A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

Risk awareness and assessment2Reducing drought impactsThe need to improve drought preparedness through the development of policies and plans has becomewell accepted: South Africa (early 1990’s), Sub-Saharan Africa (UNDP/UNSO, 2000), West Asian andNorth Africa countries, Mediterranean region (CIHEAM, 2001), Morocco. Some of these were developedwith UNCCD, (total number of Ratification of the Convention in January 2002: 178 countries). InAustralia, the 1992 National Drought Policy is widely recognised as a successful policy and often replicated.It has three main objectives:• Encourage primary producers and others sections of rural Australia to adopt self-reliant approachesto managing for climatic variability.• Maintain and protect Australia’s agriculture and environment resource base during periods ofextreme climate stress.• Ensure early recovery of agriculture and rural industries, consistent with long term sustainablegoals.Climate change, sea level riseand coastal systemsCoastal zones are characterized by much diversityof ecosystems and a variety of socio-economicactivities. An estimated 46 million peopleper year, living in coastal areas, are at risk offlooding from storm surges, and sea-level rise.Climate change will exacerbate these trendswith significant impact upon the ecosystemsand populations. A growing number of peoplewill, continue to be located in coastal areas.Many traditional communities and subsistencelevel populations also rely on the resourcewealth of coastal areas and continue to bedrawn to these higher risk coastal regions. Forexample, indigenous coastal and island communitiesin the Torres Strait of Australia and inNew Zealand’s Pacific Island Territories areespecially vulnerable. Although adaptationoptions do exist, such measures are not easilyimplemented on low-lying land. Also, climatechange and sea-level rise issues are not as yetwell incorporated into current models andframeworks for coastal zone management.There is a direct link between tropical sea temperature inthe oceans and the frequency of tropical cyclones, hurricanesor typhoons. More heat in the atmosphere meansmore evaporation which means more rainfall and moreflooding in some places, more frequent drought in others,more violent windstorms or heavier snows elsewhere.Photo: PAHO57