Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction

One common thread among the disasters that most impact the Asia-Pacific region is that they show how delicate the balance is between human activity and nature. The sweeping COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that human exploitation of nature and unchecked encroachments into wild spaces can have real consequences. At the same time, unplanned human development in the region is stripping landscapes of natural protections against many hazards. When combined with extreme weather events, the lack of natural protections can have perilous consequences. Just one example is the extreme flooding experienced this year by Japan, China, and India following unusually heavy monsoon rains. In these examples, the balance between human activity and nature was disrupted, resulting in disasters. However, if the balance can be maintained, many hazards can be kept at bay, and nature can serve as a defense against disasters.

This publication explains and highlights how this can be achieved through ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, which centers around the harnessing of nature to build resilience and develop sustainably. If applied strategically, nature-based solutions can help address all aspects of disaster risk (i.e., vulnerability, hazard, and exposure), while also improving people’s lives and restoring ecosystems. Many studies have found that nature-based solutions offer a high return on investments, with benefits that extend into social and economic life. This has earned them the label of ‘no-regret’ or “win-win” solutions.

For example, although China experienced devastating floods in 2020, overall mortality and displacement were significantly less compared to the country’s 1998 floods despite heavier rainfall in 2020. These improvements are being credited to two decades of investment in nature-based solutions to reduce disaster risks and impacts, such as China’s “sponge cities” initiative. Despite such progress and increased recognition of the value of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, more effort is needed to scale up and increase adoption.

One opportunity may be the current wave of government economic stimulus funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These economic recovery packages can become springboards to launch new and ambitious initiatives to strengthen green economies and integrate nature-based solutions into development. Moreover, these approaches can help countries meet their global and national commitments in the areas of combating climate change and sustainable development, which have lagged as a result of the pandemic.

UNDRR is pleased to present this body of work to help policymakers and planners initiate these discussions with their constituents and to consider new ways to accelerate the transition from working against nature to working with nature to reduce disaster risks and achieve a more prosperous and sustainable future.

Source:
https://www.undrr.org/media/48333/download?startDownload=20240520