Connecting Global Priorities Biodiversity and Human Health

UNDP BANGLADESH / FLICKR
14. Increasing resilience and disaster
risk reduction: the value of biodiversity
and ecosystem approaches to resistance,
resilience and relief
1. Introduction
Increasing evidence suggests that the frequency,
nature and scale of (at least certain types of)
natural disasters is changing: more mid- and
small-sized disasters are now occurring more
often, while increasing urbanization and the threat
of climate change place more focus on the future
social, economic, environmental and public health
impacts of natural disaster events (ADW 2012;
Guha-Sapir et al. 2013; Smith et al. 2014; Adger
et al. 2014). Three of the top 10 risks in terms
of impact over the next 10 years are identified as
environmental risks – water crises, the failure of
climate change adaptation and loss of biological
diversity (Global Risks Perception Survey 2014).
The United Nations International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) defines a “disaster”
as a serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society, involving widespread
human, material, economic or environmental
losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of
the affected community or society to cope using
its own resources (UNISDR 2009). Disaster
events can be natural or anthropogenic in origin,
or be triggered by a combination of these factors.
Human-induced disasters can include conflict and
pollution events, while natural disasters may be
geophysical (earthquakes, landslides, avalanches,
volcanic eruptions), climatic (hurricane, tsunami,
flooding, drought, storm surge) or biological
(epidemics, pest infestations). Combining these
elements, anthropogenic activities – such as road
construction, deforestation and mining – can
cause or exacerbate natural disasters. The impact of
these infrastructures, and ecosystem disturbance
more broadly, may also pose immediate health
risks, by contributing to disease emergence or food
insecurity, or increasing vulnerability to mental
health issues, for example.¹ These are referred to as
“socionatural hazards”, whereby human activities
overexploit or degrade environmental resources,
increasing the magnitude of disasters and/or the
frequency with which they occur.
Disaster situations are associated with significant
challenges for public health. The most immediate
threat to health may be posed by the disaster
event itself; for example, geophysical and extreme
weather events can cause significant physical
and mental trauma and loss of life (Guha Sapir
et al. 2014; Du et al. 2010; Wisner et al. 2008),
while epidemics are by their nature primarily a
public health concern. Furthermore, disasters
can exacerbate other public health risk factors,
by altering the natural and physical environment,
affecting critical infrastructure (e.g. associated with
clean water and sanitation or primary health care),
and changing human conditions (e.g. through
¹ For example, the impact of dams can significantly
contribute to the emergence and spread of schistosomiasis,
as described in the chapter on water quality.
238 Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health