DISASTER RELIEF
90. External emergency relief assistance often creates parallel
structures to local initiatives. Often, as a result, local community
structures are left weaker and more vulnerable than before. We
recognise that there is a balance to be struck in delivering emergency
relief quickly and working through local organisations who may
be hampered by a lack of capacity. But, relief operations should
seek to leave a country better able to cope, having improved local
capacity and institutions rather than simply patching up problems
and moving on.
DISASTER MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS
91. Disaster mitigation and preparedness (DMP) could be effective
in reducing loss of life and livelihoods.[254]
Stressing the importance of DMP, Clare Short said "¼you
have floods in the southern United States of America and a few
people lose their cars; you have them in Mozambiqueit used
to be Bangladesh but Bangladesh has learnedthousands of
people lose their lives. Part of dealing with catastrophes is
to be prepared and organised to deal with them.".[255]
A well functioning early-warning system can be one of the most
effective measures for saving lives. In 1971, a cyclone in Bangladesh
cost 300,000 lives. A similar storm in 1991 killed about 100,000
and in 1998 in another comparable event only about 100 died.[256]
But early warning systems can only help to save lives if adequate
provision is made for shelter and evacuation. They can do little
to prevent economic loss and destruction of livelihoods.
92. Many witnesses stressed the need for DMP work
to be properly funded. Ian Davis, Cranfield Disaster Management
Centre, noted that while donors often generously funded relief
work, longer-term reconstruction and rehabilitation was starved
of resources.[257]
In their memorandum, Tearfund said that the cost of investing
in disaster mitigation and preparedness was lower than the cost
of post-disaster relief and reconstruction. But despite the case
for investment, donors see DMP as a low priority. Tearfund argued
that if international development targets were to be met disaster
mitigation and preparedness had to be given a higher priority
and more funding. It is unclear why DMP is starved of resources
while relief work is well funded, but it may be related to the
fact that the cost of DMP work is often borne by developing countries
while relief and reconstruction is funded by donors and aid agencies.
93. Disaster mitigation needs to be put on a more
formal footing within many countries. Developing countries have
seen DMP as a low priority[258]
and often it is not reflected in national plans and strategies.[259]
It should be integrated within existing structures and become
part of the normal political and development process.[260]
Coordinating activity under the umbrella of the International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) could provide a focus for
increasing and improving disaster mitigation and preparedness
work within a country.[261]
A lack of capacity and resources in developing countries has hampered
DMP[262]
where even low-cost interventions have not been implemented largely
because of a lack of knowledge and awareness. Many represent 'no-regrets'
options as even in the absence of climate change, improving disaster
mitigation and preparedness has the potential to deliver significant
economic and social benefits.[263]
94. Ian Davis, Cranfield Disaster Management Centre,
advocated the involvement of local communities and devolution
of control for some DMP activities.[264]
Much of the detailed planning and policy making on disaster mitigation
and preparedness needs to happen at a local or community level.
There is a difficulty, however, in that much of the information
on climate change impact exists only at a global or national level.
