What are the challenges in integrating community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA)? This research investigates the current situation and thinking on integrating DRR and CCA in community based projects in the Pacific. A key finding is the importance of agency and the significance of building and maintaining good relationships between DRR and CCA practitioners across sectors, including the government, NGOs and donors. A common barrier to integrating DRR and CCA is the multitude of organisations engaged in related initiatives.
Until recently, CCA and DRR were seen as separate approaches and implemented independently. But this disconnected way of working has meant little significant headway has been made in vulnerability reduction. There is now a widespread view, both at the policy and practical level, that CCA and DRR projects need to adopt a common approach to reducing vulnerability. This will significantly increase aid effectiveness. Successful integration will reduce both duplication of efforts and confusion at the community level.
DRR and CCA initiatives in the Pacific are evolving in such a way that past obstacles to integration are slowly dissolving, largely because of the recognition that better communication between the communities is needed.
- The DRR network, due to its longer history, is more established and robust than that of the CCA community, which is in its early years of formation and development.
- Limited technology is a barrier to linking people across the Pacific when face-to-face meetings are not possible. The geography of the Pacific, including the isolation of many islands, is an additional hindrance to information sharing.
- Networks such as the Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network assist in the integration of DRR and CCA through their annual conference, an information-sharing opportunity.
Agents need to come together and communicate and engage with each other more often to overcome the division between DRR and CCA. Being aware of who is involved – their capacity, roles and responsibilities – can assist in bringing together and encouraging collaborative efforts among DRR and CCA stakeholders. In addition:
- Recognising the differing funding, policy and legislative frameworks within which DRR and CCA operate can help to avoid duplication.
- Understanding the context in which DRR and CCA stakeholders operate, both culturally and institutionally, can further enhance integration.
- The development of concise guidelines assists in understanding the challenges involved in Pacific DRR and CCA integration and provides practical recommendations to support agents to overcome them.
- It is vital to adapt projects to local needs and capacity.