The publication includes case studies on: dealing with drought in Syria; assessing risk and vulnerability in Haiti; incorporating climate information into user-led processes in Kenya; collaborating for effective malaria control in southern Africa; and facilitating Pacific island adaptation.
20 June 2011: The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Colombia University has released a publication titled “A better climate for disaster risk management,” which addresses recent advances in the use of climate information for managing risks and improving livelihoods.
The publication starts with a chapter on “identifying problems and possible solutions” that features case studies on: dealing with drought in Syria; assessing risk and vulnerability in Haiti; incorporating climate information into user-led processes in Kenya; collaborating for effective malaria control in southern Africa; and facilitating Pacific island adaptation. It then describes a variety of tools related to tailoring climate information to facilitate decision-making, integrating climate information into user-developed platforms for food security, and establishing thresholds for actions. The third chapter features case studies on taking action.
The last chapter contains conclusions and lessons learned. It suggests that efforts to apply climate information in disaster risk management should focus on immediate opportunities, and calls on climate information providers to tailor their information to the problem at hand. The publication was produced through the support of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security Programme (CCAFS) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and other international partners. [Publication: A Better Climate for Disaster Risk Management]