Activity at national and local levels needs to be coordinated
with the involvement of public and private organisations and other
stakeholders. Capacity for addressing DMP is often better at a
local government level. At a local level people need to be encouraged
to participate in coordinating meetings and committees. It is
vital that at a local level there is a focus on the need for families
to have some minimum level of self-sufficiency.[265]
127 Huq et al, 2002, IIED Opinion: Climate Change and
Sustainable Development Beyond Kyoto Back
128 Q49 Back
129 IPCC
2001, Third Assessment Report, Synthesis Report-Summary for Policy
Makers Back
130 Q61 Back
131 Ev
61 Back
132 Report
of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 Back
133 Klein,
R, 2001: Adaptation to Climate Change in German Official Development
Assistance-An inventory of activities and opportunities, with
a special focus on Africa, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit,
Eschborn, Germany. Back
134 Report
of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 Back
135 Klein,
R, 2001: Adaptation to Climate Change in German Official Development
Assistance-An inventory of activities and opportunities, with
a special focus on Africa, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit,
Eschborn, Germany. Back
136
Klein, R, 2001: Adaptation to Climate Change in German Official
Development Assistance An inventory of activities and opportunities,
with a special focus on Africa, Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Zusammenarbeit, Eschborn, Germany. Back
137 Ev
67 [para 1] Back
138 Ev
60-61 Back
139 Report
of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001and Ev
71 [para 13] Back
140 Ev
62 Back
141 Ev
60 Back
142 Ev
61 Back
143 Financing
Climate Change: Providing Public Goods, preventing public bads,
Dr Peter Newell, Institute of Development Studies (IDS). An abridged
version of this paper appears in Financing and Providing Global
Public Goods: Expectations and Prospects, prepared for the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Sweden by IDS. Back
144 Ev
71 [para 10] Back
145 Ev
61 and Ev 71 [para 14] Back
146 Ev
70 [para 6] and Ev 71 [para 14] Back
147 Q5 Back
148 Ev
129 Back
149 World
Disasters Report 1999 Back
150 Ev
61 Back
151 Ibid. Back
152 Ev
61 Back
153 Q88 Back
154 Q25 Back
155 Jackie
Jones, 2000, A study of UK Government Policy and responsibility
towards environmental refugees from developed countries displaced
by the adverse impacts of climate change. This paper was a dissertation
submitted as part of a MSc in Rural Resources and Environment
Policy. A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Back
156 Ev
131 Back
157 Q127 Back
158 Ev
70 [para 4] and Ev 71 [para 9] Back
159 Food
in the 21st Century: Global Climate Disparities, Mahendra
Shah, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Back
160 Ev
67 [para 2] Back
161 FAO,
1997, Agriculture and climate change: FAO's role See www.fao.org Back
162 Ev
62 Back
163 Ev
61 Back
164 Q105 Back
165 Q62 Back
166 Q63 Back
167 Q77 Back
168 Q61 Back
169 See
figure 1, Ev 80 Back
170 Q111 Back
171 Ibid. Back
172 Bruce,
Burton and Egener,1999, Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness in
a changing climate; A synthesis paper produced for emergency Preparedness
Canada, Environment Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
(www.epc-pcc.gc.ca/research/scie_tech/disas_miti.html) Back
173 Based
on diagram in C. Preyssl, R. Atkins and T. Deak, 1999, Risk Management
at ESA (European Space Agency) http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/bulletin/bullet97/preyssl.pdf Back
174 OECD
2001, Identify risk, PUMA/MPM (2001)2 Back
175 Seminar
on Health Policy-The Precautionary Principle: Meaning and Utility,
30 January 2002, www.carleton.ca/epic/back3.pdf Back
176 A
sink is a reservoir that can take up and store a chemical element
or compound from some part of its natural cycle. For example,
soil and trees tend to act as natural sinks for carbon. Back
177 Report
of IPCC Working Group III: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 Back
178 Ibid. Back
179 Q80
and Q81 Back
180 Q155
and www.news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/sci_tech/2001/climate_change/china.stm Back
181 Q87 Back
182 Report
of IPCC Working Group III: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001 Back
183 Ev
144 [para 5] Back
184 Ev
145 [para 18] Back
185 Q44 Back
186 G8
Renewable Energy Taskforce, Final Report, July 2001. See www.renewabletaskforce.org/report.asp Back
187 Ev
146 [para 2.7] Back
188 Ev
139 Back
189 Ev
144 [para 5] Back
190 Ev
145 [para 1.2] Back
191 Ev
147 [para 2.8] Back
192 UNEP,
2001, UNEP Finance Initiatives Climate Change Working Group Position
