue around Pacific issues to inform decision-making;
- Nurture establishment of communities of practice in the region

The member email address is: ccd-pc@solutionexchange-un.net

Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR)

The Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR) is a global partnership comprised of UN agencies, international and regional NGOs as well as specialist institutes that collectively aim to influence policy, enhance implementation and better coordinate efforts in environmental management for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods. It promotes ecosystems management as the key strategy to reduce disaster risk, increase local resilience and adapt to a changing climate. As a global thematic platform of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system, PEDRR works to reduce underlying risk factors related to the environment and mainstreams ecosystems-based DRR in development planning processes at global, regional, national and local levels.

Solution exchange for climate and disaster risk reduction community - Bangladesh

Solution Exchange is a knowledge management service that provides an email based platform for practitioners to discuss issues, share information and gather solutions to existing or anticipated challenges that they face on a day-to-day basis. It is based on the idea of peer learning and support. Bangladesh’s first Solution Exchange Community – the Urban Poverty Reduction Community was launched in March 2011 with its first query setting a global record for the number of responses.

The Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR) Community provides knowledge services to harness Bangladesh’s vast knowledge pool on climate change and disaster risk reduction for more effective and smarter ways of doing the business – from policy, planning, or practical issues of implementation. The CDRR Community provides both online and offline services and tools in a non-hierarchical environment, bringing members from different sectors to form one ‘Team’ to make a positive dent in the field of climate change (CC) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Bangladesh. Currently there are some 580 members and dealt with some 26 queries and discussions (till January 2013).

Sustainable Development-L (SD-L)

SD-L is a free and moderated community communications tool for knowledge-sharing on Sustainable Development. It is a grassroots, peer to peer service meant to advance understanding and application of the SD framework by allowing subscribers to post announcements related to contributions and activities with a strong focus on sustainable development. SD-L provides an excellent way to circulate cutting edge information on meetings, policy developments, publications and new initiatives, as well as keep abreast of the latest sustainable development-related issues and events. SD-L offers users a chance to better publicize and coordinate their efforts through virtual knowledge exchange.

Univ of Copenhagen: Climate Food and Farming Network (CLIFF)

CLIFF aims to strengthen collaboration between researchers by bringing together researchers and PhD students working within the scope of the network themes. For example, network members will have opportunities to develop collaborative research with other network partners and CCAFS and/or collect data that can then be used as common, comparable datasets and methods. Network members will be encouraged to jointly develop and exchange ideas about conceptual frameworks and research methods, including field and analytical methods as well as the meta-methods that will allow robust analyses across sites, continents and contexts. Geographically, the network will include the current CCAFS regions (West Africa, East Africa and the Indo-Gangetic Plains) as well as Northern and Southern universities as well as other developing countries.