Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Mainstreaming

Disaster Risk Management has become a key element of relief, rehabilitation, and climate change adaptation programmes, as well as development policies and programs in general. The course offers a unique combination of knowledge transfer, practical exercises, and learning and sharing among the trainees coming from different parts of the world.

Participants not only know the concept, major elements and state-of-the-art technologies of disaster risk management – with a focus on disaster risk reduction (DRR) –, they also are able to assess the context in which risk management and reduction take place and how to coordinate with different stakeholders. They know how to select vulnerable systems of interest (households, economic sectors, regions) as beneficiaries of risk management programs in a disaster risk based approach, how to identify technical means of interventions in the light of their appropriateness related to different types of climate-related disasters and how to integrate risk reduction into long-term development efforts, while taking climate change aspects into account and therefore contributing to long-term resilience of communities.

Course Objectives

The aim of the training course is to increase participants’ knowledge and skills on how to assess and to reduce disaster and climate risks for projects, plans, and policies. By the end of the training course, participants should be able to critically analyse risk scenarios and to develop and apply appropriate risk reduction measures.

The specific objectives of the training course are therefore as follows:
To increase understanding of disaster and climate risk concepts and their context

• To enhance awareness of risk assessment processes and tools for planned and existing projects, plans, and policies
• To increase understanding of risk reduction and adaptation measures and integration into projects

Course Content

• Risk assessment and risk mapping
• Means of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, and adaptation to climate change related to natural hazards, such as drought, landslide, flood and cyclone
• The social, economic, environmental and political context of climate adaptation and disaster risk management programs
• Different options of fostering resilience among vulnerable communities, sectors, and regions related to nature-related disasters and climate change
• Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR)
• Mainstreaming DRR and adaptation in humanitarian aid and development cooperation
• Organizational development with a focus on adaptation and DRR