At the crossroads: climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Asia and the Pacific

• UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Asia and Pacific

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12 September 2011This report provides a snapshot of how DRR (disaster risk reduction) and CCA (climate change adaptation) are being integrated in the Asia Pacific region. It outlines numerous regional policy and institutional mechanisms related to DRR and CCA by highlighting potential areas for cooperation amongst regional and sub-regional organizations, including: governments; UN agencies; intergovernmental organizations; research and technical organizations; non-government organizations.

Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest among policymakers, practitioners and researchers in finding synergies between DRR and CCA at the international, regional and local levels. Some have called for harnessing the convergence of these two areas of practice by capitalizing on their shared goals and approaches, while, at the same time, not losing sight of their salient differences and respective agendas. Proponents of this view have pointed out that the overlapping objectives of DRR and CCA are now increasingly reflected in international agreements, government statements and policies, as well as in joint and on‐the‐ground activities.

On the other hand, others look at the intersection of DRR and CCA as a matter of thematic hierarchy. It has been suggested that DRR should be seen as “a crucial part of adaptation,” while others have argued that it is CCA that should be embedded within DRR as one of the many factors affecting vulnerability. The perceived relative ineffectiveness of DRR and CCA in addressing vulnerability and its underlying causes adds another wrinkle to the debate, prompting the question of whether or not linking is desirable at this time, given that much is still needed to effect paradigm shifts in both climate change and disaster communities.