Evaluation: natural disasters and climate change in Finnish aid from the perspective of poverty reduction

This evaluation looks at the contribution of Finland to 'natural' disaster prevention and mitigation, particularly from the perspective of the poor and the vulnerable. It considers a wide range of other relevant sectors and how the consequences of 'natural' disasters and preventive measures have been taken into account in the cooperation programmes, using a end-to-end approach from early warning to the societal level.

The document looks into the whole range of Finland’s development aid policy, programmes and projects, including the focused aid to meteorology, to ascertain contributions made to disaster preparedness particularly at the community level for the poorest/disadvantaged. Its purpose is to obtain an expert external opinion on how Finland’s development policy focus on poverty has contributed to reducing vulnerability to natural hazards, and adaptation to future climate change, and to identify concrete results, successes, and failures and answer a simple question: what is the difference made?

The evaluation starts with references to the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) and the UNISDR Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. It explores the status of the disaster risk reduction situation including sustainable development efforts and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals together with the additional adversity posed by climate change. It then describes the methodology of the evaluation, its process and information sources and sets up a framework linking development and disaster risk reduction whilst positioning the Finnish policy within the framework. It further analyses operational and institutional linkages and provides some recommendations on policies and strategies linking development and disaster preparedness.