Paper. Back
193 G8
Renewable Energy Taskforce, Final Report, July 2001. See www.renewabletaskforce.org/report.asp Back
194 Linkages
between climate change and sustainable development, Beg et al,
2001 (submitted to Climate Policy in October 2001 revised December
2001) Back
195 Ev
146 [para 2.2] Back
196 Ev
139 Back
197
The Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, see www.seen.org/pages/vital.shtml Back
198 Ev
144 [paras 11-14] Back
199 Ev
50 [para 4] Back
200 Ev
130 [para 5.4] Back
201 Ev
144 [para 15] Back
202 United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Article 2 (See
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf) Back
203 Ev
13 [para 4.2] Back
204 Huq
et al, 2002, IIED Opinion: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Beyond Kyoto Back
205 UNEP,
2001, UNEP Finance Initiatives Climate Change Working Group Position
Paper. Back
206 Ev
13 [para 4.5] Back
207 The
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has produced two
papers on implementing and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol that will
provide greater detail on the mechanisms in the Protocol and the
ratification process. Post Note Number 147 October 2000 and Post
Note Number 176, April 2002. Back
208 Ev
73 [para 22] Back
209 Financing
Climate Change: Providing Public Goods, preventing public bads,
Dr Peter Newell, Institute of Development Studies (IDS). An abridged
version of this paper appears in Financing and Providing Global
Public Goods: Expectations and Prospects, prepared for the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Sweden by IDS. Back
210 Ev
139 Back
211 Ev
14 [para 4.7] Back
212 Ev
73 [para 22] Back
213 Ev
73 [para 22] Back
214 Ev
14 [para 4.9] Back
215 Ibid. Back
216 Ev
15 [para 4.10] Back
217 Ev
37 Back
218 Ev
73 [para 24] Back
219 Q37
and Ev 6 [para 31] Back
220 Ev
6 [para 31] Back
221 Ev
13 [para 4.3] Back
222 Q72 Back
223 Ibid. Back
224 Ev
72 [para 21] Back
225 Ev
72 Back
226 Ev
72 [para 21] Back
227 Q72 Back
228 Ev
6 [para 32] Back
229 Q36 Back
230 Ibid. Back
231 Q72 Back
232 Downing
and Klein, Towards an International Funding Strategy for Climate
Adaptation: A Contribution from Adaptation Science. A Background
Paper to the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global
Environment Facility. Nairobi: STAP/GEF. Back
233 UNEP,
2001, UNEP Finance Initiatives Climate Change Working Group Position
Paper. Back
234 Q90 Back
235 Huq
et al, 2002, IIED Opinion: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Beyond Kyoto Back
236 Ev
145 [para 18] Back
237 Linkages
between climate change and sustainable development, Beg et al,
2001 (submitted to Climate Policy in October 2001 revised December
2001) Back
238 Huq
et al, 2002, IIED Opinion: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Beyond Kyoto Back
239 Q91 Back
240 Ev
70 [para 5] Back
241 See
www.field.org.uk/fieldmain/climate.htm Back
242 Ev
71 [para 10] Back
243 Huq
et al, 2002, IIED Opinion: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Beyond Kyoto Back
244 Ev
138 and Ev 151 Back
245 The
Corner House, 1997, Climate and Equity, After Kyoto Back
246 Ev
125 [paras 31-32] Back
247 Ibid. Back
248 Source:
World Bank Development Indicators Back
249 Ev
15 [para 5.4] Back
250 Q150 Back
251 Third
Report from the Environmental Audit Committee, Session 2001-2002,
UK Preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
HC616 Back
252 Q155 Back
253
Bruce, Burton and Egener,1999, Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness
in a changing climate; A synthesis paper produced for emergency
Preparedness Canada, Environment Canada and the Insurance Bureau
of Canada. (www.epcpcc.gc.ca/research/scie_tech/disas_miti.html) Back
254 Ev
83 Back
255 Q152 Back
256 Q17 Back
257 Q101 Back
258 Ev
83 Back
259 Q113 Back
260 Q124 Back
261 Bruce,
Burton and Egener,1999, Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness in
a changing climate; A synthesis paper produced for emergency Preparedness
Canada, Environment Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
(www.epc-pcc.gc.ca/research/scie_tech/disas_miti.html) Back
262 Ev
83 Back
263 Bruce,
Burton and Egener,1999, Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness in
a changing climate; A synthesis paper produced for emergency Preparedness
Canada, Environment Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
(www.epc-pcc.gc.ca/research/scie_tech/disas_miti.html) Back
264 Q119 Back
265 Bruce,
Burton and Egener,1999, Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness in
a changing climate; A synthesis paper produced for emergency Preparedness
Canada, Environment Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
(www.epc-pcc.gc.ca/research/scie_tech/disas_miti.html) Back