Turning Risks into Opportunities – Mainstreaming Ecosystem Management, DRR and CCA

Date & Time:

Monday 20 May (18:00-19:30)

Room:

Room 18

Participation:

Open

Organizer:

United Nations University, United Nations Environment Programme, The Nature Conservancy, Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction

Focal Point:

Marisol Estrella
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
contact: marisol.estrella@unep.org

Description

In 2015, the global community will be deciding on its sustainable development goals, a new agreement on climate change as well as a new global framework on disaster risk reduction, presenting a unique opportunity to address development, adaptation and disaster risks in an inter-linked manner. This begs the question: What is the right mix of solutions that can effectively transform disaster and climate risks into opportunities for investing in sustainable and resilient development?

Ecosystems – such as forests, wetlands, drylands and coastal systems - have the potential to reduce disaster risks, adapt to climate change and enhance local resilience. Ecosystem management approaches to disaster risk reduction and adaptation are recognized in both climate change and disaster management communities as low-cost, no-regret solutions. Yet, ecosystem-based approaches are often not considered in the menu of options for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. In addition, efforts to adopt ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation are still not systematically integrated as part of development planning.

The Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR) is launching a book entitled, The Role of Ecosystems in Disaster Risk Reduction (UNU Press). This publication brings together, for the first time, contributions from 59 professionals - scientists, researchers and practitioners - working in the field of ecosystem-based approaches for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

The book launch will be followed by a high-level panel discussion focusing on the importance of mainstreaming ecosystems management, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into development policy and planning.

The main objective is to raise greater recognition of ecosystem-based solutions for disaster risk reduction and adaptation and the enabling elements needed to integrate this approach into development policies and planning.

Expected Outcomes

Main themes addressed:

(i) The types of governance systems needed to implement ecosystem-based approaches (including the role of the private sector),
(ii) Assessing the cost-effectiveness Four main themes are expected to be addressed during the panel discussion, expanding of ecosystem-based solutions and the role of the private sector,
(iii) Linking scientific knowledge to engineering practice
(iv) Linking science to policy including the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction.

The discussion will contribute to the global consultations on the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction, with a special focus on the role of environment.