Learning Log 3: Understanding inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction

Gabrielle Emery, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Water for Women is a unique program driving innovation and sharing knowledge for climate-resilient, equitable and socially inclusive WASH. By combining research and implementation, the climate financed Fund generates evidence-based practices and empowers partners to collaborate on sustainable solutions.

Central to this approach is our Learning Agenda, fostering learning, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among partners. In the final year of the Fund, we've set out to address a critical evidence gap in climate-resilient development by answering two fundamental questions:

1. What does climate-resilient, inclusive WASH development look like?
2. How does inclusive WASH contribute to climate resilience?

In the lead up to APMCDRR 2024 (Manila, 14-18 October) Water for Women's Learning and Knowledge Manager, Zahra Bolouri, spoke with Gabrielle Emery, Head of the Pacific Subregional Office at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), about climate change risks, adaptation strategies, and the importance of inclusive approaches as key to meeting Sendai Framework goals for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Zahra Bolouri: Can you briefly describe what you do and how it relates to addressing climate change?

Gabrielle Emery: I work in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and climate change adaptation is a key subset of this field. We focus on mitigating the impacts of climate hazards, many of which are increasingly exacerbated by our changing climate. However, DRR is not limited to climate-related hazards. It also addresses other types of risks, such as geological and biological hazards. That said, in the Pacific, much of our work is centred on climate-related hazards, which often aligns closely with climate change adaptation efforts.

Zahra Bolouri: In your work in DRR in the Pacific, what are the key climate change risks you focus on?

Gabrielle Emery: Many of the climate change risks we focus on are hazard events directly caused or intensified by climate change. This includes sudden-onset hazards like tropical cyclones and heavy rainfall, as well as slower-onset events such as droughts and heatwaves. We also look at the impacts of gradual changes, like sea-level rise, and how these affect sectors like agriculture. Our approach to climate risks tends to focus on specific hazards, and what we’re observing is an increase in the frequency and intensity of these events due to climate change.

While we can’t prevent climate hazards or fully reverse the effects of climate change, we can work to minimise people’s vulnerability and exposure to them. This involves strengthening communities, improving livelihoods, and increasing capacity and awareness.

- Gabrielle Emery, UNDRR

Zahra Bolouri: How does UNDRR conceptualise resilience, and what contributes to increasing it?

Gabrielle Emery: In our field, resilience is viewed as a broad, all-encompassing concept that integrates Disaster Risk Reduction, climate change adaptation, and sustainability. It recognises that people are affected by both long-term climate change impacts and short-term hazards. Instead of focusing solely on the physical hazards, resilience is more about reducing people’s exposure and vulnerability to those hazards. The social dimensions—like where people live, their livelihoods, and their ability to access resources—are key factors in building resilience.

While we can’t prevent climate hazards or fully reverse the effects of climate change, we can work to minimise people’s vulnerability and exposure to them. This involves strengthening communities, improving livelihoods, and increasing capacity and awareness. By reducing the risks people face, especially those most vulnerable, we can enhance their resilience and their ability to adapt and thrive in changing conditions.

Zahra Bolouri: So rather than trying to focus on a person’s or group's resilience, UNDRR focuses on identifying hazards and reducing group’s exposure to them?

Gabrielle Emery: Yes, exactly. When you talk about resilience as a broad concept, it can be hard to grasp. But if you break it down and ask practical questions, like where are people living? What kind of infrastructure surrounds them? Can they access critical services during a disaster? That’s where exposure comes into play. There is often already a certain level of resilience, but the focus should be on fostering it. How can we ensure people have the tools and resources to take care of themselves? Can they access information, and are they included in decision-making processes? Whether you call it resilience or just good development, the goal is the same—making sure people have what they need to manage risks and protect themselves.

Whether you call it resilience or just good development, the goal is the same—making sure people have what they need to manage risks and protect themselves.

- Gabrielle Emery, UNDRR

Zahra Bolouri: Are there any aspects related to the concepts of climate change risks or climate change resilience that you wish received more attention from the government, media or the public?

Gabrielle Emery: Yes, I think we need to stop treating climate change as an isolated issue. It’s essential to adopt a holistic approach, considering both the long-term and short-term risks it poses across all aspects of life. Too often, the focus is on the science or specific areas without realising that climate change affects everything and everyone. What’s really valuable from the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) community is the shift from focusing solely on scientific data to looking at how climate change impacts people, with a focus on people-centred, resilient development approaches.

Climate discussions need to move beyond just science and financing to address how we support people in becoming more resilient. Currently, we’re getting stuck in the technicalities and financial aspects, but we’re not paying enough attention to the long-term social impacts. Without doing so, we’ll find ourselves stuck in endless cycles of processes and negotiations, instead of moving forward and helping communities adapt to this new world we're living in.