National systems for managing the risks from climate extremes and disasters

Lal, Padma Narsey, Mitchell, Tom, Aldunce, Paulina, Auld, Heather, Mechler, Reinhard, Miyan, Alimullah, Romano, Luis Ernesto, Zakaria, Salmah, Dlugolecki, Andrew, Masumoto, Takuo, Ash, Neville, Hochrainer, Stefan, Hodgson, Robert, Islam, Tarik Ul, Mc Cormick, Sabrina, Neri, Carolina, Pulwarty, Roger, Rahman, Ataur, Ramalingam, Ben, Sudmeier-Reiux, Karen, Tompkins, Emma, Twigg, John and Wilby, Robert (2012) National systems for managing the risks from climate extremes and disasters. In, Field, Christopher B., Barros, Vicente, Stocker, Thomas F. and Dahe, Qin (eds.) Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, pp. 339-392. (doi:10.1017/CBO9781139177245.009).

Abstract

This chapter assesses how countries are managing current and projected disaster risks, given knowledge of how risks are changing with observations and projections of weather and climate extremes [Table 3–2, 3.3], vulnerability and exposure [4.3], and impacts [4.4]. It focuses on the design of national systems for managing such risks, the roles played by actors involved in the system, and the functions they perform, acknowledging that complementary actions to manage risks are also taken at local and international level as described in Chapters 5 and 7. National systems are at the core of countries' capacity to meet the challenges of observed and projected trends in exposure, vulnerability, and weather and climate extremes (high agreement, robust evidence). Effective national systems comprise multiple actors from national and sub-national governments, private sector, research bodies, and civil society, including community-based organizations, playing differential but complementary roles to manage risk according to their accepted functions and capacities. These actors work in partnership across temporal, spatial, administrative, and social scales, supported by relevant scientific and traditional knowledge. Specific characteristics of national systems vary between countries and across scales depending on their socio-cultural, political, and administrative environments and development status. [6.2] The national level plays a key role in governing and managing disaster risks because national government is central to providing risk management-related public goods as it commonly maintains financial and organizational authority in planning and implementing these goods (high agreement, robust evidence). National governments are charged with the provision of public goods such as ensuring the economic and social well-being, safety, and security of their citizens from disasters, including the protection of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. They also control budgetary allocations as well as creating legislative frameworks to guide actions by other actors.

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Contributors

Author: Emma Tompkins

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